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Missing millions: How older people with disabilities are excluded from humanitarian response

SHEPPARD, Phillip
POLACK, Sarah
McGIVERN, Madeleine
July 2018

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The aim of this study was to explore the experiences of older people with disabilities across a range of humanitarian settings, considering:

  • whether older people with disabilities have additional needs and challenges accessing humanitarian assistance and protection
  • what factors facilitate or limit access by older people with disabilities to humanitarian assistance and protection
  • to what extent is humanitarian response inclusive of older people with disabilities

A systematic literature review of published studies was conducted. Key online humanitarian guidelines were explored to review how far they explicitly address older people with disabilities. Data from six population-based disability surveys comparing the living situation of older people with and without disabilities were analysed. These included databases from two crises-affected populations in Haiti (post-earthquake) and Palestine. Data from four non-humanitarian settings was also reviewed to explore more broadly the situation for older people with disabilities – India, Guatemala, Cameroon and Nepal. Interviews were held with older people with disabilities, members of their families and local key informants in two conflict-affected populations in Ndutu and Mtendeli refugee camps in Western Tanzania, and Donetsk and Luhansk regions of Eastern Ukraine to find out about their experiences. Staff of five international agencies working in humanitarian response were also interviewed. 

 

Findings highlight particular issues facing older people with disabilities in humanitarian crises: more risk escaping from danger;  barriers to accessing social protection and work; barriers to accessing health and rehabilitation services; barriers to accessing food and other essentials; unsuitable housing and poor living conditions;  insecurity and discrimination; threats to dignity and independence; social isolation and loneliness; risks to mental health; and missing from humanitarian response.

 

A table brings together the findings from the different components of the research to show the needs, risks, barriers and enablers for older people with disabilities identified in the research. Recommendations are provided to humanitarian donors, policy makers and practitioners

How CBM Australia supports engagement with government for disability inclusion and prevention

CBM AUSTRALIA
March 2016

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CBM Australia engages both directly and indirectly with governments. Indirectly, CBM Australia supports other organisations, for instance disabled people’s organisations or civil society organisations to engage with governments. This report looks at the different ways that CBM partners seek influence government and promote sustainability. It considers the different roles and relevance of activism, advocacy, service delivery and advisory approaches.

 

The cases in this report were identified and gathered through semi-structured interviews with CBM’s Program Officers, Technical Advisors, regional/country office and project staff in-country, as well as drawing on reports and evaluations. The report starts with a section explaining the four different approaches to working with government, followed by a brief introduction to each approach, highlighting what CBM are doing and the key lessons learned. Each section is followed by case studies giving more detailed insight into how CBM are engaging, key achievements, challenges and the lessons learned. Fifteen case studies covering key projects from CBM Australia’s International Programs and the Inclusive Development Team are described in this report.

Family perceptions of intellectual disability : understanding and support in Dar as Salaam

ALDERSEY, H. M
2012

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"This article outlines and discusses interviews that were conducted in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, with family members of children and adults with intellectual disabilities. These interviews explore how families came to understand that their child had an intellectual disability; the availability of family support; and family hopes and dreams for the future, and were a part of a wider exploratory study that gathered insight from individuals with disabilities, families, and other providers of support to explore understandings and perceptions of disability in Dar es Salaam"
African Journal of Disability, Vol 1, Issue 1, Art. #32

Grassroots comics by disabled people

WORLD COMICS FINLAND
2010

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This article presents information about a series of four Grassroots Comics workshops for its members organised by Shivyawata Mwanza, an umbrella organisation for disabled people's organisations in Mwanza region Tanzania in January 2010. The workshops were designed to work with disabled people to create a series of short comics that highlight issues related to disability in Tanzania

Integrating multiple gender strategies to improve HIV and AIDS interventions : a compendium of programs in Africa

INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR RESEARCH ON WOMEN
May 2009

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This report looks at how four specific gender strategies are being used in HIV and AIDS intervention programmes, how they are working, and how people are learning from and sharing their experiences toward strengthening programmes and expanding successes. A number of programmes in 11 African countries, as well as multi-country programmes are examined. The four gender strategies are: - Reducing gender-based violence; - Increasing women‘s legal protection; - Addressing male norms and behaviours, and - Strategies to increase women‘s income and productive resources.

Getting started! : running a junior farmer field and life school|Empowering orphans and vulnerable children living in a world with HIV and AIDS

WIEGERS, Esther
HILL, Catherine
COLBERT, Patricia
2007

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This manual was developed from the experiences of a number of communities and organisations in southern and eastern Africa in creating Junior Farmer Field and Life Schools as a response to the growing number of orphans and vulnerable children. For many reasons these children more likely than other orphans to be at risk from malnutrition, disease, abuse, stigmatisation and sexual exploitation. The risk of sexual exploitation is particularly significant for those left alone to cope with poverty and who are forced to adopt adult roles and ensure food for the rest of the family. As parents and family members become ill, children take on greater domestic, agricultural and income generating responsibilities. HIV and AIDS has a particular impact on girls who are left to care for ailing parents, or who have to become the heads of households upon the death of caregivers. Also, as many parents are dying at a young age orphaned children are growing up without the necessary knowledge and skills for their future livelihood

