Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Disability Inclusion
Translating Policy into Practice in Humanitarian Action
March 2014
Research. Rethink. Resolve.
The Women’s Refugee Commission identifies needs, researches solutions and advocates for global
change to improve the lives of women, children and youth displaced by conflict and crisis. The Women’s
Refugee Commission is legally part of the International Rescue Committee (IRC), a non-profit 501(c)(3)
organization, but does not receive direct financial support from the IRC.
Acknowledgments
This report was researched and written by Emma Pearce, senior program officer–disability, Women’s
Refugee Commission, with contributions from Dale Buscher, Joan Timoney, Rachael Reilly, Elizabeth
Cafferty and Mihoko Tanabe. Follow-up field assessments were undertaken by Michael Szporluk, disability
consultant. Diana Quick edited and designed the report.
This work was undertaken by the Women’s Refugee Commission with the support of One Billion Strong,
Open Society Foundation, United States Institute of Peace and the Australian Agency for International
Development (AusAID).
Thank you to all UN agencies, NGOs and civil society organizations that shared views on the operational
contexts and facilitated access to refugees and displaced persons with disabilities during field visits. The
Women’s Refugee Commission extends special thanks to UNHCR for its partnership on this project,
particularly for logistical support on field visits and feedback on the contents of this report. Finally, the
Women’s Refugee Commission is deeply grateful to the refugees and displaced persons with disabilities
and their families who shared their valuable time, perspectives and ideas for change.
ISBN:1-58030-114-2
womensrefugeecommission.org
Women’s Refugee Commission
Contents
Acronyms and Abbreviations.................................................................................................i
Executive Summary..................................................................................................................1
Key Findings.........................................................................................................................1
Key Recommendations......................................................................................................3
Introduction................................................................................................................................4
Field Visit Methodology...........................................................................................................6
Findings.......................................................................................................................................9
Part A: Key protection concerns of persons with disabilities..................................10
Part B: Implementation of UNHCR Guidance on Disability...................................14
Part C: Institutionalizing disability inclusion across
UNHCR operations globally.......................................................................................26
Recommendations to Advance Disability Inclusion in Humanitarian Action...............27
To UNHCR: The next steps.............................................................................................27
To humanitarian actors: Build on successes...............................................................28
To disability actors: Expand skills to enhance protection.........................................29
To donor governments: Fund technical capacity........................................................30
Conclusion.................................................................................................................................31
Useful resources.......................................................................................................................32
Notes...........................................................................................................................................33
i
In 2010, the United Nations High Commissioner for Part A: Principal protection concerns of persons
Refugees (UNHCR) Executive Committee adopted a with disabilities
Conclusion on refugees with disabilities and other per-
sons with disabilities protected and assisted by UN- Consultations with persons with disabilities and care-
HCR that now serves as a form of soft law for UNHCR givers provided a more detailed understanding of the
and its member states.4 Over the last two years, the principal protection risks facing women, children and
WRC has been partnering with UNHCR on the global youth with disabilities in situations of displacement,
roll-out of UNHCR’s guidance on Working with Per- and the factors contributing to their vulnerability.
sons with Disabilities in Forced Displacement (here- • Children with disabilities consistently report fac-
after referred to as UNHCR Guidance on Disability),5 ing stigma and discrimination by their peers, which
conducting field assessments and providing technical reduces their access to educational opportunities.
support and training to UNHCR country offices, its im-
plementing partners and disability organizations. • Adolescents and young persons with disabili-
ties are excluded from peer activities that could
WRC consulted with over 770 displaced persons, in- facilitate the development of vital social networks
cluding persons with disabilities, across refugee and and enhance their protection from various forms of
displacement contexts in eight countries—India (New violence, including gender-based violence (GBV).
Delhi), Uganda, Thailand, Bangladesh, Nepal, Ethiopia,
Philippines (Mindanao) and Lebanon—gathering their • Violence against persons with disabilities was
perspectives on access and inclusion in humanitarian reported in all contexts. Women and girls with dis-
programs and their suggestions for change. More than abilities were more likely to report concerns about
390 humanitarian actors and stakeholders attended sexual violence, with concrete examples suggest-
workshops conducted in these countries to define con- ing that those with intellectual and mental dis-
text-specific action plans on disability inclusion in their abilities may be most at risk. Men and boys with
work sectors and programs. Follow-up assessments disabilities were more likely to report physical and
2
psychological violence, especially against men with with disabilities in the Syrian refugee response in
physical and intellectual disabilities. Isolation, lack Lebanon.
of contact with community networks and few inde-
pendent living options also expose men and wom- • Promoting equal access to information by having
en with disabilities to different forms of violence screen-reader software on computers and piloting
inside the home. a disability rights database in Kampala, Uganda.
• Persons with multiple disabilities and their • Making durable solutions inclusive through tar-
caregivers, who are often isolated in their shel- geted outreach and information dissemination on
ters, can lack adequate basic supplies to ensure resettlement options, using local staff with disabili-
personal hygiene and care, such as soap, water, ties in Nepal.
cloth or diapers, and mattresses. Caregivers also
expressed concerns about their own psychosocial Humanitarian actors demonstrate a growing awareness
well-being, due to isolation from the wider commu- and recognition of the protection concerns of persons
nity and uncertainty about who would care for their with disabilities. In many contexts, however, there is still
family member if they were no longer able to fulfill a tendency to focus on medical and charitable respons-
this role. es for persons with disabilities. This results in persons
with disabilities being mostly referred to disability-
Part B: Implementation of UNHCR Guidance on specific programs and activities (for example, health
and rehabilitation, special education and separate cen-
Disability
ters for children with disabilities) rather than analyz-
UNHCR Guidance on Disability highlights non- ing and addressing the social factors that contribute
discrimination and participation as the keys to protec- to protection concerns, and the barriers to accessing
tion of persons with disabilities and provides 11 key programs for the wider community.
considerations for staff and partners to consider in
developing programs at the country level. Across the There is also a continued gap in the participation of per-
operations included in this project, many different ap- sons with disabilities in decision-making on programs,
proaches were employed by UNHCR, its implement- and community activities seldom identify, acknowledge
ing partners, the refugee community and persons with and utilize the capacities and resources of persons
disabilities to promote access and inclusion in humani- with disabilities in program planning and community
tarian programs. Just a few of the positive strategies activities. In all the countries included in this project,
identified in field assessments include: the WRC used the contributions of refugees and dis-
placed persons with disabilities, highlighting that they
• A twin-track approach to promote access and
are a valuable resource for raising awareness with hu-
inclusion for persons with disabilities in GBV pre-
vention and response activities in Nepal, through manitarian actors and the community.
mainstreaming disability in procedures and strate- Finally, refugees and displaced persons with disabilities
gies, as well as targeted actions to build sign lan- have little contact with host country disabled people’s
guage capacity in the camps and establish self-
organizations (DPOs) that could advocate for their ac-
help groups of women with disabilities.
cess to services and programs and include information
• Ensuring physical security by strengthening case about the conditions for refugees and displaced per-
management through tailored training to staff on sons with disabilities in monitoring reports to the Com-
identifying and responding to the needs of persons mittee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
3
used to apply the UNHCR Guidance on Disability in discussions in community centers, and visits to homes
these operations. The report presents the approaches, or shelters to conduct interviews. A total of 41 group
positive practices, successes and ongoing challenges discussions and 28 individual interviews were conduct-
to operationalizing disability inclusion across UNHCR, ed across the eight countries. All consultations with
providing lessons and recommendations for other or- refugees were conducted through an interpreter using
ganizations and the wider humanitarian community. local dialects, and sign language as required.
