Visually Impaired Bukomansimbi Candidates Confident as They Sit PLE in Braille

What the report says

Three visually impaired learners at Misanvu Demonstration Special Needs Primary School in Kibinge Sub-county, Bukomansimbi District, are among the candidates sitting Uganda’s Primary Leaving Examinations (PLE) in 2026. According to Nile Post, the pupils are taking the exams in Braille, part of improved arrangements by the Uganda National Examinations Board (UNEB) and the Ministry of Education and Sports.

The school’s three visually impaired candidates said access to Braille learning materials had helped them prepare and gave them confidence ahead of the national exams. Their school deputy headteacher, Ann Florence Nakabuye, said the Braille papers were a major improvement on last year, when the school reportedly received exam papers that were not in Braille. She said this year’s format allowed the learners to read and understand the questions more independently.

Nile Post also reported that more than 4,000 Primary Seven candidates in Bukomansimbi District sat the 2026 PLE. At Misanvu, the school has also received an embosser, a machine that converts printed text into Braille, which administrators say will help produce accessible learning materials for learners with visual impairments.

The development matters because it highlights efforts to make national examinations more accessible for learners with disabilities. In broader education terms, Braille materials and assistive equipment are often essential for ensuring equal participation, though the specific impact on results will only be clear after the examinations are marked.