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Persons with disabilities in humanitarian response: New guidelines for more inclusive humanitarian action

March 2020

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The IASC recently endorsed guidelines for the inclusion of persons with disabilities in humanitarian action. How can these guidelines help make humanitarian action more inclusive? On 26 February 2020, ICVA and PHAP organized a webinar together with the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) secretariat and the Reference Group on Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action, which introduced the guidelines and discuss how they can be implemented in practice

Forgotten in a crisis: Addressing dementia in humanitarian response

GLOBAL ALZHEIMER'S & DEMENTIA ACTION ALLIANCE
ALZHEIMER'S DISEASE INTERNATIONAL
ALZHEIMER'S PAKISTAN
May 2019

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Every 3 seconds someone develops dementia and it’s one of the leading causes of death worldwide. Despite being some of the most at-risk in times of natural disaster, conflict and forced migration, there is a lack of awareness that dementia is a medical condition, meaning people with dementia are being neglected when they’re most in need of support.

This report investigates ways humanitarian emergency responses can protect and support people living with dementia. It draws on the experiences of people affected by dementia, Alzheimer’s specialists in affected countries, humanitarian organisations and inter-governmental organisations including the World Health Organisation and UNHCR.

Our findings reflect a wider issue of a lack of support for older people and those with disabilities in humanitarian response. We have found that people with dementia are systemically overlooked, due to a lack of global awareness of the condition and associated stigma.

The report is a collaboration between the Global Alzheimer’s & Dementia Action Alliance, Alzheimer’s Disease International and Alzheimer’s Pakistan.

Disability in humanitarian context : views from affected people and field organisations

HANDICAP INTERNATIONAL
July 2015

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This report is based on the results of a global consultation carried out in 2015 as a contribution to the World Humanitarian Summit and is intended to better identify the changes needed for a disability inclusive humanitarian response. A total of 769 responses were collected through 3 online surveys targeting persons with disabilities, disabled people's organisations (DPOs) and humanitarian actors. The results demonstrate that while most humanitarian actors pledge to target vulnerable persons in crisis time, few of them are putting in place specific mechanisms and procedures to effectively reach to, and taking into account, persons with disabilities in their programmes. Addressing these challenges is a human right imperative and has also to do with an effective implementation of principled humanitarian aid. This ambition requires changes in policies and practices within the humanitarian community as a whole

Technical report 2 : capacity building for disability inclusive disaster risk reduction in Indonesia

CENTRE FOR DISABILITY RESEARCH AND POLICY, University of Sydney
ARBEITER-SAMARITER-BUND INDONESIA
June 2015

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This is the second Technical Report in a three part series, 'Promoting the Inclusion of People with Disabilities in Disaster Management in Indonesia'. This Technical Report details the Capacity Building component of the Promoting the Inclusion of People with Disabilities in Disaster Management in Indonesia project. This project was funded by the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Australian Development and Research Awards Scheme 2013-2015. This award scheme promotes research and development programs through collaboration between researchers in Australia and elsewhere and INGOs and NGOs in country

 

Relevant to capacity building, two aims of the Promoting the Inclusion of People with Disabilities in Disaster Management in Indonesia project were:

1. To increase the understanding of people with disabilities of Disaster Risk Reduction and their capacity to engage with Disaster Risk Reduction policy; and,

2. To understand and subsequently inform the knowledge base of village volunteers (Kaders subsequently referred to as cadres) and DRR administrators about DiDRR at local and national levels in Indonesia

Supplement to technical report 2 : capacity building for disability inclusive disaster risk reduction in Indonesia : practitioner guidelines for capacity building for disability inclusive disaster risk reduction in Indonesia

CENTRE FOR DISABILITY RESEARCH AND POLICY, University of Sydney
ARBEITER-SAMARITER-BUND INDONESIA
June 2015