“Persons with disabilities include those who have Women and girls with hearing disabilities develop recom-
long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory mendations to promote inclusion for UNHCR and partners
impairments which in interaction with various bar- during a group discussion.
riers may hinder their full and effective participa-
tion in society on an equal basis with others.”
Home visits were conducted to meet individuals with Workshops on disability inclusion in programs
disabilities who were unable to attend the group discus- for refugees and displaced persons
sions. This approach was most commonly employed for
persons with physical impairments who were confined Over 390 humanitarian actors and stakeholders at-
to their homes, and those with mental disabilities20 who tended workshops in the eight countries. Workshops
preferred to participate in more familiar environments. were designed for staff from UNHCR country offices,
Interviews were semi-structured in nature. Wherever partner organizations and host country disability orga-
possible, interviews were conducted directly with in- nizations, and supported stakeholders to:
dividuals with disabilities. In some cases, where no
• recognize protection concerns and capacities of
method of communication could be established, infor-
refugees and displaced persons with disabilities;
mation was instead collected from caregivers. Home
visits also provided an opportunity to observe the living • apply the CRPD and the UNHCR Guidance on
standards of persons with disabilities, and understand Disability to their programs and sectors;
better the challenges they face in the community.
• identify strategies to promote access and inclusion
Group discussions and interviews were undertaken for persons with disabilities in key activities of their
by the WRC staff and consultants, with support from programs; and
UNHCR staff and partners. Participants gave verbal
consent following a briefing about each activity. In • design action plans to promote disability inclusion
some cases, visual aids were also employed to dem- in their work sectors in collaboration with key stake-
onstrate how information would be used in reports. No holders.
identifying information about participants was retained
Workshop objectives and content were adapted fol-
by WRC. Facilitators directed discussions to general
lowing consultations with persons with disabilities
rather than personal experiences in order to protect
and humanitarian actors. In some contexts, workshops
confidentiality and mitigate potential risks for individu-
were adapted to focus on a specific sector. For ex-
als. All participants were advised of available services
ample, in Nepal the workshop focused on Disability
and given information on how to access these services,
Inclusion in Gender-Based Violence Programming;
and follow-up for individuals requiring additional sup-
one-day disability awareness sessions were conducted
port was provided by UNHCR staff.
with local government units in Mindanao; and in Leba-
non, the workshops focused on Individual Case Man-
Consultations with humanitarian actors agement—Identifying and Responding to the Needs
of Persons with Disabilities. All workshops used par-
Humanitarian stakeholders were also consulted for ticipatory methodologies to promote sharing of knowl-
their perspectives on access and inclusion for persons edge and action planning, and also facilitated the ac-
with disabilities. Information was gathered through tive participation of refugees with disabilities, bridging
one-on-one interviews and small group discussions. the gap between them and humanitarian actors.
Participants were identified through UNHCR staff and
referrals from key informants, and included represen-
tatives from UN agencies, NGOs, Disabled People’s
Organizations (DPOs)21 and national- and local-level
government bodies.
9
Part A: Key protection concerns of persons different impairments, although caregivers perceived
with disabilities that children with intellectual disabilities were the most
exposed to this type of emotional abuse from peers.
Parents, children and young persons with disabilities
What is “protection”?
all reported that this behavior made them reluctant to
Humanitarian agencies define “protection” and the attend school.
activities it encompasses in different ways. For the
purposes of this report, the term “protection” re- “Other children tease them in the school. Children
fers to “all activities aimed at ensuring full respect with intellectual impairments get the most problems
for the rights of the individual in accordance with from other children—they get demoralized. When
the letter and the spirit of the relevant bodies of they take the child to school, he is discriminated and
law, i.e. human rights law, international humanitar- starts hating the children, teachers and then mother
ian law and refugee law.” 22 because she keeps sending him to school. The
mother even gets demoralized.”
The WRC’s previous field research entitled Disabili- — Participant in group discussion with
ties among Refugee and Conflict-Affected Popula- female caregivers in Ethiopia
tions identified a gap in detailed information about
the protection concerns of persons with disabilities,
with most respondents in field assessments reporting
broad concerns of discrimination, stigmatization, ha-
rassment, neglect and exclusion.23 Consultations with
persons with disabilities in the course of
this current project have highlighted that
discrimination, harassment and violence
continue to be the key protection risks
facing women, children and youth with
disabilities, and that the capacities and
resources of persons with disabilities
are seldom identified, acknowledged
and used.
Exclusion of adolescents and young persons and families, as well as by strangers. Women and girls
with disabilities from protective networks with disabilities were more likely to report sexual vio-
lence, with those with intellectual and mental disabili-
Adolescents and young persons with disabilities report- ties being among the most at risk. Men and boys with
ed being excluded from social networks and commu- disabilities were more likely to report physical and psy-
nity activities. In New Delhi, adolescent boys described chological violence, especially against men with physi-
that they feel “rejected” and “bad and sad because, I cal and intellectual disabilities. Dependence on care-
don’t have many friends.” Young men with intellectual givers, isolation and a lack of contact with community
disabilities in camp contexts also report wanting to be networks also expose men and women with disabilities
more involved in recreational activities with other men to different forms of violence inside the home.
their own age, but even when they demonstrate their
capacity to participate, they may still not be included
Sexual violence against women and girls with
by others.
disabilities
“He plays football with boys in front of his house. Sexual violence was mentioned by women and girls
He played once with people his own age and it was with disabilities in all countries, although the level of
very fun but they never called him to play again.” detail varied according to context and culture.24 Con-
— Interpreted report from a man with intel- crete examples shared by women with disabilities and
caregivers suggest that adolescent girls with intellec-
lectual disabilities during a group discussion
tual disabilities and women with mental disabilities may
with men with disabilities in Bangladesh.
be more vulnerable to sexual violence in displacement
Providing spaces where adolescent girls can build contexts. This risk may be more significant in urban
friendships and social capital is critical for reducing settings, as well as new displacement contexts, where
their vulnerability to GBV and other protection con- there is less physical cohesion in the community and a
cerns. Girls and young women with disabilities, how- loss of community protection mechanisms.
ever, highlight that they may be excluded from such
In many settings, women with disabilities felt unsafe,
social networks because of their disabilities, and social
even in their own homes, due to the risk of neglect and
stigma reduces their confidence to engage in such net-
physical abuse from both immediate and extended fam-
works.
ily members. In some settings, such as Lebanon, fami-
lies of girls and women with intellectual disabilities were
“We’re not the same as other girls—they wander
using negative coping strategies, such as physical re-
around, wear beautiful clothes and go to the market.
straint, to prevent individuals from going outside and/or
We don’t feel like girls, we are different….
from hurting themselves and others in the household.
