The urgent need for inclusive civil society programmes

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Disability & Development The urgent need for inclusive civil-society programmes

Tracy Vaughan Gough

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…working with partners in developing countries to eliminate avoidable

blindness and promote equality of opportunity for disabled people

285m people are visually impaired

90% of the world’s visually impaired live in the developing world

37 countries

Blind39m

Low Vision 246m

80% visual impairment is preventable

Cataracts, glaucoma, river blindness,trachoma etc.

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“[People] said that she was the result of her parents’ sins. People called her deaf and mute and they neglected her.”

15% of the world’s population have some form of disability

Two-thirds of people who are blind are women

80% of people with disabilities live in developing countries

“Society doesn’t accept me. I’m neglected by everyone. No one wants to mix with me. People don’t behave well towards me. They use slang and scold me for mistakes I haven’t made. … they call me a symbol of misfortune …”

“They think I am not effective, I am not

useful for them, I am a burden, I

have no income, I cannot help…so we cannot give

him respect”

Leave no one behindPARTICIPATION,

COLLABORATION,RESEARCH ADVOCACY , PROGRAMMING

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human rights

MARGINALISED PEOPLE

ALL PEOPLE

PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

Individual/group empowerment

Inclusive legislation

and policiesimplemented

Respect and absence of stigma and

discriminationEquitable opportunities,

access to services

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‘I wish to become a government employee and definitely one day I will and support … other blind children…’

(inclusive) education

Voice and Advocacy Livelihoods

“Now I earn myself. Before, people thought I was unproductive, they pitied me, but now I stand on my own legs. My family think I am one of them and can do what they do.”

“We have learned to work well together and have achieved far more than we could on our own,”

‘Nothing about us without us’

Do we have the FACTS and KNOWLEDGE?

LAST THOUGHTS: WHAT CAN WE DO?

Do we PRACTICE inclusivity?

Do we have INSTITUTIONAL COMMITMENT?

policies * strategies * buy-in * skills * champions

employment (culture) * accessible space*technology * information

Do we SPEAK & LISTEN to people with disabilities?

networks & experts * participatory planning *accountability

mainstreaming * targeted interventions

Do we PROGRAMME FOR DISABILITY?

Do we INFLUENCE?

post-2015 * decision-makers

data * research

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Thank you. and over to you….

@SIGHTSAVERS#InclusiveCommitment