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This report is a supplement to the Technical Report 'Capacity Building for Disability Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction in Indonesia'. Disability Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction (DiDRR) is increasingly recognised as an important component of community resilience in the event of a natural disaster as documented in the recent outcome of the 3rd World Conference, the Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction 2015-2030. Central to DiDDR is people with disabilities themselves and their capacities to participate in, and contribute to disaster risk reduction policies, practices and programs

 

The Practitioner Guidelines provide orientation to the Work Packages undertaken to build the capacity of people with disabilities in disaster risk reduction in Indonesia as part of the Australian Government Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade Australian Development and Research Awards Scheme funded project, 2013-2015, Promoting the Inclusion of People with Disabilities in Disaster Management in Indonesia. These Work Packages formed one component of the project with knowledge transfer and capacity building supplemented by other methods within the project, including coaching and sponsoring participation of select trainees at key post-2015 DRR policy events

Disability inclusion and disaster risk management

BARD, Benjamin
March 2015

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This blog outlines author Benjamin Dard's (CBM Technical Advisor for Accessibility) experiences during a 3-day National Summit on Disability Inclusive Disaster Risk Reduction Management. It also highlights the importance of an inclusive approach to disaster risk management and contains links to numerous useful websites and papers

Inclusion : the key to essential disaster risk management

HANDICAP INTERNATIONAL (HI)
2015

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This briefing paper outlines the importance of including people with disabilities and other vulnerable groups in disaster risk management. The paper gives on overview of the basic principles of inclusive Disaster Risk Management (DRM) before providing recommendations for practitioners, states and donors

 

Guidelines for integrating gender-based violence interventions in humanitarian action: Reducing risk, promoting resilience and aiding recovery

WARD, Jean
LAFRENIERE, Julie
et al
2015

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The purpose of these Guidelines is to assist humanitarian actors and communities affected by armed conflict, natural disasters and other humanitarian emergencies to coordinate, plan, implement, monitor and evaluate essential actions for the prevention and mitigation of gender-based violence (GBV) across all sectors of humanitarian response. Part One presents an overview of GBV, provides an explanation for why GBV is a protection concern for all humanitarian actors and outlines recommendations for ensuring implementation of the Guidelines. Part Two provides a background to the ‘thematic areas’ in Part Three. It also introduces the guiding principles and approaches that are the foundation for all planning and implementation of GBV-related programming. Part Three constitutes the bulk of these Guidelines. It provides specific guidance, organized into thirteen thematic area sections: camp coordination and camp management; child protection; education; food security and agriculture; health; housing, land and property; humanitarian mine action; livelihoods; nutrition; protection; shelter, settlement and recovery; water, sanitation and hygiene; humanitarian operations support sectors. The importance of cross-sectoral coordination is highlighted in each section. It is also recommended that sector actors review the content of all thematic area sections. The Guidelines draw from many tools, standards, background materials and other resources developed by the United Nations, national and international non-governmental organizations, and academic sources. In each thematic area there is a list of resources specific to that area, and additional GBV-related resources are provided in Annex 1. The importance of indicators being disaggregated by sex, age, disability and other vulnerability factors is highlighted throughout.

Integrating individuals with access and functional needs in exercises toolkit for North Carolina emergency managers

KAILES, June Isaacson
2015

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This guidance is for a broad audience including emergency professionals across settings and sectors, government, education, business, and nonprofit.
The guidance are aimed at people who may need additional, targeted response assistance to;
1. maintain their health, safety and independence in an emergency
2. receive, understand and act on emergency messages
3. evacuate during an emergency.