In the school we are separated from other
girls—they talk ill of us.” The following factors make women and girls with dis-
abilities more vulnerable to sexual violence in different
— Adolescent girl with disabilities in Ethiopia.
contexts:
Violence against persons with disabilities • Stigma and discrimination—Persons with disabili-
ties in general recounted negative attitudes in their
Persons with disabilities in all contexts reported expe- communities, which leads to multiple levels of dis-
riencing different forms of physical and psychological crimination and greater vulnerability to violence,
violence perpetrated by members of their communities abuse and exploitation, especially for women and
12
girls with disabilities. traveled to urban centers to earn income for the
family.
• Community perceptions that persons with disabili-
ties will be unable to physically defend themselves • Isolation and a lack of contact with community
from a perpetrator or effectively report incidents of networks also expose them to violence inside the
violence. home.
“Violence can happen anywhere because she can’t “To outsiders, everything looks fine, but actually they
run, and she has no means to protect herself.” are neglected, beaten and abused by the family.”
• Lack of knowledge about GBV and personal safety, • Finally, service providers may question their cred-
which means that women and girls with intellectual ibility, which makes them reluctant to report cases
and mental disabilities may be more easily targeted of GBV or to access services.
by perpetrators.
“They tell me to go away and to not be
“She wants to go out all the time....She is violent towards (these) people.”
growing up and not a child anymore....
— Woman with mental disabilities living in conflict-
As a mother, you worry what will happen.”
affected Mindanao when asked about the re-
— Mother of an adolescent girl with sponse of police to her reports of “molestation.”
intellectual disabilities in New Delhi.
• Extreme poverty and lack of basic needs, which Physical and psychological violence against men
increase the risk that women and girls with dis- and boys with disabilities
abilities may be abused and exploited or resort to
Although less prominent, there were reports in most
survival sex and prostitution.
contexts that men and boys with disabilities are also
experiencing physical and/or emotional violence and
“If you have a disabled girl, you always worry—
abuse in their families and communities. They are more
a man might come and give her money. She
vulnerable because they may experience discrimination
takes the money to get food and he will ask for
in the already limited income generation opportunities
something back—she will end up pregnant.”
available to refugees, and family members perceive that
— Mother of young woman with they are no longer able to fulfill the roles expected of
disabilities in Ethiopia. men in society.
• Loss of community structures and protective mech- “Most of these men here, even their wives have
anisms, especially in contexts of new displacement. left them because of disability….The wife will say
they are suffering because you can’t get water and
In conflict-affected Mindanao, humanitarian actors
carry things—things the family needs. When we
and persons with disabilities recounted examples
discuss with the woman’s father, he says
where girls with intellectual disabilities experienced
you deceived her by becoming disabled.”
sexual violence. In two out of three cases, these
girls were not living with their mothers, who had — Man with disabilities from Shedder camp, Ethiopia.
13
Men with disabilities in several camp contexts also re- stress and neglect in extended families and crowded
ported having their eye glasses, wheelchairs and other shelters, and limits the options available for persons
devices stolen. They report that they may be targeted with disabilities requiring assistance with daily care
by perpetrators who perceive that they are unable to and mobility.
defend themselves.
Specific needs of persons with multiple
Domestic violence, abuse and exploitation impairments
Finally, there are examples of physical and emotional Consultations and home visits highlighted the unmet
violence, as well as exploitation, being perpetrated by basic needs of persons with multiple disabilities and
caregivers and/or extended family members inside the their caregivers. This theme was raised in seven of the
home towards adults with disabilities. Detailed exam- eight countries. Persons with multiple impairments are
ples were shared in three countries. In most cases, the often isolated to their shelters and require full assis-
individuals with disabilities had limited direct contact tance in toileting and bathing. Caregivers expressed
with humanitarian actors on their arrival in a given camp that this makes living conditions worse than in other
context, and there was little follow-up contact in the
home to monitor the rights of the individual and their
wider family support.
Across the eight countries included in this project, Non-discrimination and participation: Keys to
there were many different approaches employed by protection
UNHCR, its implementing partners, the refugee com-
munity and persons with disabilities to promote access UNHCR Guidance on Disability highlights that mean-
and inclusion for persons with disabilities in humanitar- ingful participation of persons with disabilities in de-
ian programs. The following section describes some of cision-making, programming and leadership is criti-
the positive practices identified throughout the course cal to effective protection in humanitarian contexts.26
of the project to implement each of the key compo- Field visits conducted throughout this project sought
nents of the UNHCR Guidance on Disability, as well to demonstrate this principle in action. Group discus-
as persistent challenges and gaps faced by UNHCR sions were conducted with persons with disabilities
country offices and its partners. and their caregivers to capture not only their protec-
tion concerns, but also their ideas and suggestions
for change, in many cases highlighting the skills and
contributions that persons with disabilities can make to
their community.
15
“I want to feel productive–maybe we could do theater able and confident asking for such classes.” 27
or some other program. I used to do many things in
Persons with disabilities are still rarely included in refu-
Syria, but now I am doing nothing. I feel depressed
gee committees and associations, or consulted by the
about that. Let’s be creative–we need a space and
refugee leadership in community decision-making pro-
then we can do things together.”
cesses. Informal associations and groups of refugees
— Young man with new physical disability in Lebanon. with disabilities are increasingly present, particularly
in camp contexts, providing a vehicle for consultation
Representatives were then selected to participate in with persons with disabilities on their needs and ideas.
workshops with humanitarian stakeholders, presenting In many contexts, however, these groups may not rep-
the perspectives of the group and contributing to ac- resent the diversity of persons with disabilities, with
tion planning processes. Such an approach highlights persons with intellectual and mental disabilities being
the skills and capacities of persons with disabilities and largely under-represented. In other contexts, such as
their potential to contribute to programs and activities Kampala, refugees and asylum seekers with disabilities
like other community members; it bridges the gap be- come from many different countries, and therefore lan-
tween persons with disabilities and humanitarian ac- guage and cultural diversity presents challenges in en-
tors and promotes their participation in program plan- suring effective representation in a single association
ning and decision-making. for persons with disabilities. In Kampala, multiple as-
sociations were therefore formed to represent the dif-
“We are delighted as we have got a workshop [on] ferent nationalities among the community of refugees
disabilities. Things we liked [were] participation of with disabilities. Most refugee disability associations
persons with disabilities; they are honored as human also remain male dominated. Hence, in Nepal self-
beings in the workshop; [and] group discussions with help groups of women with disabilities have started,
all to solve problems. We want this type of workshop providing a vehicle for more detailed consultation and
in the future in the camp.” representation of the needs of women and girls with
disabilities.
