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Supporting young children with disabilities in humanitarian settings

BEILER, ROSALENGA BERMAN
ZUIDEMA, SUZANNE
BECKERLEGGE, FIONA
RODRIGUEZ GARCIA, DEBORAH MARIE
June 2022

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The rapid growth that occurs in the first years of life provides an opportunity to influence and improve developmental outcomes that may impact the entire course of an individual's life. Addressing the developmental needs of children with disabilities during this critical period is essential if they are to survive, flourish, learn, and be empowered (WHO, n.d.). 

Recognizing the importance of addressing all children's unique needs and acknowledging the influence of social stigma and misconceptions about disability that may lead to underdeveloped potential and social exclusion, we seek to advocate for and support the inclusion of young children with disabilities in Early Childhood Development in Emergencies programming. 

The webinar was moderated by Rosangela Berman Bieler, UNICEF’s Global Advisor on Disability, and included presentations on foundational concepts for disabilities-inclusive programming, and alternatives to address young children with disabilities needs in a resourceful, creative manner. 

COSP14: One Pandemic, Different Realities.

July 2021

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Evidence on the Experience of the Diversity of Persons with Disabilities, their Representative organisations and Civil Society Organisations in dealing with the COVID-19 Pandemic and preparing to Build Back Inclusively. The International Disability and Development Consortium, the International Disability Alliance, Inclusive Futures, Social Development Direct, UK AID and the UNPRPD's side event as part of the 14th session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (COSP14).

 

This event aimed at providing guidelines to local, national and international stakeholders to support their recovery and build sustainable resilience to future shocks, based on the findings from three complementary research projects. With the UNPRPD support, IDA and IDDC gathered data respectively on the experience of persons with disabilities since the first wave and on the COVID-19 consequences on projects and programmes run by CSOs in the Global South. The Disability Inclusion Helpdesk, a FCDO funded facility, IDA and Sightsavers investigated the pandemic impact on OPDs

Inclusion of persons with disabilities in the COVID-19 response: Applying the IASC Guidelines

Professionals in Humanitarian Assistance and Protection (PHAP)
September 2020

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On 17 September 2020, during a webinar organized jointly by ICVA, PHAP, IASC, and the Reference Group on Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action, we discussed how the IASC Guidelines on Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action can be implemented in the COVID-19 response. We started with a presentation of the recent note produced by the Reference Group and endorsed by the IASC on this topic, followed by a discussion of challenges in the current response and ways to overcome them.

The webinar shared practical examples of how response to COVID-19 in humanitarian contexts has been made more inclusive of persons with disabilities, drawing on learning from the past 6+ months to present concrete actions that humanitarian actors can take, in partnership with local organizations of persons with disabilities. The webinar aimed to provide a space for learning and exchange of experience between organizations of persons with disabilities, NGOs, UN entities, and other humanitarian actors.

Operationalizing standards: Sphere and the COVID-19 response in camp settings

INTERNATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF PROFESSIONALS IN HUMANITARIAN ASSISTANCE AND PROTECTION (PHAP)
April 2020

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In this webinar, organized by the CCCM Cluster and PHAP, we learn about COVID-19 prevention measures critical to the work of Camp Managers and others working in displacement settings. We hear from WASH specialists, as well as experienced Camp program staff who have recently been involved in setting up special measures to prevent the spread of disease and develop key messages for populations living in temporary settlements. A representative from Sphere also provided guidance for how the Sphere Handbook can be a useful tool for practitioners in this situation.

Persons with disabilities in humanitarian response: New guidelines for more inclusive humanitarian action

March 2020

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The IASC recently endorsed guidelines for the inclusion of persons with disabilities in humanitarian action. How can these guidelines help make humanitarian action more inclusive? On 26 February 2020, ICVA and PHAP organized a webinar together with the Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) secretariat and the Reference Group on Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action, which introduced the guidelines and discuss how they can be implemented in practice

