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Consequences of Exclusion: A Situation Report on Organisations of People with Disabilities and COVID-19 in Bangladesh, Nigeria, and Zimbabwe

September 2021

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The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated inequalities and barriers to social inclusion for people with disabilities. These experiences of social exclusion have been feltto an even greater extent by women with disabilities and under-represented groups of people with disabilities, leading to a range of effects on the operations and priorities of OPDs. To address a critical gap in the evidence base, the Disability Inclusion Helpdesk carried out a rapid assessment of the role of OPDs during the pandemic, and how the pandemic has affected OPDs’ operations and priorities.

The disability data portal

July 2018

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The Disability Data Portal provides a snapshot of the data globally available on people with disabilities in 40 countries. The portal also identifies where there are gaps in the current body of data. 

The portal was designed for the Global Disability Summit, held on 24 July 2018, and focusses on data relating to four thematic areas: inclusive education, stigma and discrimination, technology and innovation, and economic empowerment. 

The portal presents key development indicators relevant to the Summit themes, mostly drawn from the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), along with others relevant to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)

Inclusion of marginalised Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples with neurocognitive disability in the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS)

TOWNSEND, Clare
McINTYRE, Michelle
LAKHANI, Ali
WRIGHT, Courtney
WHITE, Paul
BISHARA, Jason
CULLEN, Jennifer
2018

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Given the ambiguity surrounding the extent and experience of neurocognitive disability (NCD) among marginalised Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples in Australia, evidence regarding the level and nature of NCD is crucial to ensure equitable access and inclusion into the National Disability Insurance Scheme (NDIS). This paper reports the results of the implementation of The Guddi Protocol (a culturally informed and appropriate screening protocol for Aboriginal and/or Torres Strait Islander peoples) at two locations in Queensland. Results indicated high levels of NCD, and additional qualitative data revealed a number of factors associated with the complex disablement of study participants, namely: i) intergenerational trauma; ii) a social context of disadvantage, marginalisation and exclusion; and iii) the nonidentification of disability. The results are linked to implications for NDIS inclusion for this population, and recommendations are made. Unless the extent and nature of complex disability and the issues surrounding culturally safe policy, and service design and engagement are addressed with and by Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples, including those who experience complex disablement, marginalised people will continue to be effectively excluded from the NDIS.

 

Disability and the Global South, 2018, Vol.5, No. 2

Human rights and disability: A manual for national human rights institutions

CROWTHER, Neil
QUINN, Gerard
REKAS, Abigail
March 2017

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(Updated Dec 2018)

This Manual is designed to provide practical guidance for national human rights institutions (NHRIs) that are actively working to advance the human rights of persons with disabilities, as well as those NHRIs that are seeking to strengthen their efforts in this area. This Manual provides practical guidance and recommendations about how the role and functions of NHRIs can be directed to provide better protection for persons with disabilities, to promote greater awareness and respect for their rights, and to monitor the progress made and obstacles encountered in advancing their rights.

There are three parts to the manual.

  • Part I: The concepts - the human rights framing of disability
  • Part II: The law - international human rights law and disability (CRPD and others)
  • Part III: The practice - what NHRIs can do to contribute to the process of change

 

 

Social inclusion and mental health of children with physical disabilities in Gaza, Palestine

NASSER, Khaled
MACLACHLAN, Malcolm
MCVEIGH, Joanne
2016

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Purpose: Social inclusion of children with physical disabilities is essential for their mental health. The long-standing conflict and political instability in Palestine since 1948 has resulted in an unprecedented number of children with disabilities. This study aimed to assess social inclusion and mental health of children with physical disabilities in Palestine.

 

Method: A mixed methods research design was used. The 12-item General Health Questionnaire and a Social Inclusion Questionnaire were administered to 100 children with amputations, 12-18 years of age, in the Gaza Strip. Ten semi-structured interviews were also conducted with personnel working across civil society rehabilitation services in the area, particularly in services that focussed on the physical rehabilitation of children who had lost a limb.

 

Results: Quantitative findings indicated that 88% of children’s disabilities were caused by war-related incidents. While the sample of children showed on average relatively low levels of psychological distress, males reported feeling more socially included and having better mental health than did females. Furthermore, there was a strong positive correlation between mental health and social inclusion, and a moderate positive correlation between psychological distress and social inclusion. The qualitative data identified different factors that hinder social inclusion, mainly: political instability; under-resourced disability organisations; lack of coordinated efforts; and negative societal attitudes towards disability.