— Member of the Camp Manage-
ment Committee in Bangladesh. Finally, in contexts such as Mindanao and Lebanon,
where displacement is spread across rural and peri-
The positive outcome of the participation of persons urban areas, there is a need to build greater linkages
with disabilities in more regular and ongoing program- between displaced people and host community DPOs.
ming was also identified in the follow-up assessment in In many cases, these groups are unaware of the situ-
Nepal. Bhutanese women with disabilities living in refu- ation of displaced persons with disabilities, reducing
gee camps identified access to vocational training as their capacity to advise humanitarian agencies on the
being one of the most positive changes for them in the needs of this group and how to adapt programs. There
camps over the last year. They reported that specific is a need to also strengthen host community disabil-
types of vocational training classes had been organized ity groups to be more inclusive and representative of
following further consultations conducted by NGOs. displaced persons, so that these groups can appropri-
The outcome of such an approach was programs that ately advise in community consultation and program
better suited the needs of persons with disabilities and planning.
had a more significant impact on their lives. An equally
important finding, however, was the sense of empower- “The consultation and orientation on disability rights
ment experienced when given a role in decision-mak- initiated by the project were an eye opener for
ing. As one woman stated, “Now I feel more comfort- MADAP to learn more, appreciate their rights and to
16
tion of persons with disabilities, as they may be missed aware of persons with disabilities in their communi-
in registration processes, particularly in non-camp dis- ties, and able to identify and mobilize them when asked
placement settings, where populations are geographi- about these specific groups. In Kampala, refugees with
cally dispersed. In such settings, information dissemi- disabilities have formed an association with approxi-
nation about registration processes through a variety mately 121 families from different nationalities. Through
of media, formats and focal points may be necessary, a growing network of refugee families, they are able to
as well as considering the physical accessibility of reg- identify new arrivals and share information about avail-
istration centers and sites.29 able services and assistance, including agencies that
have established dedicated disability officers and focal
Field visits in Lebanon identified that most Syrian refu-
points.
gees with disabilities and their family members were
aware of UNHCR registration processes and that the
cost of transportation to these centers was not prohibi-
tive, particularly when they perceived that a single visit
would improve their access to other services. Some
refugees with disabilities who have difficulty moving
were being registered in absentia by their families us-
ing Syrian disability cards. Additionally, UNHCR made
mobile registration available for those who were unable
to come to the centers, providing opportunity for those
individuals to receive the same information and advice
directly from UNHCR as other refugees. People with
new impairments as a result of injuries, however, were
more likely to go straight to hospital and therefore reg-
ister later than others. These individuals and the hospi-
tal staff in direct contact with them expressed confu-
sion about the registration processes. They had limited
awareness about fast track registration and a lack of A UNHCR protection officer helps a newly arrived Somali
refugee woman register in Kenya. © UNHCR/B. Bannon.
information about the services that might be available
to them upon registration, highlighting a gap in informa-
tion dissemination in this complex crisis. Collecting, collating and analyzing data about refugees
with disabilities and their needs can assist in humani-
Consultations with persons with disabilities and care-
tarian planning and programming, but also monitoring
givers conducted within the scope of this project high-
access and inclusion in programs. UNHCR’s global
lighted that refugee and host communities remain one
registration database (proGres) is one of the most cen-
of the most effective ways to disseminate information
and identify persons with disabilities, particularly in tralized portals of such data in refugee contexts, and
non-camp displacement settings. Humanitarian actors is disaggregated for different impairments and specific
are increasingly engaging these communities directly needs. It is completed primarily at point of registration
and taking advantage of such social networks. In Leba- and then updated throughout UNHCR’s contact with
non, UNHCR and other humanitarian actors have tar- an individual and their family. UNHCR data ranges from
geted “focal points” in both the refugee and host com- 2 to 7.5 percent prevalence for disability in the refu-
munities to convey information about available services gee populations in Lebanon, Bangladesh, Ethiopia and
and assistance. Barangay leaders in Mindanao are well Nepal. These figures are lower than global estimates,
18
suggesting that there may be some gaps in identifying system, such that the most vulnerable persons with
persons with disabilities and/or recording this informa- disabilities are identified, prioritized, comprehensively
tion accurately in current databases. assessed and followed up. (See section on ensuring
physical security for further discussion, page 20.)
UNHCR Guidance on Disability calls upon UNHCR
and partners to collect and share relevant data on per- In several settings, it was noted that the complexity
sons with disabilities, including disaggregating assess- of host government policies on refugees and funding
ments for disability and sex.30 Organizations delivering mechanisms make it challenging, and in some cases
disability-specific services, however, use different defi- unrealistic, to expand the network of partners working
nitions of persons with disabilities, and the data they with refugees with disabilities. In these, settings it is
collect largely reflect those accessing the services of even more critical for existing implementing partners to
that organization. As a result this data does not repre- adapt their programming to meet both the basic and
sent the diversity and needs of the disabled population specific needs of persons with disabilities, rather than
for the purposes of wider country operations planning. relying on the presence of disability service providers.
Despite the inherent gaps associated with any data col-
lection on persons with disabilities, UNHCR’s proGres
Raise awareness and provide a supportive
system remains the most consistent source of data on
persons with disabilities among refugee populations, environment
but is currently under-used for program planning. UNHCR Guidance on Disability calls upon country
operations to “appoint a staff member to monitor dis-
Establish referral systems ability issues and ensure that team members and col-
leagues are sensitive to the importance of including
As described in the UNHCR Guidance on Disability, refugees with disabilities and avoiding discrimination,”
UNHCR offices are increasingly “mapping who can do and encourage partners to do the same.33
what, where, when and how” and building more effec-
tive referral systems in partnership with implementing A significant advancement since earlier WRC research
partners, service providers and even DPOs in different is that humanitarian actors are increasingly aware of
contexts.31 In New Delhi, UNHCR and its partners have persons with disabilities and are seeking assistance to
appointed disability focal points to facilitate referral respond to their needs. In Lebanon, there was wide-
processes between agencies. In Lebanon, Handicap spread recognition of the needs of persons with dis-
International is employing a “Disability and Vulnerabil- abilities by humanitarian actors involved in the ongoing
ity Focal Point” approach which relies on a network of Syrian refugee response. UNHCR requested techni-
focal points in the community, local organizations and cal support on disability inclusion early in its operation
health centers, to share information about available ser- planning, seeking to identify the needs of persons with
vices for referral purposes. 32 disabilities and integrate strategies for inclusion from
the outset of the emergency response. Similarly, staff
WRC has noted, however, some significant challenges responsible for individual case management, who play
in mapping services and establishing effective refer- a critical role in identifying and responding to protec-
ral systems in more complex crises, such as Lebanon, tion concerns, expressed interest in further training to
where there may be limited resources for the number of ensure they can effectively identify and address the
refugees, and a very large number of local organizations protection needs of persons with disabilities.
and charities delivering services to persons with dis-
abilities across the country. In such settings it may be
more appropriate to strengthen the case management
19
“Persons with disabilities are only in the disability Ensure physical security: Prevent and respond
center—they should also be in the CMC, so to sexual and gender-based violence and other
they can support themselves and
forms of exploitation and abuse
be involved in other agencies.”
