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A Global Agenda for Inclusive Recovery: Ensuring People with Intellectual Disabilities and Families are Included in a Post-COVID World

Inclusion International
June 2021

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This report documents the experience of exclusion of people with intellectual disabilities and their families during the COVID-19 pandemic. These experiences reveal pre-existing structural inequalities that affected the lives of people with intellectual disabilities and their families before COVID-19, during the pandemic, and beyond, and this report raises up the voices of those most excluded in a time of global crisis and demands an inclusive COVID-19 recovery.

 

This report includes the experiences of people with intellectual disabilities and families across eight different issue areas. Across these themes, we examined how and why people with intellectual disabilities were left out and excluded in pandemic responses, what pre-existing conditions and inequalities contributed to their vulnerability and exclusion, and how future policy structures could begin to address both this immediate and systemic exclusion.

 

Together, these experiences and policy solutions form our global agenda for inclusive COVID-19 recovery, an action plan to ensure that government efforts to ‘build back better’ are inclusive of people with intellectual disabilities and their families.

Barriers and Facilitators for Wheelchair Users in Bangladesh: A Participatory Action Research Project

ALDERSEY, Heather
QUADIR, Mohammad Morshedul
AKTER, Soniya
MOZUMDER, Rabiul Hossain
NAZNEEN, Nayma
NURI, Reshma Parvin
2018

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Purpose: People who use wheelchairs face a range of physical, social, and economic barriers to regular participation in their communities. These barriers may be more acute in countries such as Bangladesh which are affected by poverty and often lack the physical infrastructure or resources necessary to create inclusive or accessible environments. This research aimed to identify: (a) the barriers and facilitators to accessibility faced by wheelchair users in Bangladesh; (b) how these barriers affect the inclusion of wheelchair users in Bangladeshi society; and (c) what could be done to improve accessibility and inclusion for wheelchair users in Bangladesh.

 

Methods:  This participatory action research (PAR) project used Photovoice and semi-structured interviews to identify barriers and facilitators to accessibility for people who use wheelchairs in Bangladesh.

 

Results: Participants mentioned a number of barriers in public spaces, such as roads, missing or inadequate ramps, inaccessible restrooms, and negative attitudes. There were also participants who had made their home environments more accessible with accommodations such as ramps, arrangement of space, and low countertops/work spaces. Women wheelchair users seemed to face greater barriers to access, as compared to men, in a range of community spaces and activities. Participants’ recommendations for improvement targeted government stakeholders and included greater focus on road infrastructure, particularly during flooding in the rainy season, and modifications to the public transportation system.

 

Conclusion: A key goal of the study was to identify barriers and facilitators, and use the information gathered to promote social change on the ground. Future research and action should encourage more people to get involved in removing barriers for people with disabilities, in Bangladesh as well as globally

Bridging the disability divide through digital technologies

Deepti Samant Raja
2016

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The exclusion and marginalization of persons with disabilities is a human rights issue as well as an economic issue for countries. Digital technologies break traditional barriers to communication, interaction, and access to information for persons with disabilities. The confluence of increasing public and private service provision through Information and Communication Technology (ICT) and the growing number of mainstream, everyday ICTs that can be used as accessible devices is changing the paradigm of technology-enabled development for persons with disabilities. This paper provides an overview of the opportunities presented by the internet and ICT for the full participation of persons with disabilities. Accessible ICT can level the playing field for persons with disabilities across life domains including education, employment, e-governance and civic participation, financial inclusion, and disaster management. However, earlier divides may persist and new divides may be created when ICT-enabled development is not accessible to persons with disabilities, leading to an uneven distribution of benefits. This paper reviews the main challenges to the realization of ICT-enabled inclusive development and presents cost-beneficial policy and practice recommendations for governments and development practitioners

Disability-inclusive development toolkit

AL JU’BEH, Kathy
January 2015

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This toolkit is designed as a resource for CBM that can be used in a variety of ways: to support staff induction, team meetings, refresher days and training workshops. It can also be used as a tool for personal reflection and self-study. Tips for those intending to use it as a training resource are shaded differently.