Annie Patri : how to include and empower the vulnerable in disaster risk reduction

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE (ODI)
December 2014

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Annie Patri, speaking in her capacity as Project Coordinator and Acting Domain Coordinator for Disaster Risk Management (DRM) at Handicap international at an ODI event, discusses the challenges faced by people with disabilities in the event of a disaster. Annie argues that not only is there too little data on the challenges facing people with disabilities in the event of a disaster, but there are also considerable access issues for people with disabilities. In this talk Annie outlines how people with disabilities can and must be embraced as active agents of change in the event of a disaster

 

ODI event “How to include and empower the vulnerable in disaster risk reduction”

London, UK

25 November 2015

Inclusive disaster risk management : briefing paper

SHARMA, Anshu
et al
2014

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This briefing paper  presents the case for building safer, more resilient communities in South Asia using evidence-based inclusive approaches to Disaster Risk Management (DRM) through multi-stakeholder engagement. It is based on the learning from the Inclusive Community Resilience for Sustainable Disaster Risk Management (INCRISD) South Asia project, currently being implemented in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. It concludes by highlighting ten recommendations more inclusive Disaster Risk Management framework, and, while the paper is based on South Asia experiences, the recommendations and approaches can have global application

Disability inclusion : translating policy into practice in humanitarian action

PEARCE, Emma
March 2014

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This report “documents positive practices and ongoing challenges to promote disability inclusion across UNHCR’s and its partners’ work in multiple countries and multiple displacement contexts. The report provides lessons and recommendations for other organizations and the wider humanitarian community on engaging persons with disabilities at all levels of humanitarian work. It draws on consultations with over 700 displaced persons, including persons with disabilities, their families, and humanitarian staff, in eight countries”

Note: This report is also offered in plain text format

World report 2014 : events of 2013

HUMAN RIGHTS WATCH
2014

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This report is Human Rights Watch’s 24th annual review of human rights practices around the globe. It summarises key humanitarian rights issues in more than 90 countries and territories worldwide, drawing on events through November 2013. It presents extensive investigative work that Human Rights Watch undertook in close partnership with human rights activists on the ground.  The report is divided into three main parts: an essay section, photo essays, and country-specific chapters

Checklist for integrating people with disabilities and others with access and functional needs into emergency preparedness, planning, response & recovery

KAILES, June Isaacson
2014

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When it comes to including people with disabilities and others with access and functional needs in emergency plans, strategic plans are rarely enough. Non-specific language and broad planning steps carries a substantial risk of discriminatory response and failure. It is the detail, the who, what, where, when, why, and how embedded in the tactical plans that make the difference. These details should also be incorporated into that standard operating procedures of departments and agencies, job aids, checklists, field operation guides, and training.


This checklist is for emergency planners, managers, responders, and public information officers (PIOs) who have responsibility for developing, maintaining, testing, delivering and revising emergency plans and services. Use it to help:

Evaluate current capacity of critical elements that integrate people with disabilities and others with access and functional needs into emergency planning, response, and recovery.
Develop inclusive emergency plans, policies, processes, protocols, training, job aids/checklists, standard operating procedures and exercise programs.
Periodically evaluate progress and identify elements that have been implemented, and areas that continue to need attention.

Social sustainability and its indicators through a disability studies lens in sustainability

WOLBRING, Gregor
RYBCHINSKI, Theresa
November 2013

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“The aim of the present study is to identify the visibility of disabled people in the academic social sustainability literature, to ascertain the impact and promises of social sustainability indicators put forward in the same literature and to engage especially with the concepts of ‘development sustainability’, ‘bridge sustainability’ and ‘maintenance sustainability’ through disability studies and ability studies lenses”

Sustainability, Vol 5, Issue 11

Improving health at home and abroad : how overseas volunteering from the nhs benefits the uk and the world

ALL PARTY PARLIAMENTARY GROUP ON GLOBAL HEALTH
July 2013

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"This report describes how British health volunteers help to make big improvements in health in other countries whilst at the same time benefiting the UK. It argues that even more could be achieved with better organisation and support and that more people can be involved through virtual communication as well as by actually travelling abroad"

Improving health at home and abroad : how overseas volunteering from the NHS benefits the UK and the world|Executive summary

ALL PARTY PARLIAMENTARY GROUP ON GLOBAL HEALTH
July 2013

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This executive summary presents a summary of the main report which describes how British health volunteers help to make big improvements in health in other countries whilst at the same time benefiting the UK. It argues that even more could be achieved with better organisation and support and that more people can be involved through virtual communication as well as by actually travelling abroad

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