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This policy paper outlines Handicap International's mandate and values in the field of the inclusive local development. It presents the organisation's actions, choices and commitments in the area of local inclusive development, and provides the six main components of projects. Future possibilities and potential limitations are also highlighted. This policy paper is useful to people who have an interest in disability rights and inclusive local development initiatives

This book provides an overview of current community-based rehabilitation (CBR) knowledge and shows how this information has been interpreted and implemented in the African context. It has been developed from conference presentations and discussions that took place in South Africa in 2007. It is useful for people interested in general CBR information and CBR in Africa

The role of disabled people in CBR is increasingly being seen as of vital importance for the success of CBR. In actual fact participation of disabled people and self advocacy have become two of the principles of CBR as seen by the World Health Organisation and associated organszations behind the new CBR thinking.

This paper deals with the position and role of disabled people themselves in CBR programmes. It critically looks into the role Disabled Peoples’ Organisations in terms of promoting equal access to essential and acceptable quality of rehabilitation programmes for all and especially the poor of this world. It is argued that DPOs should join the ranks of those (professionals) who are committed to ensure that rehabilitation becomes accessible to all. The current global situation of an ever widening gap between the ‘ones who have and those who don’t have’ requires a critical reflection on ones’ own work in CBR and DPO development. We cannot permit ourselves anymore a division among those who are disabled and those who are non-disabled as there are other divides among groups of people that are by far more profound and serious to the majority of disabled people worldwide.

While the urban elite of disabled people who live in a conflict-free, open and democratic society may be well concerned with issues such as accessible tourism, CBR as essential service provision is often unavailable for the poor rural masses and those living under illegal conditions in slums of the cities of Africa, Asia and South America. CBR as philosophy seeks for solidarity with those who live under appalling conditions; threatened by conflict, eviction and hunger. This paper calls for collaboration between DPOs and the CBR movement in order to address diversity and ensure that the implementation of basic human rights are truly addressed.

Asia Pacific Disability Rehabilitation Journal, Vol 20, No 1

"This paper offers a critical discussion of the goodness of fit between professional motives and community needs in the field of community-based rehabilitation (CBR). Data were drawn from the authors’ involvement in a survey of occupational therapists involved in CBR and a search of CINAHL, PsychInfo and Medline online databases for related descriptive and analytical articles. Due to cultural differences and time constraints CBR professionals often are, and remain, ‘outsiders’ to the community they are working with. The focus of CBR is sometimes uncertain. Professional motives do not always meet community needs and good intentions do not necessarily transpire into sustainable, culturally appropriate action. The involvement of the community in all stages of programme development and implementation is important both to ensure relevancy and build alliances with the community. CBR needs to be approached and evaluated as a unique area of professional practice"

Asia Pacific Disability Development Journal, Vol 20, No 2

This is an executive summary of a manual that is intended as a guide to decision makers in Local Government Units on how to institutionalise and implement programme that ensure the inclusion of persons with disabilities in all activities in the community – and ensure these activities are part of the annual work and financial plan of government and other local groups.  While the manual is intended for government decision makers, it can also be used by CBR workers and managers to understand inclusion, CBR in the rights-based context, the historical perspective and evolving definition of disability as well as how to start CBR, how to organize DPOs and communities, and how to undertake training and advocacy

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This article presents the methodology and findings from a proof-of-concept study undertaken to explore the viability of conducting a systematic, largely qualitative synthesis of evaluation reports emanating from Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) projects in developing countries, using 36 disability and development projects in 22 countries