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"This publication presents the results of a study on the economic aspects of various models for the provision of wheelchairs in Tajikistan. The study was conducted under the leadership of the Ministry of Health and Social Protection, Republic of Tajikistan and with technical support from the WHO Country Office, Tajikistan. The study was finalized in consultation with Tajik users of wheelchairs, the Ministry of Health and Social Protection and international experts on wheelchair production and provision, and made use of national and international evidence on the provision of wheelchairs to inform the analysis and develop evidence-based policy options. While the study focuses on the Tajik context and its aspirations to expand in-country production of wheelchairs, its approach and findings will also be of interest to other countries in a similar situation and to other interested stakeholders"

The ASEAN Hometown Improvement Project, aimed to tackle challenges emerging from urbanization and the rise of the ageing population in the ASEAN region by attempting timely and relevant improvements to disability inclusive ‘hometowns’. 

Three approaches were utilized:

1) Promotion of an inclusive business through capacity building of persons with disabilities

2) Promotion of accessibility features in the community and other public places, as well as to information, communication, and transportation

3) Promotion of cooperation with government sector via discussions to find solutions to improve the livelihood of persons with disabilities

The sections, arranged per country in alphabetical order, contain the following: Hometown Improvement Project description and backgrounder; Capacity Building Workshop details; Key Partners and Stakeholders; Training Results; Challenges; Framework for Good Practice; and Way Forward and include:

• Cambodia: Phnom Penh Center for Independent Living's Bakery by Persons with Disabilities
• Indonesia: Batik Design and Marketing Management at Kampung Peduli
• Malaysia: Branding and Marketing Management for Bakery and Handicraft by Persons with Disabilities at CBR Semenyih
• Myanmar: Mushroom Production by Persons with Disabilities with Shwe Minn Tha Foundation
• Phillipines: Sustainable Inclusive Urban Micro-Gardening and Community-Based Cooperative at Barangay 177
• Thailand: Earthworm Casting and Cactus Farming at Farm D
• Vietnam: Fermented Dry Bamboo Waste Fertilizer at Bamboo Dana Co. Ltd

This report looks at the challenges linked to the use of explosive weapons in the Syrian context for the provision of adequate immediate assistance and to plan for mid- to long-term assistance to the victims of explosive violence, to ensure their full recovery and inclusion into society. It is based on data and testimonies collected from humanitarian agencies, actors and patients across all areas of control in Syria. The testimony of Farah, a Syrian girl injured during the bombing of her school, and of her mother, is shared throughout the report to illustrate the challenges faced by victims. 

This report was compiled from June to August 2019 and relies on multiple sources, including review of both gray and academic literature, published and unpublished data from INGOs working in Syria response, firsthand interviews with patients and Syrian humanitarians working both inside Syria and from cross-border locations, and expatriate staff from INGOs and UN agencies. Interviews were conducted at a distance during June and July 2019 with 12 individuals, among which: 2 patients; 3 mine action operators; 4 medical staff, and 3 humanitarian workers 

Purpose: This survey aimed to assess the baseline level of access to social institutions, utilisation of civil facilities and participation in empowerment schemes by people with disabilities in Amravati district of Maharashtra State, India.

Method: Sixty villages from two blocks in Amravati district were randomly selected for the survey. From these villages, 522 households were sampled and 3056 individuals were surveyed. Interviews were conducted with 590 individuals with disability from among the surveyed population. The structured interview schedule consisted of demographic data, access to social organisations, utilisation of civil services, and participation in empowerment schemes. 

Results: Locomotor disability was the most prevalent (44.6%) type of disability in the study area. Disabilities were more often present among male adolescents and young adults than among the older population and females. Over 50% of the study participants had no occupation (including children and students) and had not been to school. Only 48% had achieved secondary education and more. The proportion of disability among people belonging to Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes was considerably higher than among the general population. Access to social institutions was less than 50% for most of the items, and was even lower among females. Except for the ration card and Aadhar card, civil services were generally under-utilised by people with disability. Only 3.2% of the participants were members of self-help groups, and not a single person was a member of the Disabled People’s Organisation.

Conclusions:  In the study area access to social institutions, utilisation of civil services and participation in empowerment schemes was very low.