 

Conclusion: A new questionnaire for social inclusion was developed, which can now be used as a tool to assess social inclusion in similar contexts; as well as a culturally-adapted form of the General Health Questionnaire-12 to assess mental health. There is a clear need for service-providers to move beyond a medical model of care to one that embraces community-based rehabilitation and the realisation of rights, in order to promote the social inclusion and mental health of children with disabilities in Palestinian society.

Inequalities relating to health and the life course : disability, mental Illness and older age

SAMMAN, Emma
RODRIGUEZ-TACKEUCHI, Laura
November 2012

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"Issues related to early childhood feature prominently in the MDG framework (as do malnutrition, HIV status and malaria), and data collection in these areas is fairly advanced. Other sources of inequality are notable by their virtual absence - among these, older age, disability and mental illness, although these issues each appear to affect sizeable numbers of particularly vulnerable people throughout the world. A clear obstacle to ‘mainstreaming’ these sources of inequality in a new post-2015 agreement is the widespread lack of nationally representative internationally comparable data. This could arise from definitional or technical issues (what to measure and/or how), operational issues (e.g., resource or capacity constraints), attitudinal issues (relating to stigma) and/or lack of demand from data users. Greater attention is needed to explore these constraints and how they might be overcome. To this end, this paper discusses currently available data and its limitations, constraints to better data collection and efforts needed to adjust key international survey instruments- the World Bank’s Core Welfare Indicator Questionnaire (CWIQ) and Living Standards and Measurement Survey (LSMS), Macro International’s Demographic and Health Survey (DHS) and the UNICEF Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey (MICS) - to collect reliable data on these sources of inequality, alongside other household indicators"
Note: Accepted under the "Addressing Inequalities" Global Thematic Consultation - Call for Proposals for Background Papers, Oct 2012

Managing change : mainstreaming disability into the development process

UNITED NATIONS ECONOMIC AND SOCIAL COMMISSION FOR WESTERN ASIA (ESCWA)
June 2012

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This report addresses the situation of persons with disability in development in Western Asia. It highlights the challenges faced by persons with disabilities in the region including gender, accessibility and discrimination. It provides recommendations to promote the rights and inclusion of persons in the region including through strengthening the knowledge and policy infrastructure, data collection and the rights-based approach to development

Minds that matter : report on the consultation on human rights, mental health and addictions

ONTARIO HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION
2012

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"Minds that Matter reports the findings from the Ontario Human Rights Commission’s (OHRC) province-wide consultation on the human rights issues experienced by people with mental health disabilities or addictions. It provides a summary of what we heard from more than 1,500 individuals and organizations across Ontario. Many people with mental health issues or addictions don’t know they have a legal right to be free from discrimination under the Ontario Human Rights Code"

Disability in people affected by leprosy : the role of impairment, activity, social participation, stigma and discrimination

VAN BRAKEL, W. H.
et al
2012

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"Leprosy-related disability is a challenge to public health, and social and rehabilitation services in endemic countries. Disability is more than a mere physical dysfunction, and includes activity limitations, stigma, discrimination, and social participation restrictions." This paper assesses the extent of disability and its determinants among persons with leprosy-related disabilities after release from multi drug treatment
Global Health Action, Vol 5

Impact Assessment of a Vocational Training Program for Persons with Disabilities in Bangladesh

NURI, Reshma Parvin
HOQUE, Tohidul
WALDRON, Samuel Matthew
AKAND, Mustafa Kamal
2012

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Purpose: The aim of this study was to evaluate the effectiveness of a vocational training programme in enabling 261 persons with disabilities to find employment in Bangladesh.

 

Methods: A qualitative method, which employed interviews and focus group discussions, assessed the effect of the training programme on key individual, societal and physical factors set out by the WHO International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (2001).

 

Results: 157 persons with disabilities (60%) secured employment after training. Of these, 74% reported that they were able to provide a better livelihood for their families, 92% reported increased social acceptance, and 83% reported improvement in overall quality of life. Of those who did not find employment, 15% cited issues related to the training course, 6% mentioned discriminatory attitudes of potential employers and 12% had problems related to physical access.

 

Conclusions and Implications: These results suggest that the vocational training programme improved the (re)entry of persons with disabilities into employment, which in turn aided their rehabilitation. However, discriminatory attitudes towards them at the workplace were reported.

