Limited efforts towards the inclusion of people with disabilities in the skills development programmes, employment opportunities, and ensuring an accessible work atmosphere stay as some of the stumbling blocks despite growing awareness and efforts on disability inclusion, speakers said at a programme in Cox's Bazar Thursday.
They were addressing the dialogue "Leadership and participation of persons with disabilities in humanitarian context" organised by Handicap International-Humanity and Inclusion (HI) and Brac Humanitarian Crisis Management Programme (HCMP) with support of Promoting Rights and Inclusion of Youth and All – an organisation of persons with disabilities based in Cox's Bazar.
Citing data from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs 2021, the event was told that 235.4 million people across the world required various types of humanitarian assistance, 15 percent of them were people with disabilities.
According to a study, 92 percent of humanitarian workers think that persons with disabilities are deprived of getting proper services during any disaster.
READ: UNDP, Disability Alliance seek disability inclusive 8th 5-year plan
So, respective organisations must formulate suitable policies on disaster preparedness, response and mitigation and implement them properly.
Inter-Agency Standing Committee (IASC) guidelines on inclusion of persons with disabilities pitch for including persons with disabilities in the workforce and humanitarian action as partners – from front line staff to management staff.
Each year, December 3 is observed as International Day of Persons with Disabilities (IDPD) to raise awareness about the inclusion of people with disabilities in the development and humanitarian world.
This year, the UN has announced "leadership and participation of persons with disabilities toward an inclusive, accessible and sustainable post-Covid-19 world" as the theme for IDPD 2021.
Shamsud Douza, deputy refugee relief and repatriation commissioner, Nasim Ahmed, additional deputy commissioner, Refugee Coordinator Mackenzie Rowe from the US Embassy in Dhaka, Roberts Sila Muthini, head of HCMP of Brac, Rajesh Chandra, programme director of HI, Mansur Chowdhury, founder of Impact Foundation, Lorenzo Leonelli, senior protection officer of Protection Working Group, Shakeb Nabi, country representative of ICCO Cooperation, spoke at the event hosted on the eve of the day.
The conclusion panel recommended improving data collection and the disaggregation system; participation of people with disabilities in the programme and the workforce; two-way communication where people with disabilities can be consulted and contribute, too.
READ: UN disability rights committee to review Bangladesh, other 5 countries
It also suggested creating more awareness on changing perceptions among humanitarian agencies, communities and sectors on disability inclusion and supporting the Age and Disability Working Group to enable a strengthened and coordinated approach at the humanitarian cluster system.