Limitations: Data, including general socio-demographic, access and utility data, was not collected for the general population but was limited to people with disabilities. This restricted the scope for comparison between people with and without disabilities.

Disability, CBR and Inclusive Development, Vol 30, No 1 (2019)

Purpose: This paper aimed to provide an overview of the evaluation of the GRID Network (Groups for Rehabilitation and Inclusive Development) and the impact it had on its members.

Method:  Information was collected through a compilation of the resources developed during the project, and a summative evaluation process was employed at the end of the project. The paper is a short report on the summative evaluation.

Results: GRID Network members reported that the network was effective and beneficial. They developed new information and knowledge that was relevant to their local contexts; shared knowledge from local, national, and international sources; and, increased their skill in using social media for professional purposes. Recommendations include continuing with this kind of community of practice, with greater opportunities for more engagement and training; inclusion of more partner organisations; large group workshops and conferences; increased attention to advocacy for policy change; and, for more research to be carried out locally.

Conclusion and Implications: This project demonstrated that it is possible to develop and maintain a community of practice in a low-resource context on a minimal budget, even during times of political crisis. Further programme development, evaluation, and research are warranted to ascertain how this model can be scaled up to include a broader group of rehabilitation and other practitioners involved in disability inclusive development.

Disability, CBR & Inclusive Development, [S.l.], v. 30, n. 2, p. 84-94,  (2019)

Two wide-reaching communication projects "Media and Communication for Improved Inclusion and Education in Nigeria’s 2019 Elections(MI-VotE)" and "Using Social Media to Strengthen the Political Participation of Young Women and Men in Nigeria" are outlined . There is an emphasis on reaching young people, women, and people with disabilities, through radio, TV and social media content to ensure traditionally marginalised groups are heard.

This handbook was developed to guide action on ensuring full compliance with the right to education. The aim of this handbook is to facilitate the realisation and universal enjoyment of the right to education. Its objective is not to present the right to education as an abstract, conceptual, or purely legal concept, but rather to be action-oriented. Where possible, practical guidance is given on how to implement and monitor the right to education along with recommendations to overcome persistent barriers. 

The section on special protection of the right of education of marginalised groups contains content concerning people with disabilities. Access to education is also covered.

The purpose of this paper is to explore ex-combatants’ understandings of disability and the pathways for social reintegration available to them in Colombia. The qualitative data for the study include seven in-depth interviews with ex-combatants and 29 with key informants, including disabled people’s organisations, government agencies, international organisations and academic groups. Findings suggest that transition to civilian life for ex-combatants is made more difficult by inadequate procedures, lack of support and complex administrative data vacuums. Social determinants, historical prejudice against persons with disabilities, high levels of unemployment and political polarisation in a post conflict context combine to trigger poverty traps. The findings indicate pitfalls in the early implementation of the Colombian peace process, which did not consider structural issues that affected transition to civilian life for ex-combatants with disabilities. Furthermore, key enablers for social inclusion such as peer-to-peer support have been identified by respondents. This paper concludes that more needs to be done to enhance the voices of ex-combatants with disabilities and to understand the profound meaning of acquiring impairments through participation in conflict, as well as how post-conflict responses could enable these individuals to gain the skills they need to successfully reintegrate into their communities. 

Disability and the Global South, 2019, Vol.6, No. 2

Participation is a little discussed or researched concept in the social sciences, despite its importance in understanding activism. This article presents some theoretical and methodological considerations for promoting social participation and agency for disabled people through the work of psychologists associated with Brazilian public policies. This article takes the form of a discursive study, based on the dialogue between: a) Brazilian legislation on disability; b) Bader Sawaia’s Ethical-Political Psychology; and c) Disability Studies. Based on the assumption that psychological practices should promote participation and agency for disabled people, we present the elements that hinder or control participation. We then present theoretical methodological contributions to build practices that promote participation and agency, highlighting: a) critiques of moral and biomedical models of disability; b) understandings of disability from intersectional perspectives that incorporate it as a category of analysis; c) including disabled people in the construction of research and professional practices disabled people and d) the rupture with ableism, which blocks the participation of disabled people. Participation has shown to be a multidimensional concept that covers a spectrum of aspects – from the practice of activism to the constitution of subjectivity in disabled people.

Disability & the Global South (DGS), 2019, Vol. 6 No. 2