 

The toolkit is presented in four main chapters targeting different audiences. Chapter 1: DID an introduction; Chapter 2: DID for managers; Chapter 3: DID for programme staff; Chapter 4: Inclusive training and facilitation. The content of the four chapters can be combined and adapted as needed. The materials can be used flexibly and are not intended to be prescriptive. They are primarily intended for use by CBM staff and highlight CBM guidelines and reference documents. They are intended to give CBM staff and partners more confidence in applying disability inclusion in their work

and speaking with one voice.

 

Each chapter includes links to signpost other reliable resources/ websites and portals where people can find further relevant information, both external links for all users and internal links for CBM employees only. A glossary of key terms is also presented at the end in alphabetical order to aid understanding and clarity on key terms used throughout the DID toolkit

Victim assistance issue briefs : how to ensure mine/ERW survivors benefit from and participate in disability-inclusive development

HANDICAP INTERNATIONAL
2014

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Following on from the Way Forward Paper, this paper is a set of three issue briefs proposing specific efforts and recommendations for informing and influencing policy to ensure mine and explosive remnants of war survivors participate in, and benefit from, disability-inclusive development. The three topics are locating and identifying survivors, improving access to services, and measuring progress on the implementation of victim assistance

Model policy for inclusive ICTs in education for persons with disabilities

WATKINS, Amanda
LEBLOIS, Axel
2014

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“This document presents a Model Policy for Inclusive Information and Communication Technologies (ICTs) in Education for Persons with Disabilities. The focus is upon the use of ICTs to support the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD, 2006), specifically:

  • Article 9: Accessibility;
  • Article 21: Freedom of Expression and Opinion, and Access to Information;
  • Article 24: Inclusive Education”

SIR, an ’’out of the box’’ project

THEBAULT DIAGNE, Guilaine
Ed
June 2013

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This newsletter provides an update on the social inclusion and rights (SIR) Project in West Africa and features information and links to various resources undertaken as part of the DECISIPH project
DECISIPH Newsletter, Number 014

Findings on accessibility of the zero project

HEINDORF, Ingrid
Eds
June 2012

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This report presents the findings from The Zero Project 2012 which highlights the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The report’s thematic focus on barriers provides examples of social indicators, good practice and good policy relating to accessibility to the physical environment, to transportation, to information and communications, as well as to other facilities and services provided to the public “"A prelude to the European Accessibility Act: Findings of the international Zero Project Report 2012"
Brussels, Belgium
21 June 2012

Freedom guide : paving the way towards free movement for people with disabilities

NYMAN, Maria
CHAMAYOU, Agnès
Eds
December 2011

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"This publication provides an overview of the implications of the rights recognised by the European Union Treaties linked to Free movement of persons, goods and services, for persons with disabilities. The Freedom Guide concretely aims to illustrate the fact that Freedom of movement is still not a reality for persons with disabilities. On the other hand, it also highlights that the internal market is still a place of exclusion due to the continued circulation of inaccessible goods and services. This must change, to ensure that all citizens can enjoy their human and civil rights. The UN Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) provides for an instrumental framework to establish a more inclusive society"
Note: Easy read version is available 68-73 p

Making mobile phones and services accessible for persons with disabilities

NARASIMHAN, Nirmita
LEBLOIS, Axel
2011

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"This report contains references to the new legislative and regulatory framework set by the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, an important resource for policy makers. It also covers practical elements required for a successful implementation of those programs and policies: technical accessibility features for handsets, accessible and assistive applications and services as well as business cases of companies which have implemented significant accessibility programs...(T)his report will be a useful resource for telecom regulators, mobile operators, organizations of persons with disabilities and other mobile stakeholders to develop successful accessibility policies and programs in their respective countries to equally serve persons of all abilities"

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