UNHCR Guidance on Disability states that country of-
— Participant in group discussion with women
fices should “work with all partners to identify and es-
with disabilities and female caregivers in Nepal.
tablish a system to monitor persons at heightened risk”
of protection concerns, including GBV and other forms
“When I was young, I was not doing what other
of exploitation and abuse.37
people do, like ride a bike and play. I want them to
believe that they [children with disabilities] can do Persons with disabilities consulted in Lebanon were
anything in the world.” facing protection risks as a result of multiple and com-
plex unmet medical and social needs. While staff re-
— Young man with disabilities and member of
sponsible for protection case management were re-
grass-roots disability association in Ethiopia.
ferring the vast majority of persons with disabilities to
Ensuring physical security of persons with disabilities—the role of individual case management
Inaam* is 16 years old. She lives in Lebanon with her husband and baby. They have been in Lebanon for
18 months. Inaam was shot in the back in Syria and is now unable to walk. They registered with UNHCR
three months ago, when Inaam was discharged from hospital. Inaam was registered in absentia based on
a photograph, because she couldn’t get to the UNHCR registration center. Inaam and her family are living
in good accommodation, which is on the ground floor and rent free, but they are now being asked to move
out so the owner can live there in the future. She has a wheelchair, commode, air mattress and walking
frame at home, but her husband still has to carry her around the house, and she rarely goes outside. Inaam
says that when her husband is away, she has time to think about her situation and she feels very sad.
She is worried that her daughter has also been affected emotionally by the war and their displacement.
Inaam’s husband is also increasingly frustrated with their situation.
Case managers have identified that Inaam is at risk of several protection concerns due to isolation and
a lack of protection mechanisms. They visit her regularly at her home to discuss her different concerns
and link her to available services. She is prioritized for cash assistance, which is used to cover the rent
in their new home and some personal items. There is a community center in a nearby town, where Inaam
participates in the psychosocial support and awareness-raising activities maintaining some contact with
other women. Despite interruptions in some services due to growing security concerns in this region,
case managers are continuing to maintain regular contact with her, providing psychosocial support dur-
ing this difficult period. Given the complex intersection of different protection concerns, UNHCR protec-
tion officers are now investigating what resettlement opportunities may be available for Inaam and her
family. Case managers supporting Inaam and her family have played a critical role in ensuring her physical
security by facilitating comprehensive and coordinated assessment, monitoring and follow-up in changing
contexts and situations.
*Name changed for anonymity.
21
made to ensure access to food and other basic needs • Conducting assessment interviews in people’s
on an equal basis with others in the community.48 While homes.
community leaders are often engaged to organize and
coordinate such assistance for persons with disabili- • Procedures for UNHCR health partners to monitor
ties, this is rarely monitored with any rigor, potentially those with medical conditions who are already in
exposing persons with disabilities to exploitation. the resettlement pipeline, allowing changing of pri-
ority should their health conditions worsen.
Caregivers of persons with multiple disabilities are of-
ten not consulted in non-food item distributions and, Resettlement data in Nepal demonstrated that persons
as such, they report needing cloth and diapers, soap with disabilities are accessing the program and that
and mattresses to meet the specific needs of their fam- there are representative proportions of persons with
ily members. Persons with disabilities and their family disabilities among the caseload. It is highly likely that
members may also be discriminated against in income these positive findings are the result of the diverse and
generation activities and therefore experience higher inclusive strategies adopted by the resettlement pro-
levels of poverty. Hence, distributions that meet the ba- gram to reach and inform persons with disabilities of
sic needs of the broader refugee population may not be their options for resettlement.
sufficient for families of persons with disabilities.
Make shelter, housing and offices accessible
Make reunification and durable solutions UNHCR Guidance on Disability also calls attention to
inclusive ensuring the accessibility of built infrastructure by in-
volving persons with disabilities in the design process,
UNHCR Guidance on Disability provides some broad
consulting them on their specific needs and ensuring
principle-based guidance for staff promoting inclusive
that all new constructions apply the principles of Uni-
durable solutions, including consultations with persons
versal Design.50 Universal Design principles ensure
with disabilities, avoiding separation of family members
that they are “usable by all people, to the greatest ex-
and prioritizing persons with disabilities for reunification
tent possible, without the need for adaptation or spe-
efforts.49 In this project, however, it was identified that
cialized design.” 51
a critical first step is ensuring that persons with dis-
abilities have access to all available information about During the course of this project, humanitarian actors
durable solutions options, and are given space to make demonstrated good awareness of environmental ac-
their own choices and/or contribute meaningfully to cessibility in built infrastructure. In most camp settings,
family decisions relating to resettlement. In this regard, positive examples could be identified of offices, latrines
UNHCR Nepal adopted a more holistic approach, in- and water points that had been designed consider-
corporating a range of strategies, such as: ing accessibility for persons with physical disabilities.
There was, however, a gap in making this consistent
• Information sessions for persons with disabilities
across all infrastructure and comprehensive throughout
run at the Disability Centre, including videos and
the design (for example, there may be a ramp, but the
photos of persons with disabilities in the United
doors are not wide enough for a wheelchair). Aware-
States and Canada.
ness raising and training of humanitarian actors has
• Specific outreach to families of persons with dis- been conducted extensively in this sector and there
abilities by a dedicated team, of which one staff is no shortage of clear and concise guidelines for hu-
member is a Nepali woman with vision impairments manitarian actors.52 Therefore, greater investigation is
who spent time living in the United States. needed to identify actions that will have a more insti-
25
Make transportation
accessible
UNHCR Guidance on Disabil-
ity advises UNHCR staff and
partners to “provide or facilitate
access to transportation for per-
sons with disabilities so that they
can access registration and other
services.”53 Persons with physical
disabilities report that distance
and a lack of affordable transpor-
tation limit their access to servic-
es and programs, most commonly
Uneven terrain makes it difficult for people with disabilities, such as this elderly to education and health services.
man who is using crutches, to navigate the camp. © UNHCR
In most camp settings, there are
no transportation services avail-
tutional impact. This could include considering organi- able. Persons with disabilities
zational administrative processes linked to contracting must rely on wheelchairs and other devices to move
local builders for construction in camp settings. long distances to facilities. In some settings, such as
Mae Hong Son in Thailand, where the camps are set
Infrastructure outside of camp contexts presents a more among hills, the terrain and lack of level roads make the
complex challenge as UNHCR and partners are often use of wheelchairs for even short distances unrealistic.
constrained by the accessibility of pre-built structures,
and the building codes and regulations of the host gov- Lack of transportation also increases the vulnerability
ernments. Host country DPOs provide a good resource of persons with disabilities to exploitation in the col-
of information and advocacy in such settings. In Leba- lection of rations, water and non-food items. In camp
non, UNHCR is expanding partnerships for community contexts, persons with disabilities will exchange money
center services to be delivered from the Forum for the and/or a proportion of a ration for assistance from com-
Handicapped in the North, a facility that was more en- munity members to transport the items back to their
vironmentally accessible to those using wheelchairs, shelter. In urban contexts, persons with disabilities and
aids and other mobility devices. Such partnerships may their families spend considerable money on transporta-
address not only environmental barriers, but also atti- tion to medical and health care facilities, placing them
tudinal barriers by bringing non-disabled refugees into at a financial disadvantage compared with other refu-
spaces and activities with persons with disabilities. gees or displaced persons.
