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Ensuring the right to quality inclusive education for persons with disabilities: From commitment to action

UNESCO
November 2020

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The international symposium "Ensuring the right to quality inclusive education for persons with disabilities: From commitment to action", co-organized by UNESCO, the Leonard Cheshire, and the Ministry of Education of Portugal brought together a wide range of stakeholders across the globe to discuss progress, successes achieved and challenges to ensure full participation and access to quality learning opportunities for all learners.

The symposium aims were to:

  • review persisting, as well as new challenges, due to the COVID-19 pandemic that are hindering the fulfilment of the right to inclusive education for learners with disabilities.
  • facilitate the exchange of experiences on factors influencing successful inclusive policies and practices for learners with disabilities and strengthen dialogue and cooperation amongst stakeholders at policy and practice levels.
  • explore how the inclusion of learners with disabilities in inclusive settings can be more effectively addressed by governments with regards to the commitments of Article 24 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), the CRPD General Comment 4 on article 24, and Sustainable Development 4 SDG 4, to ‘ensure inclusive and equitable quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all.

The programme included:

Opening session - Accelerating efforts towards inclusive education for learners with disabilities. (Video recording: English - French - Spanish)

Session 1 - From legislation to inclusive practices: Re-designing policy frameworks, funding and monitoring arrangements across sectors for inclusive education for learners with disabilities. (Video recording: English - French - Spanish)

Session 2 - Revisiting the teaching and learning process to ensure access and participation of learners with disabilities.

Session 3 - Moving towards inclusive and safe learning environments, including by addressing violence and bullying against learners with disabilities.
 

Closing session - Rebuilding a Stronger Global Disability Inclusive Education System post COVID-19. (Video recording: English - French - Spanish)

COVID-19, Amplifying Voices: Our Lives, Our Say: Learning from COVID-19 through the experiences of blind and partially sighted persons across the world

ZAYED, Yana
et al
August 2020

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The World Blind Union (WBU) conducted a study to examine the extent to which COVID-19 pandemic has exposed some deep structural inequalities in society. Data gathered from the study is evidencing that persons with disabilities, older persons, and persons from lower socioeconomic status backgrounds are among those hardest hit by the pandemic. While this report puts a spotlight on the voices of blind and partially sighted persons, many of the experiences shared strongly resonate with numerous other studies that are also highlighting how marginalised groups have been affected by this crisis. Through this report, WBU hopes to raise awareness on the specifics of what those challenges have meant in reality for its constituents, as well as shed light on what have been effective resilience strategies for them. The study was made possible with the support of CBM Global

To understand the situation of our constituents, the World Blind Union (WBU) conducted a global survey in collaboration with key stakeholders. In April 2020, the WBU launched an open online survey for seven weeks in Spanish, French and English, seeking information from blind and partially sighted persons on how COVID-19 was impacting their day to day life. 853 people participated in the survey. The respondents expressed in their own words how their lives had been and continue to be impacted by the coronavirus pandemic. This report is a compilation of those voices. It depicts the ways in which COVID-19 response measures taken by state and non-state actors have created additional barriers and challenges for blind and partially sighted people. It also includes powerful testimonies on how people have shown resilience in the face of adversity.

 

 

Persons with disabilities in armed conflict: Inclusive protection perspectives

UNITED NATIONS MINE ACTION SERVICE (UNMAS)
May 2020

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This virtual side event was held on 28 May 2020, coinciding with the UN Security Council Open Debate on the Protection of Civilians. It focused on the disproportionate challenges facing persons with disabilities in humanitarian, conflict, and post-conflict settings. Chaired by the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Ms. Catalina Devandas Aguilar, this discussion shared insights from speakers and panelists from the Governments of Poland and the United Kingdom, the European Union, UNMAS, Humanity & Inclusion (H.I.), the International Disability Alliance (IDA) and others.

 

By presenting the situation in Syria, Humanitarian Policy and Advocacy Manager for HI Syria response Bahia Zrikem highlighted the fundamental role Council Members should play in ensuring that all civilians, including persons with disabilities, are fully protected during hostilities, in line with International Humanitarian Law and Human Rights Law obligations, including the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), and the UNSC Resolution 2475 on protecting persons with disabilities in armed conflict.

