Presented at the Disability Innovation Summit: Inclusive Interactions conference organised by the GDI hub on 13 Sept 2023.
The importance of access to financial services and the challenges and work towards solutions are briefly overviewed with particular reference to innovation in the Nationwide Building Society in the UK.
Priorities identified for long term decision making concerned with services for people with disabilities were people with learning disabilities/neurodivergence/dementia, deaf people and the customer experience. The Nationwide introduced British Sgn Language (BSL) virtual interpretation for deaf people using a third party interpreter to enable independent banking. Difficulties encountered concerning risk and governance are highlighted. Lessons learned and other progress e.g. provision of letters in BSL are briefly mentioned.
India Inclusion Summit is a community driven initiative that aspires to build an Inclusive India by 2030. It is an annual event that began in 2012 to create awareness about disabilities and the need for Inclusion. The event brings together thought leaders and unsung heroes from the field of disability and inclusion to deliberate, discuss and drive change in our society.
Videos of some of the presentations are available including:
This report takes stock of evidence from LMICs, drawing on findings from a thematic evidence review combined with emerging findings from the Gender and Adolescence: Global Evidence (GAGE) survey and qualitative research baseline studies in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Jordan and Palestine. These interviews involved more than 6,000 adolescents and their caregivers – including approximately 600 girls and boys with physical, visual, hearing or intellectual impairments, alongside service providers and policy actors. The report draws attention to the multiple and intersecting capabilities that need to be supported in order for adolescents with disabilities in LMICs to reach their full potential. It goes beyond a focus on their access to education and health services, and also considers their rights to psychosocial wellbeing, protection from violence, mobility and opportunities to participate within their communities, as well the skills, assets and support they need to become economically independent once they transition into adulthood.
Purpose: Since families are perceived to be active agents in the early intervention programmes of young children with disabilities, professionals ought to treat parents as equal partners and keep them informed and involved in various aspects of the intervention. This study aimed to explore the areas in which parent empowerment is currently being facilitated in the early intervention centres for children with hearing loss.
Method: A qualitative research with conversational analysis was the approach used. Focus group discussions with the two primary stakeholders, namely parents and special educators, were held separately at five sites in Mumbai, to gather their views on the existing areas of empowerment. It was also decided to explore the felt needs of parents in this regard. Person triangulation was used to ascertain the credibility of the data.
Results: Conversational analysis yielded 4 themes with respect to parents: Parental knowledge, involvement, support and needs.
Conclusion and Implications: The study highlighted the gaps in parent empowerment in the programmes undertaken by early intervention centres. A recommendation is made to develop a common framework for empowering parents. It is envisaged that such a framework will bridge the gap between what currently exists for parents, their felt needs, and current global practices. This framework could also assist in measuring family empowerment outcomes.
"This study investigated human rights--based approaches of international and development cooperation towards the equality of persons with disabilities in Uganda...A case study method as well as a participatory research approach among others was applied to create evidence-based and in-depth knowledge on the theme, particularly from the viewpoint of women with disabilities and deaf women on the grassroots"
Publication series number 8
The European Deafblind Union (EDBU) is an association that joins together deafblind people's organisations based in Europe. This website provides information about the EDBU's work and has links to its newsletters, conference notes and general assembly notes
This website highlights the work of the Finnish Deafblind Association including details of their services provided, organisational activities, international activities and publications