It is important to note, however, that environmental ac- To date, WRC has identified few strategies to address
cessibility of buildings and facilities was rarely raised the lack of transportation experienced by persons with
by refugees across the eight countries. Distance, cost disabilities or to monitor and address the negative out-
and/or lack of transport were reported as far greater comes of such a gap in camp settings. In urban settings,
26
however, many agencies provide cash assistance and • The Sexual and Gender-Based Violence (SGBV)
additional allowances for persons with specific needs. Strategy (2011—2016) includes six key action
points, one of which is focused on protecting per-
sons with disabilities from GBV.56
Part C: Institutionalizing disability inclusion
across UNHCR operations globally • The Education Strategy (2012—2016) has activi-
ties and indicators relating to inclusive education
In parallel with the development and roll-out of the UN-
under objectives relating to safe learning environ-
HCR Guidance on Disability, UNHCR has undertaken
ments.57
a number of activities at the headquarters level to sup-
port wider implementation of the Executive Committee • The Framework for the Protection of Children
Conclusion on Refugee with Disabilities across the takes a systems-level approach and mainstreams
organization and its operations. These activities have considerations for children and adolescents with
been coordinated by the UNHCR Division for Inter- disabilities.58
national Protection (DIP), with support from technical
partners and/or experts as required. This section de- • Finally, UNHCR’s Operational Guidelines on Live-
scribes these initiatives, as well as remaining gaps at lihoods Programming includes examples of both
the global level to ensure sustainable and systematic inclusive and targeted programming for persons
disability inclusion across UNHCR operations. with disabilities.59
UNHCR has made significant progress in ensuring At the global level, UNHCR has taken steps to inte-
that disability is mainstreamed across existing organi- grate disability and the needs of persons with disabili-
zational policies and strategies. UNHCR policies and ties in its systems for planning, monitoring and evalua-
strategies are reviewed in the development stage to tion. The UNHCR Results Framework for 2012—2013
ensure that they incorporate age, gender and diversity details performance indicators for the organization and
throughout the document. Where specific protection includes indicators relating to persons with disabilities
gaps are identified and/or the strategy or policy relates under objectives on services for persons with specific
to a key consideration as specified in the UNHCR needs, protection of children and access to educa-
Guidance on Disability, targeted actions for persons tion.60
with disabilities have been included within the strategy
UNHCR Country Operations Plans and Reports track
or policy. To date, the following documents have been
actions planned, as well as actions implemented, at
adapted to address disability inclusion. Many of these
the country level, and are linked to both resourcing
strategies represent positive examples of collaboration
and evaluation. In 2012, 22 country operations imple-
across different divisions of UNHCR:
mented targeted actions for persons with disabilities,
• UNHCR’s Resettlement Handbook was revised and 33 planned similar actions in 2013. These actions
in 2011 to include a specific section on the pro- included rehabilitation services for children and adults
tection needs and vulnerabilities of persons with with disabilities; facilitating access to specialized or
disabilities;54 and more recently the resettlement regular schools; targeted livelihood activities; support-
assessment tool was developed for persons with ing the formation of self-help groups and DPOs; and
disabilities;55 support to families with children with disabilities.61
27
While these are positive steps to ensure that UNHCR capacity on disability inclusion.63 The implementation
promotes organizational accountability on disability in- plan for this training and how the outcome and impact
clusion, there is still a gap in understanding how ac- will be monitored is yet to be clarified.
tions at country operations levels are supporting the
implementation of the UNHCR Guidance on Disability At UNHCR country level, there is growing demand
across the organization globally, as well as the impact and requests for dedicated technical support on dis-
of this for persons with disabilities. ability inclusion in country operation planning. To date,
UNHCR has relied on partnerships with a number of
NGOs to provide technical support and training on
Coordinating actions to promote disability disability inclusion to country operations. These part-
inclusion at country operation level nerships have been largely short-term and externally
funded, and there is a gap in internal capacity to deliver
In this project, training and action planning workshops
this type of intensive technical support to country op-
were conducted in each country to support UNHCR
erations with consistency.
staff and their partners to define context-specific col-
laborative actions for the implementation of the UN-
HCR Guidance on Disability at the field level. Follow-
up assessments and consultations identified that one
of the most significant barriers to implementation of RECOMMENDATIONS
these action plans was ensuring and maintaining effec- TO ADVANCE DISABILITY
tive coordination of different partners working on dis-
ability inclusion. In some settings this challenge was INCLUSION IN
related to lack of clarity on leadership within UNHCR,
loss of momentum with change of staff and/or com-
HUMANITARIAN ACTION
peting priorities placed on the individual staff members
and teams. Additionally, there were no formal systems The following recommendations are designed for UN-
established for the transfer of knowledge and informa- HCR country operations and headquarters to further
tion between the participants in the workshops and advance disability inclusion across the organization.
their wider organizations, limiting the sustainability and There are also recommendations for donor agencies,
longer-term impact of the workshops. humanitarian actors and disability organizations, all of
which play a critical role in advancing disability inclu-
It is important to note, however, that turnover of staff sion in humanitarian action.
may also have a positive impact, with many staff staying
within UNHCR or moving to other humanitarian agen-
cies, taking their awareness and knowledge on disabil- To UNHCR: The next steps
ity inclusion to other country operations and contexts.62
1. Technical support to UNHCR country
Building staff expertise on disability inclusion operations
UNHCR’s Global Learning Center has been planning UNHCR is commended for its efforts thus far to build
a self-study learning module on disability based on the staff expertise and capacity on disability inclusion.
UNHCR Guidance on Disability. This module would There is, however, a resource gap within UNHCR to
provide a valuable internal resource for staff in UNHCR meet the growing demand from country operations for
country operations who are interested in building their comprehensive technical advice on disability inclusion
28
UNHCR Guidance on Disability elaborates further and contributions, and update them on actions that
that exclusion of persons with disabilities “can be your organizations have taken to promote disability
inadvertent or purposeful: in either case it is never- inclusion.
theless discriminatory.” 66 Making such a shift at all
levels in an organization requires an ongoing pro-
3. Reinforce the critical role of individual case
cess of awareness raising and reflection using case
studies, as well as personal experiences. management
(ii) Encourage staff and partners to also focus on Case management provides a critical entry point for
what persons with disabilities can do, not always assessing the protection risks and vulnerability of per-
on what they can’t do. Integrate questions on the sons with disabilities, and providing timely and coordi-
skills and capacities of persons with disabilities nated support to persons with specific, complex and/
into group discussions, so that staff will become or multiple needs. It also serves as a guide for prioritiz-
exposed over time to a new way of thinking and ing service delivery in resource-limited settings. While
working. persons with disabilities may have some specific needs
requiring referral to specialized agencies (for example,
(iii) Set quotas for the number of community volunteer for rehabilitation or medical care), they also require a
and incentive worker positions that should be filled myriad of non-health-related interventions to reduce
by persons with disabilities (for example, 15% of in- their vulnerability to protection risks, including access
centive workers and volunteers should be persons to psychosocial support, education and sometimes fi-
with disabilities). This presents a positive picture to nancial assistance for the wider family.