 

Sphere guidelines : humanitarian charter and minimum standards in humanitarian response|3rd Ed

THE SPHERE PROJECT
2011

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This handbook establishes shared principles and a set of universal minimum standards in core areas of humanitarian response. It provides a new chapter on protection principles, which considers the protection and safety of populations affected by disaster or armed conflict as an integral part of humanitarian response. It describes core standards for effective and accountable humanitarian response and advocacy, and outlines the minimum standards in the following four technical chapters: water supply, sanitation and hygiene promotion; food security and nutrition; shelter, settlement and non-food items; and health action. Each minimum standard highlights key actions, key indicators and guidance notes
This edition also addresses emerging issues, such as climate change, disaster risk reduction, early recovery of services and livelihoods, cash transfers, and civil-military relations. Understanding and supporting local responses to disaster is a priority reflected in the whole handbook, as is reinforcing the capacity of local actors
This handbook is useful to all working in humanitarian response

Facts for life

UNITED NATIONS CHILDREN'S FUND (UNICEF)
et al
2010

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This resource consists of 14 chapters filled with practical information about how to ensure children’s rights to survival, growth, development and well-being. The topics address pregnancy, childbirth, major childhood illnesses, child development, early learning, parenting, protection, and care and support of children. The messages it contains are based on human rights, particularly the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women. The resource aims to provide families and communities with the information they need to save and improve the lives of children. Parents, grandparents, other caregivers and young people can refer to this practical source of information for answers to their questions related to childbearing and getting children off to the best start in life. The website includes a link to an interactive site for posting comments, sharing experiences and materials and discussing relevant issues

The state of the world's children : special edition

BRAZIER, Chris
et al
November 2009

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This report celebrates 20 years of the Convention of the Rights of the Child. Chapters consider the timeless relevance of the convention; offer essays on a number of different perspectives on the convention; and look at the challenges for making the convention a reality in the 21st century. The online pack includes the report, statistics, panels, photo panels, a video and a press centre

World health statistics 2009

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO)
2009

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This book contains WHO’s annual compilation of data from its 193 Member States, and includes a summary of progress towards the health-related Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and targets. This edition also contains a new section on reported cases of selected infectious diseases. An online version of this publication and metadata describing the sources, estimation methods and the quality of estimates is available at http://www.who.int/statistics. The online version will be regularly updated as new data become available during 2009

International best practices in universal design : a global review

CANADIAN HUMAN RIGHTS COMMISSION
Eds
March 2007

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This comprehensive research document is a global review comparing accessibility standards for the built environment. In addition to providing 31 essential design elements, it features photographic examples highlighting best practices. This extensive resource, with accompanying CD-ROM, compares building codes and standards throughout the world, including those experiencing extensive rebuilding following war torn or internal conflict. Intended for technical experts, this resource would be useful for anyone interested in accessibility, inclusion and disability and development

Practical mother, newborn and child care in developing countries

EBRAHIM, G J
2007

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This CD comprises electronic editions of 'Practical Mother, Newborn and Child Care in Developing Countries' by Prof G J Ebrahim, Emeritus Professor, Institute of Child Health, London. 'An autorun CD with over 260 images/figures, 430 PowerPoint slides, an index of over 90 tables and an index

Young voices : young people’s views of inclusive education

LEWIS, Ingrid
2007

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This short film and accompanying booklet students with and without disabilities who have participated in the Young Voices activities, provide their personal perspectives of inclusive education. The schools were partners in inclusive education projects with the Atlas Alliance
This resource would be useful for people interested in inclusive education issues in Eastern Africa

Investing in information for development module

Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO)
2006

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This module of the FAO's IMARK toolkit addresses the needs of managers to build their skills and awareness around managing information in their organisation. It aims to help managers develop and implement strategies, policies, structures and procedures for effective management of information. The module reviews current trends in access to and dissemination of information, and how new technologies (ICTs) affect and enhance information activities in organisations

Disability, inclusion and development : key information resources

SOURCE INTERNATIONAL INFORMATION SUPPORT CENTRE
December 2005

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This directory of information resources pulls together over 300 of the most practical and useful books, reports, videos, CD-ROMs and websites on disability. It is aimed at organisations working with disabled people in developing countries. Organised thematically, It covers a wide range of issues including human rights, gender, poverty and mainstreaming, as well as planning and management of disability programmes and service delivery relating to children, community-based rehabilitation, mental health and HIV and AIDS. The directory provides a quick reference listing of information resources with clear abstracts and details of distributors and websites, while the CD-ROM contains many published and un-published full-text documents, as well as links to websites for those who can access the Internet. The index of publishers and distributors will be especially useful to resource centres and information services which collect and manage information on disability and development