 

 

Disability, CBR and Inclusive Development, Vol 23, No 3

Adolescence : beyond the stereotypes

VOICES OF YOUTH
2011

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This report highlights the state of the world from a young perspective by reflecting on adolescents’ experiences and providing insights into their lives. The report contains essays and messages written by adolescents highlighting the impact of racial and other discriminations. This resource is useful for people interested in adolescents’ perspectives of the world

Understanding and challenging HIV stigma : toolkit for action. Module H : MSM and stigma

KIDD, Ross
CLAY, Sue
CHIIYA, Chipo
June 2007

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This is the fifth booklet in this revised toolkit to raise awareness and promote practical action to challenge HIV stigma and discrimination. Module H focuses on men who have sex with men (MSM) and stigma. The toolkit was written by and for HIV trainers in Africa and changes and additions were made with the help of a regional trainers network workshop in Zambia in August 2005

Zip zip my brain harts

BUCKLAND, Angela
et al
2006

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This book contains photographs by Angela Buckland interspersed with text by researchers interested in disability issues. Its aim is to..."increase public awareness of the needs and human rights of disabled people and their families"

Positive voices : religious leaders living with or personally affected by HIV and AIDS

BYAMUGISHA, Gideon
WILLIAMS, Glen
October 2005

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Churches and other faiths have often reacted with uneasiness to the HIV/AIDS epidemic, and at times even reinforced stigma, denial and discrimination. This booklet, through the voices and experiences of 12 religious leaders, Christian and Muslim, attempts to 'break the silence' and to show that the acceptance of the experience of the disease can enhance communities' religious and spiritual life. This document is aimed primarily at church leaders, faith-based NGOs, national and international religious networks, but can also be useful to those who want to explore the issue of HIV/AIDS and its impact on faith communities

HIV-related stigma, discrimination and human rights violations: case studies of successful programmes

JOINT UNITED NATIONS PROGRAMME ON HIV/AIDS (UNAIDS)
2005

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This report is a collection of case studies of projects, programmes and activities around the world that have used innovative methods to challenge HIV-related stigma, discrimination and human rights violations. The case studies are grouped under stigma-reduction approaches; anti-discrimination measures; and human rights and legal approaches. They are followed by some cross-project/activity analysis that identifies common elements and a number of key principles of success, each of which offers an entry point for innovative and potentially effective work

Rights of the girl child [whole issue]

COMMUNICATION FOR HEALTH INDIA NETWORK (CHIN) SECRETARIAT
January 2004

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This issue of CHIN News focuses on the survival rights of girls, gender discrimination in India, the social and health implications of discrimnation, and strategies for action to address this issue

AIDS discrimination in Asia

ASIA PACIFIC NETWORK OF PEOPLE LIVING WITH HIV/AIDS (APN+)
2004

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Study of the discrimination faced by people living with HIV/AIDS. The study generated both qualitative and quantitative data. Its findings indicate that AIDS-related discrimination is prevalent in every sector of society. Age and educational background do not affect the level of discrimination faced, but sex, state of health and marital status do. Women are more likely than men to experience discrimination within the family and community because of their HIV status

Integrated questionnaire for the measurement of social capital

GROOTAERT, Christiaan
et al
2004

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This paper introduces a tool, the Integrated Questionnaire for the Measurement of Social Capital, with a focus on developing countries. The tool aims to generate quantitative data on six dimensions of social capital as part of a larger household survey. These dimensions are: groups and networks, trust and solidarity, collective action and cooperation, information and communication, social cohesion and inclusion, empowerment and political action. The tool was tested in Albania and Nigeria and the lessons learned are presented

Curriculum development for learning to live together : the Caribbean sub-region. The final report of the sub-regional seminar held in Havana, Cuba, 15-18 May 2001

BYRON, Isabel
ROZEMEIJER, Saskia
Eds
2001

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This report presents the proceedings of a conference which brought together "citizenship education" curriculum developers and and school principals in the Caribbean region. In Part I, the report opens with a synthesis of the national presentations on curriculum development, processes and reforms by a number of countries participating in the seminar, and examines the role which education should play in furthering human development through focusing on human rights and peace. Parts II, III and IV include lecture presentations and the outcomes of the three workshops. These include contributions on the practice of citizenship education in Cuba; the integration of citizenship values in the daily experience at school, and implications for classroom practice; the importance of emotional well-being for pupils and teachers; the social, ethical and educational factors necessary for achieving social cohesion; a description of a school in Anguilla, where teachers and students learn values, attitudes and behaviours for positive citizenship through daily practice; and the content and skills which should be integral to secondary school curricula aiming at education for living together. Part V summarizes the final debate, and concludes with proposals for action

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