the community about persons with disabilities, their
skills and capacities, and the value humanitarian Integrate disability rights and the principles of disability
organizations place upon this. Disability associa- inclusion into the training and mentoring for case man-
tions can help by mapping skills within the disability agers, highlighting the skills and capacities that case
community (such as teachers, mechanics, artists, managers already have to address these concerns.
etc.) and circulating information on new employ- [See Useful Resources for more information.]
ment positions to persons with disabilities. Consult
with individuals with disabilities on adaptations that 4. Monitoring disability inclusion
need to be made—there are many simple strate-
gies, such as getting incentive workers to work in As humanitarian organizations are increasingly disag-
pairs—which will facilitate access and inclusion. gregating data for age and gender, they should also
disaggregate data for persons with disabilities, al-
(iv) Employ qualified persons with disabilities in hu- lowing greater reflection on whether this group is ad-
manitarian positions. Persons with disabilities have equately represented among beneficiaries. This data
a wide breadth of experience, which is valuable to can be collected with minor adaptations to participant
all sectors and programs. Their daily interactions sheets and monthly reports, and by clarifying with staff
with colleagues, partners and the community will the definition of persons with disabilities.
promote greater awareness and more comprehen-
sive understanding of disability and inclusion.
To disability actors: Expand skills to enhance ing processes. Host-country DPOs are encouraged
protection to consider the following approaches to support the
advancement of the rights of refugees and displaced
Ensuring access and inclusion for persons with disabil- persons with disabilities:
ities in situations of forced displacement requires not
only adaptations in humanitarian operations but also (i) Meet with UNHCR staff and partners to learn
in the disability sector. The following recommendations more about the specific protection concerns facing
seek to enhance the role of disability actors, including refugees with disabilities. UNHCR staff and other
disability service providers, specialized organizations agencies working with refugees with disabilities
working with persons with disabilities and DPOs, in may be able to help identify potential refugee lead-
protecting persons with disabilities in humanitarian cri- ers with disabilities for inclusion in DPO activities.
ses.
(ii) Consult with agencies in contact with refugees and
displaced persons with disabilities when preparing
1. Protection mainstreaming across disability monitoring reports on the implementation of the
service provision CRPD (where ratified) and, if possible, run group
discussions with refugees with disabilities to un-
Organizations delivering specialized disability services derstand their specific concerns.
(for example, health and rehabilitation) may be one of
the first points of contact for persons with disabilities in (iii) Include refugees and displaced persons with dis-
humanitarian contexts. As such, they can play a role in abilities in self-help groups and local DPOs, espe-
identifying risks that require more comprehensive case cially in non-camp settings where they are living
management from protection actors. Disability service among the host community.
providers and local NGOs should build protection
mainstreaming into their programs and projects, train- Finally, as displacement situations often involve several
ing staff to recognize protection risks and refer cases countries, regional and international DPO networks are
to the appropriate protection actors for more compre- encouraged to engage in increasing awareness rais-
hensive individual case management. [See Useful Re- ing and dialogue with their members on refugee issues,
sources for more information.] particularly in situations of protracted or large scale cri-
sis, as we currently see in the Syrian refugee response.
ity inclusion in humanitarian action to expand their internal capacity to provide technical support to UN-
human resource capacity in this field through build- HCR country offices, as well as monitoring and evalu-
ing, training and mentoring a cadre of staff available ation of how UNHCR staff and partners are translating
for deployment to work with protection and other UNHCR Guidance on Disability into practice at the
sector actors in the field. global level.
(ii) Fund efforts to research, map and document posi- Recommendations to UNHCR, donor agencies, and
tive practices in disability inclusion from different humanitarian and disability actors seek to build on
humanitarian operations, programs and phases— identified strengths and progress to further advance
this is a critical step in expanding the evidence the rights of persons with disabilities in displacement
base on what works, where and why. contexts.
CONCLUSION
While considerable and commendable progress has
been made in the humanitarian community on disability
awareness and inclusion, this work has yet to be insti-
tutionalized and fully integrated throughout all humani-
tarian organizations and responses.
UNHCR Need to Know: Working with Persons with This report presents findings from research conducted
Disabilities in Forced Displacement by WRC in partnership with UNHCR in five different
humanitarian contexts in 2008, documenting the gaps
This UNHCR Guidance on Disability, developed by
in access and inclusion for persons with disabilities
UNHCR and Handicap International, provides field
and recommendations for stakeholders.
staff and partners with an essential introduction to,
and action-oriented advice on, a range of protection is- Available at: http://www.womensrefugeecom-
sues relating to persons with disabilities in situations of mission.org/programs/disabilities/research-and-
forced displacement. resources/609-disabilities-among-refugees-and-
conflict-affected-populations-1/file.
Available at: http://www.refworld.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/
rwmain?docid=4e6072b22
Resource Kit for Fieldworkers: Disabilities among
Refugees and Conflict affected Populations
Workshop resources: Disability inclusion in pro-
grams for refugees and displaced persons This companion to the report Disabilities among Refu-
gees and Conflict-affected Populations provides prac-
This training is designed for UNHCR staff, implement-
tical guidance for UNHCR and humanitarian agency
ing partners and disability stakeholders at field levels.
field staff on disability inclusion.
This PowerPoint is an outline of a three-day training de-
veloped by the Women’s Refugee Commission to raise Available at: http://www.womensrefugeecom-
awareness and facilitate participation of people with mission.org/programs/disabilities/research-and-
disabilities in community decision-making. resources/108-disabilities-among-refugees-and-
conflict-affected-populations-resource-kit-for-field-
Available at: http://wrc.ms/1eXGoAT
workers/file.
Workshop resources: Individual Case Manage-
Global Protection Cluster: Protection mainstream-
ment—Identifying and responding to the needs of
persons with disabilities ing toolbox
These workshops were conducted by WRC, in part- The website provides links to guidance and tools en-
nership with UNHCR, for humanitarian actors involved dorsed by the Global Protection Cluster, but also ex-
in the Syrian Refugee Response in Lebanon in May ternal resources from humanitarian organizations, to
2013. Files include PowerPoint presentations, tools support agencies to incorporate protection principles
and handouts. One tool supports actors to identify and promote meaningful access, safety and dignity for
intersecting vulnerabilities which may increase risk of affected populations in all humanitarian activities.
protection concerns among persons with disabilities Available at: http://www.globalprotectioncluster.org/
and their families. It draws on the UNHCR Heightened en/areas-of-responsibility/protection-mainstreaming.
Risk Identification Tool, UNHCR Lebanon’s SOPs for html
Individual Case Management and other findings from
the field visit.