The Synergy APDIME program management toolkit : resources for HIV/AIDS program managers

SYNERGY PROJECT
2005

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This CD-ROM and website present a toolkit developed by USAID's Synergy Project to support programme designers and managers in HIV prevention, care and support worldwide. It includes tools such as worksheets, budget templates, survey instruments, data and software produced by a variety of organisations working on these issues. APDIME stands for the stages in the programming cycle: Assessment, Planning, Design, Implementation monitoring, and Evaluation

Directory of associations of people living with HIV/AIDS

SYNERGY PROJECT
July 2004

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A directory of organisations for people living with HIV/AIDS. The directory is organised by geographical region. Each entry provides the contact details of an organisation, along with information about the services it offers. There is also a section looking at further sources of information for people living with HIV/AIDS

Humanitarian charter and minimum standards of disaster response|The Sphere handbook

THE SPHERE PROJECT
2004

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This handbook is the result of an international initiative aiming at improving humanitarian and emergency assistance. The handbook describes the core principles and minimal standards of humanitarian action. This edition includes vulnerable groups such as women, children, elderly people and disabled people. The handbook is a practical tool that can be used to define overarching project goals and to monitor the success of the assistance that is provided

Working positively : a guide for NGOs managing HIV/AIDS in the workplace

UK CONSORTIUM ON AIDS AND INTERNATIONAL DEVELOPMENT
December 2003

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With HIV prevalence rates of over 20% in many sub-Saharan African countries, and with infection rates rising rapidly in other parts of the world, NGOs are funding that HIV/AIDS is affecting not only programme work but also staff. If NGOs are to be credible in these communities, they need to be seen to be addressing HIV/AIDS internally in a way that is consistent with their external messages. However, developing a workable comprehensive solution that covers policy, education and prevention, and treatment and care is not easy. In a series of documents in both PDF and MSWord formats, this guide looks at the key issues involved in developing a workplace strategy and how different NGOs and commercial organisations are approaching these issues through a series of case studies. It also provides a guide to the key components of a successful strategy

A dialogue on ICTs and poverty : the Harvard Forum

HARVARD UNIVERSITY
2003

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In September 2003, 30 experts from around the world gathered at Harvard University to discuss how ICTs can help to reduce poverty. These multimedia files give a brief survey of their discussions, concerns and conclusions

Guidelines for HIV/AIDS interventions in emergency settings

INTER-AGENCY STANDING COMMITTEE (IASC)
2003

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This document highlights the complex interaction between the HIV and AIDS epidemic and emergency situations, and calls for an integrated response during humanitarian crises. It focuses on the early phase of an emergency and topics covered include: prevention and preparedness; responding to sexual violence and exploitation; food aid and distribution; safe blood supply; condom supply and usage; women, children, orphans and refugees; post exposure prophylaxis; workplace issues; stigma and discrimination. These guidelines were designed for use by authorities, personnel and organisations operating in emergency settings

Pillars

TEARFUND

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PILLARS is an approach for producing written information, in local languages, that is useful to local people - not just translating, but enabling community members to record their experiences and ideas. This CD-ROM contains the PILLARS Workbook in PDF format, which guides the process; and, to facilitate the design process, the PILLARS document files in Adobe Acrobat 3.0 (pdf), QuarkXPress 3.3 and PageMaker 6.5 formats for each of the existing English, French, Spanish and Portuguese Guides, together with all the image files required. It also includes a PageMaker template for creating new Guides, and PageMaker files for producing letterheads and a certificate for use by local groups

Stop disasters : a disaster simulation game from the UN/ISDR

UNITED NATIONS OFFICE FOR DISASTER RISKS REDUCATION (UNISDR)
PLAYERTHREE

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This online video game engages children aged 9 to 16 to teach them how to protect urban areas and villages against natural hazards through disaster risk planning and management. It sensitises children on basic notions of disaster risk reduction in a fun and entertaining manner. Its main objective is to raise awareness about the issue and does not pretend to educate children on all the aspects of disaster risk reduction issues
The online game includes five natural hazard scenarios (flooding, tsunami, wildfire, hurricane and earthquake) set in five different geographic environments with three different levels of difficulty that require critical decision-making and strategic planning. In each scenario, the player has a specific mission to fulfill within a budget and limit time. Then a natural hazard strikes after which the player assesses damage and receives his/her score. The player who has protected the most people and their livelihoods (property and resources) wins the game

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