Scaling up memory work : the example of KIWAKKUKI in Tanzania

WARD, Nicola
ITEMBA, Dafrosa
2006

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Scaling up the memory work and extending it from Uganda to other African countries involved many challenges due to the wide range of different contexts, different types of implementing organisations and different cultures. This edition of Health Exchange gives an example from Tanzania where the organisation KIWAKKUKI, has developed a memory project based on experience and learning from NACWOLA in Uganda, but adapted to its specific cultural and organisational context

Disentangling HIV and AIDS stigma in Ethiopia, Tanzania and Zambia

NYBLADE, Laura
et al
2003

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This report explores the causes, manifestations and consequences of HIV and AIDS related stigma in sub-Saharan Africa. Based on a study in Ethiopia, Tanzania and Zambia, it acknowledges stigma as complex, caused by incomplete knowledge, fears of death and disease and sexual transmission. Stigma is also influenced by socio-economic status, age and gender. The report also discusses in detail how people living with HIV react to stigma, and also how they and their families/ friends develop strategies to cope with stigma. Recommendations include the need to provide safe spaces to discuss the values and beliefs about sex, morality and death, find a common language to talk about stigma and ensure a contextually appropriate and ethically responsible role for people living with HIV

Children, HIV/AIDS and communication in South Africa : a literature review

FOX Susan
OYOSI Salome
PARKER Warren
May 2002

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This literature review covers key issues relating to children aged 3-12 and HIV/AIDS, including discrimination, grief, children's rights, and knowledge and understanding of HIV/AIDS. The impact on the child, family and community is discussed in detail, particularly in terms of the psycho-social impact of bereavement and how this impacts on the child at different stages in its development. Various community programmes within southern Africa are highlighted, which support children to develop life skills. The influence, role and practice of the media in working with and reaching children is addressed, and case studies of South African media projects such as Soul Buddyz and Takalani Sesame are provided

HIV/AIDS and communication for behavior and social change : programme experiences, examples, and the way forward

SINGHAL, Arvind
June 2001

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The purpose of this workshop was to: map out strategies for implementation of communication programmes for behaviour and social change; strengthen links between communication programmes and priority issues in HIV and AIDS in developing countries; and increase technical soundness in communication programmes, projects and strategies of organisations working on HIV and AIDS prevention, care and treatment. Several recommendations about the role of communication for behaviour and social change in HIV and AIDS programmes emerged from the workshop’s deliberations

Social capital : a multifaceted perspective

DASGUPTA, Partha
SERAGELDIN, Ismail
Eds
2001

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This collection of essays debates the definition of social capital, broadly understood as the the effect social networks and shared attitudes can have on economic performance, and asks how the concept can be applied to development policy and analysis. Among the questions debated are how do social capital theories help broaden thinking about development?; what impact do informal social networks have on the state and other formal organisations?; and what role does trust play within large organizations? This book is of interest to people seeking a better understanding of social capital and its impact on development efforts

Investing in our future : psychosocial support for children affected by HIV / AIDS : a case study in Zimbabwe and the United Republic of Tanzania

FOX, Susan
2001

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The HIV/AIDS epidemic has had an enormous impact on children. Coping with the cumulative impact of over 17 million AIDS deaths on orphans and other survivors, on communities, and on national development is an enormous challenge, especially in African countries with social and health services already reeling from lack of human and financial resources. Hence, this report is intended for people concerned about and working with families affected with HIV/AIDS. Through providing examples of successful interventions being undertaken by organizations in Zimbabwe and the United Republic of Tanzania, the report shares experiences of essential psychosocial support to children who are infected and affected by HIV/AIDS to stimulate new awareness of needs and to open new doors for action. Furthermore, it focuses on what can be done for the child of an infected parent before and after the parent dies, to enable the child to cope better with the situation. Thus, this report illustrates how networking between organizations enables them to collaborate in addressing a variety of children's issues that they could not tackle alone

Voices of the poor : poverty and social capital in Tanzania

NARAYAN, Deepa
1997

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This study explores the usage of participatory methods for policy research by comparing and contrasting these findings with those from more conventional household consumption and expenditure surveys. It shows how using these measures leads to different conclusions about the causes and nature of poverty. The study goes on to discuss the concept of social capital at the local level, providing quantifiable evidence that village-level social capital (defined as membership in groups with particular characteristics) significantly affects household welfare

Effects of HIV/AIDS on farming systems in Eastern Africa

FOOD AND AGRICULTURE ORGANIZATION OF THE UNITED NATIONS (FAO). Farm Management and Production Economics Service
1995

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A detailed account of a UNDP-funded study in three eastern African countries of the impact of HIV/AIDS on rural populations, their livelihoods and their farming systems. Considers direct and indirect costs, and the impact on the transmission of knowledge about farming

Psychosocial support portal

REGIONAL PSYCHOSOCIAL SUPPORT INITIATIVE (REPSSI)

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The Psychosocial support portal contains links to documents rpoduced by and with REPSSI. These include reports of programme acitivites; manuals, guides and toolkits; country responses to children and HIV/AIDS; training manuals; research papers; and information about training and education

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