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Positive practices in disability inclusion : "we all have a role" : the valuable contributions of persons with disabilities in community outreach

WOMEN'S REFUGEE COMMISSION
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
September 2014

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The Women's Refugee Commission identified and documented positive practices for disability inclusion in community center and outreach programming, in partnership with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and its partners in Lebanon. This article discusses the inclusion of people with disabilities in the Refugee Outreach Volunteer (ROV) network. ROVs are refugees who volunteer to provide insight into protection priorities, identify community-based solutions and refer refugees in need of urgent support

Positive practices in disability inclusion : "socialize, not stigmatize" : including children with disabilities in child-friendly spaces

WOMEN'S REFUGEE COMMISSION
International Medical Corps (IMC)
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
September 2014

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The Women's Refugee Commission identified and documented positive practices for disability inclusion in community center and outreach programming, in partnership with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and its partners in Lebanon. Child-friendly spaces are being established at community centers, in order to provide access to a safe environment where children can access psychological support, and health and education initiatives. This article discusses how International Medical Corps is approaching the inclusion of children with disabilities in these child friendly spaces

 

 

Positive practices in disability inclusion : "it starts with building trust" : from outreach to the community center

WOMEN'S REFUGEE COMMISSION
INTERSOS
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
September 2014

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The Women's Refugee Commission identified and documented positive practices for disability inclusion in community center and outreach programming, in partnership with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and its partners in Lebanon. This article discusses how INTERSOS have been using the expanding network of Refugee Outreach Volunteers (ROVs) and community centers to promote inclusion and access for people with disabilities and their families

Positive practices in disability inclusion : "taking a team approach" : overcoming barriers, starting with attitudes

WOMEN'S REFUGEE COMMISSION
Caritas Lebanon Migrants Center
United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR)
September 2014

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The Women's Refugee Commission identified and documented positive practices for disability inclusion in community center and outreach programming, in partnership with the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and its partners in Lebanon. This article discusses how a Caritas-supported Community Center has promoted the inclusion of people with disabilities through their approaches to encourage and facilitate participation in program activities

 

 

Climate change and persons with disabilities

LOCKWOOD, Elizabeth
September 2014

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This blog follows the UN Climate Summit on Tuesday, 23 September 2014 in New York City. Due to this high-level event, climate change has been a pervasive topic at the UN and in NYC and this theme will continue to be important as the post-2015 development agenda progresses. With this increased emphasis on climate change – and related disaster risk reduction (DRR) – in the post-2015 process, this blog outlines why it is crucial that persons with disabilities are included in these conversations, debates and initiatives, and presents a number of recommendations

Availability and diversity of training programs for responders to international disasters and complex humanitarian emergencies

JACQUET, Gabrielle A
et al
June 2014

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"Volunteers and members of relief organizations increasingly seek formal training prior to international field deployment. This paper identifies training programs for personnel responding to international disasters and complex humanitarian emergencies, and provides concise information – if available- regarding the founding organization, year established, location, cost, duration of training, participants targeted, and the content of each program. An environmental scan was conducted through a combination of a peer-reviewed literature search and an open Internet search for the training programs.The authors concluded that "a variety of training programs are available for responders to disasters and complex humanitarian emergencies. These programs vary in their objectives, audiences, modules, geographical locations, eligibility and financial cost. This paper presents an overview of available programs and serves as a resource for potential responders interested in capacity-building training prior to deployment"

PLOS Currents Disasters, Edition 1

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

The disability and vulnerability focal points (DVFP)

AURENCHE, Benoit
et al
May 2014

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Disability and Vulnerability Focal Points (DVFPs) are one of the ways in which Handicap International addresses the need to take effective, concrete action on behalf of those made vulnerable – including people with disabilities – in emergencies. DVFPs are organised as a network including DVFP structures and almost always mobile teams, whose role is making sure that aid reaches vulnerable people, rather than waiting for vulnerable people to reach the aid. This guide is intended as a practical tool for setting up a complete DVFP mechanism

Towards the post-2105 framework for disaster risk reduction (HFA2) : women as a force in resilience building, gender equality in disaster risk reduction

PREVENTION WEB
April 2014

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This paper argues that gender integration and women’s empowerment need to be approached within the paradigm shift in disaster risk reduction (DRR) thinking internationally, as embodied by the development of the post-2015 Framework on Disaster Risk Reduction. The paper outlines the background to the previous international framework, the Hyogo Framework for Action, and why women's integration should be an important priority for any further agreement. The paper then discusses the role and importance of women in DRR, and analyses lessons learned from the Hyogo Framework's implementation. Finally, the authors conclude by presenting a 'way forward' for increasing the inclusion of women in DRR, based on empowerment, data desegregation and local, national and international frameworks