6 United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, 20 In this report, “persons with mental disabilities” refers
Displacement: The new 21st century challenge. UNHCR to persons with mental health conditions and/or those who
global trends 2012 (Geneva: UNHCR, 2013), p. 2. unhcr. are users and/or survivors of psychiatry. The term “persons
org/globaltrendsjune2013/UNHCR%20GLOBAL%20 with psychosocial disabilities” is sometimes also used to
TRENDS%202012_V05.pdf. describe this group of persons with disabilities. World Net-
work of Users and Survivors of Psychiatry, Implementation
7 See note 3, p. 29. Manual for the United Nations Convention on the Rights
of Persons with Disabilities (WNSUP, 2008), p. 9. wrc.ms/
8 See note 6, p. 3.
N8o9CH.
9 See note 2.
21 Disabled people’s organizations ( DPOs) are represen-
10 See note 3, p. 59. tative organizations of persons with disabilities. They are
usually established and led by persons with disabilities.
11 Inter-Agency Standing Committee, Guidelines for
gender-based violence interventions in humnaitarian set- 22 Hugo Slim and Andrew Bonwick, Protection: an ANLAP
tings (2005), p. 1. humanitarianinfo.org/iasc/downloadDoc. guide for humanitarian agencies (London: Overseas Devel-
aspx?docID=4402. opment Institute, 2005), p. 33. www.globalprotectionclus-
ter.org/_assets/files/tools_and_guidance/ALNAP_Guide_
12 See note 5, p. 11. Humanitarian_Agencies_2005_EN.pdf.
34
24 Concrete examples of sexual violence were shared in all 40 See note 27.
countries, with the exception of Bangladesh and Lebanon.
41 See note 5, p. 13.
In Bangladesh, adolescent girls with disabilities reported
being “teased” by men and boys when walking around the 42 U.S. International Council on Disabilities, Global Disabil-
camp, and suggested that, “other things” can also happen. ity Rights Library (2013). www.usicd.org/index.cfm/global-
Although not expressed in group discussions, humanitarian disability-rights-library.
actors in Lebanon reported at least one example of women
with intellectual disabilities being “kidnapped” by men in the 43 The World Federation of the Deaf describes Deaf
community. culture as a “broad concept that encompasses the lifestyle,
traditions, knowledge, skills, beliefs, norms and values
25 See note 5. shared by a group of people. It also contributes to the artis-
tic expression of members of that group.” www.wfdeaf.org/
26 See note 5, p. 5.
human-rights/crpd/deaf-as-a-linguistic-and-cultural-group.
27 Michael Szporluk, Promoting Access and Inclusion 44 Email communication with Eirin Broholm, UNHCR Com-
for Displaced People with Disabilities in Damak, Nepal munity Services Officer, dated September 11, 2012.
- Follow-up Field Visit Report (Women’s Refugee Commis-
sion, November 2013. Unpublished). 45 Augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) is
an umbrella term used to describe tools and strategies that
28 See note 5, p. 7. can support persons with speech and language impair-
ments to communicate with others. AAC tools and strate-
29 Ibid, p. 9.
gies may include the use of gestures, facial expressions,
30 Ibid. symbols, pictures and even speech-generating devices.
www.isaac-online.org/english/what-is-aac/.
31 Ibid, p. 10.
46 WRC currently has a partnership project with Interna-
32 Handicap International, Syrian crisis emergency re- tional Rescue Committee entitled Building Capacity for
sponse in Lebanon. Bekaa valley activity report - 15th April Disability Inclusion in Gender-based Violence Programming
2013 (2013). http://wrc.ms/1cYuqKE. in Humanitarian Settings. This project will pilot, evaluate
and document effective strategies to promote access and
33 See note 5, p. 10. inclusion for persons with disabilities in GBV programs,
including the development of tools and resources for GBV
34 United Nations, Backgrounder: Disability treaty closes
practitioners. A second project is also underway research-
the gap in protecting human rights. www.un.org/disabilities/
ing the Sexual and Reproductive Health Needs of Persons
default.asp?id=476.
with Disabilities in Humanitarian Settings. Updates about
35 CBM, Inclusion made easy: A quick program guide to these projects and subsequent publications can be found
disability in development (2012), p. 3. www.cbm.org/arti- at www.womensrefugeecommission.org/programs/disabili-
cle/downloads/78851/CBM_Inclusion_Made_Easy_-_com- ties.
plete_guide.pdf.
47 See note 5, p. 14.
36 See note 27.
48 See note 13, p. 4.
37 See note 5, p. 11.
49 See note 5, p. 15.
38 Women’s Refugee Commission. Disability Program: 50 See note 5, p. 16.
Tools and resources. http://womensrefugeecommission.
org/programs/disabilities/research-and-resources. 51 See note 13, p. 4.
35
52 Examples include: Handicap International, Disability cacy and capacity development undertaken at headquarters
checklist for emergency response (2005). www.handicap- and country operations in Asia.
international.fr/fileadmin/documents/publications/Disability-
Checklist.pdf. 63 United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees,
Global analysis 2012-2013: UNHCR accountability frame-
53 See note 5, p. 17. works for age, gender and diversity mainstreaming and
targeted actions (Geneva: UNHCR, 2013). www.unhcr.org/
54 United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, cgi-bin/texis/vtx/home/opendocPDFViewer.html?docid=51
UNHCR resettlement handbook (Geneva: UNHCR, 2011). c4569f9&query=results based framework 2014.
www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/home/opendocPDFViewer.
html?docid=46f7c0ee2&query=resettlement handbook. 64 Examples include: Women’s Commission for Refugee
Women and Children, Disabilities among refugees and
55 United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, Reset- conflict-affected populations: Resource kit for fieldworkers
tlement assessment tool: Refugees with disabilities (Gene- (New York: Women’s Refugee Commission, 2008). wom-
va: UNHCR, 2013). www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/home/ ensrefugeecommission.org/resources/doc_download/610-
opendocPDFViewer.html?docid=51de6e7a9&query=HRIT resource-kit; Handicap International, Disability checklist for
tool version. emergency response (2005). www.handicap-international.
fr/fileadmin/documents/publications/DisabilityChecklist.
56 UNHCR, Action against sexual and gender-based vio-
pdf; CBM, Inclusion made easy: A quick program guide
lence: An updated strategy (2011).
to disability in development (2012). www.cbm.org/article/
57 United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, 2012 downloads/78851/CBM_Inclusion_Made_Easy_-_com-
- 2016 Education strategy (Geneva: UNHCR, 2012). plete_guide.pdf.
http://www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/home/opendocPD-
65 See note 13, p. 4.
FViewer.html?docid=5149ba349&query=education%20
strategy. 66 See note 5, p. 4.
587 United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees, A
framework for the protection of children (Geneva: UNHCR,
2012). www.unhcr.org/cgi-bin/texis/vtx/home/opendocPD-
FViewer.html?docid=50f6cf0b9&query=childprotectionfra
mework.
womensrefugeecommission.org