WHO launches rehabilitation standards for Emergency Medical Teams

WORLD HEALTH ORGANISATION (WHO)
May 2017

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WHO together with health partners such as CBM, Handicap International, and the International Committee of the Red Cross, have released the ‘Emergency Medical Teams: Minimum Technical Standards and Recommendations for Rehabilitation’ which provides important guidance on how emergency medical teams (EMTs) can incorporate rehabilitation in their response to emergencies. Using the experiences from the 2015 Nepal earthquake, this video shows the impact it had on the lives of those injured years later and highlights the reasons why rehabilitation needs to be a core component of any emergency medical response. Integrating rehabilitation into the EMT response resulted in greater clinical care by producing important, cost-effective, and positive long term outcomes at the individual, family, and community levels

Include all, safety for all

ARBEITER SAMARITER BUND (INDONESIA)
May 2015

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This video presents information about best practices in inclusive disaster risk reduction, particularly for the inclusion of people with disabilities.  It highlights information about the lack of opportunities for involvement for those with impairments, and the risks that this could pose in emergency situations. It then presents best practice methods that can be used or adapted by the person with disability in emergency situations, along with disabled survivors of emergency or disaster situations

 

Note: this video was produced as part of "Promoting the Inclusion of People with Disability in Disaster Management in Indonesia", a partnership project between Arbeiter Samariter Bund (ASB) & the Centre for Disability Research and Policy (CDRP), University of Sydney

Andrew Mohanraj : mental well-being, disability and disaster risk reduction

MOHANRAJ, Andrew
January 2015

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This video is an interview of Andrew Mohanraj, Regional Mental Health Development Advisor from the Christian Blind Mission (CBM) International. He explains why mental well-being and disability are important issues to consider in disaster preparedness and recovery, how efforts to reduce disaster risks can better address the needs of persons with mental and physical disabilities, and lessons learned from his own experience

Annie Patri : how to include and empower the vulnerable in disaster risk reduction

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE (ODI)
December 2014

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Annie Patri, speaking in her capacity as Project Coordinator and Acting Domain Coordinator for Disaster Risk Management (DRM) at Handicap international at an ODI event, discusses the challenges faced by people with disabilities in the event of a disaster. Annie argues that not only is there too little data on the challenges facing people with disabilities in the event of a disaster, but there are also considerable access issues for people with disabilities. In this talk Annie outlines how people with disabilities can and must be embraced as active agents of change in the event of a disaster

 

ODI event “How to include and empower the vulnerable in disaster risk reduction”

London, UK

25 November 2015

Expert group meeting on mental well-being, disability and disaster risk reduction

ITO, Akiko
December 2014

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This Expert Group Meeting was organised by United Nations University International Institute of Global Health (UNU-IIGH) and Institute for the Advanced Study of Sustainability, and the United Nations Department of Economic and Social Affairs, in close collaboration with the World Bank Tokyo Development Center (TDLC) and the National Institute of Mental Health, Japan.  This video provides an overview of issues, trends and international norms and standards, as well as good practices and lessons learned from different countries related to mental well-being, disability and disaster risk reduction that were discussed

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

Tokyo, Japan

November 2014

How to include and empower the vulnerable in disaster risk reduction

OVERSEAS DEVELOPMENT INSTITUTE (ODI)
November 2014

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 “This event is one of a new event series Rethinking International Policy for Reducing Disaster Risk hosted by the Overseas Development Institute (ODI) and Climate and Development Knowledge Network (CDKN). The series examines some of the more thorny issues involved in renegotiating the Hyogo Framework for Action, including public private partnerships, use of risk assessments, fragile states and conflict and effective governance for DRR, amongst others”

ODI seminar “How to include and empower the vulnerable in disaster risk reduction”

London, UK

25 November 2014

Planning for business continuity after a disaster

INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE (IRS) UNITED STATES DEPARTMENT OF THE TREASURY

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In this video the IRS provide advice on steps that organisations can take to plan for disasters in a way that protects the business and maximises the possibility of a fast recovery

OCHA and COVID-19

United Nations Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA)

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This website provides news and updates about the COVID-19 pandemic from United Nations partners and international humanitarians. Emergency funding, coordination, and ensuring safe and effective humanitarian operations are highlighted. An infographic shows  the COVID-19 pandemic in locations with a Humanitarian Response.

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