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

Fact sheet : refugees with disabilities

WOMEN’S REFUGEE COMMISSION
2014

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This factsheet highlights the issue of disabilities among refugees and conflict-affected population. It emphasizes actions undertaken by the Women’s Refugee Commission (WRC) and highlights their next steps in disability inclusion

Note: Also available in easy read format

Guidelines for assisting people with disabilities during emergencies, crises and disasters : European and Mediterranean major hazards agreement

ALEXANDER, David
SAGRAMOLA, Sivlo
January 2014

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This set of guidelines is intended to ensure that national governments, and their counterparts at regional and local level, civil society organisations and relevant offices in both the public and private sector obtain a clear idea of how to proceed with the provision of disaster risk reduction for people with disabilities. It begins with a set of working definitions and then considers the requirements of good preparedness during all the phases of crisis management: mitigation and planning (disaster risk reduction), alert, emergency action, and recovery. The care of people with disabilities needs to be considered with respect to all of these phases

AP/CAT (2013) 11

Childhood disability and malnutrition in Turkana Kenya : a summary report for stakeholders and policy

KISIA, James
et al
2014

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This study aimed to assess whether children with disabilities were included within humanitarian and food security response programmes and whether there was an association between disability and malnutrition. The fieldwork was conducted in 2013 in the Turkana region of Kenya, a region repeatedly classified as experiencing a humanitarian emergency, and used both qualitative and quantitative methods. The key finding of the report is that children with disabilities are more likely to be malnourished and the key recommendations are that children with disabilities should be targeted in food aid and food assistance programmes, and that further efforts are needed to include children with disabilities in education.   The report is intended for stakeholders to inform policy

Research summary : childhood disability and malnutrition in Turkana Kenya

KISIA, James
et al
2014

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This report summarises a study that aimed to assess whether children with disabilities were included within humanitarian and food security response programmes and whether there was an association between disability and malnutrition. The fieldwork was conducted in 2013 in the Turkana region of Kenya, a region repeatedly classified as experiencing a humanitarian emergency, and used both qualitative and quantitative methods. The key finding of the report is that children with disabilities are more likely to be malnourished and the key recommendations are that children with disabilities should be targeted in food aid and food assistance programmes, and that further efforts are needed to include children with disabilities in education.  The report is intended for stakeholders to inform policy 

Empowerment and participation : good practices from South & South-East Asia in disability inclusive disaster risk management

BOLTE, Patrick
MARR, Samadhi
SITOMPU, Dewi
et al
2014

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This report presents good practices showing examples of inclusion and active participation of persons with disabilities in disaster risk management. The paper is structured in three sections that illustrate general recommendations towards greater participation of persons with disabilities.

Section A provides the background on disability inclusive disaster risk management and reviews existing guidelines as to how the participation of people with disabilities in disaster risk management can be facilitated. 

Section B contains the actual good practices, structured in three separate chapters that illustrate general recommendations towards greater participation of persons with disabilities. Each practice highlights the involvement of individual persons as well as groups, describes the initial setting, the achievements, and the lessons learned from the practice. Each practice concludes with a box with key insights.

The final section C presents the key recommendations that can be drawn from the good practices and that are geared to inform future programming

United Nations expert group meeting on mental well-being, disability and disaster risk reduction

UNITED NATIONS UNIVERSITY
et al
2014

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This report presents information from the Expert Group Meeting on Mental Well-being, Disability and Disaster Risk Reduction and highlights "to achieve sustainable human development that leaves no one behind, it is necessary to prioritise the mental health and psychosocial well-being of all people, including persons with physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments. It is also imperative to make DRR measures that are inclusive of disability and do not neglect persons with mental or intellectual disabilities. In this regard, the expert group adopted the recommendations indicated below for outcomes and follow-up with respect to (1) the Post-2015 Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction at the World Conference on Disaster Risk Reduction in 2015, (2) follow-up of the Third High-level Meeting on Disability and Development, (3) the Post-2015 Development Agenda/Sustainable Development Goals, which will be adopted in 2015, and other relevant international and national frameworks"

Expert Group Meeting on Mental Well-being, Disability and Disaster Reduction

Tokyo, Japan

November 2014

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.

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