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Disability Inclusion

SDDirect provides research, guidance, and technical support on disability inclusion in all aspects of policy and programming.

We also mainstream disability inclusion throughout our work to promote the ‘leave no one behind’ agenda and the ‘nothing about us, without us’ call from the disability rights movement.

A visually impaired woman uses a screen reader

What is Disability Inclusion?

 

An estimated 1.3 billion people, or 16% of the global population, have a disability. Despite this, people with disabilities have historically been overlooked in development and humanitarian policy and programming. Too often people with disabilities are denied their basic human rights, including access to education, employment and health services. The disability rights movement is advocating for change.

"…disability results from the interaction between persons with impairments and attitudinal and environmental barriers that hinders their full and effective participation in society, on an equal basis with others" - United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Barriers to disability inclusion

 

Barriers to disability inclusion graphic

 

Our work in this area

 

SDDirect has extensive experience providing guidance on disability inclusion across sectors. Through the Disability Inclusive Development Helpdesk, we support the generation of a rigorous evidence base on ‘what works’ to deliver results for people with disabilities. The Helpdesk also provides technical and training support to ensure that data and evidence is used to drive further action and investment in disability inclusion.

We promote disability inclusion through our broader work, including our work on gender-based violence, infrastructure, safeguarding, and women’s economic empowerment.

We take a rights-based approach to disability inclusion and apply a gender and intersectionality lens in everything we do. Working with organisations of persons with disability (OPDs) is central to our approach and essential to promote the approach advocated by the disability rights movement: “nothing about us without us”.  

We work to promote disability inclusion in our workplace and operations. SDDirect is a Disability Confident Employer, and we have an active Disability Inclusion Working Group that reports to our executive management team. 

“In my engagements with the Disability Inclusion Helpdesk – both in preparations for and delivery of products – I found the service to be of brilliant quality. It certainly provided a wide range of people with increased knowledge and understanding of the issues and was always able to consider how best to support colleagues in the FCDO, to put information and evidence into practice.”
Emma Žaja
Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO)

If you would like to hear more about our work on Disability Inclusion, please reach out to Rebekah Martin, Head of Disability Inclusion portfolio, rebekah.martin@sddirect.org.uk.

Evidence Digest, Issue 12 - Focus Issue: LGBTIQ+ and disability inclusion

To celebrate Pride month, the Disability Inclusion Helpdesk has produced an evidence digest on LGBTIQ+ and disability inclusion. Whilst there is a shortage of evidence and guidance available on the experiences and needs of LGBTIQ+ people with disabilities, the available evidence suggests that LGBTIQ+ people with disabilities face compounding discrimination and marginalisation based on both their disability status and sexual orientation, gender identity, expression, and sex characteristics.

Disability Inclusion Helpdesk

The Disability Inclusion Helpdesk is funded under the Disability Inclusive Development Inclusive Futures (DIDIF) programme, a six-year £29.25 million programme funded by the Foreign Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) (2019-2025) which aims to: 

  • Deliver tangible outcome to improve the lives of people with disabilities 

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