DRG Newsletter - November 2021

By IDA

 - November 26, 2021

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UN (Blue), Disability Movement (Purple, building on the Wethe15 Campaign colours), NGO/broader Humanitarian Civil society actors (Red), and the principles of Coordination, Integration, Inclusion and Diversity of identities and backgrounds of members. On the right hand side: The acronym "drg" in small letters (less aggressive and more stylish than capital letters) refers to the most commonly used name of the group (Disability Reference Group) with the full official name of the group underneath it: Reference Group on Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action.

Monthly Newsletter | Issue 15 - November 2021

Participants of a Bridge in Uganda sitting in a round shape during a working group

Reference Group on Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action

Dear DRG members,

Welcome to the 15th edition of the DRG Newsletter!

November started with the powerful call from persons with disabilities, their organizations and allies for being included in climate action from Glasgow to all over the world. For the first time  in the history of Parties to UN convention on climate change conference, COP26 witnessed participation of delegations from organizations of persons with disabilities accredited as observants. Check this blog to learn more about COP26 for persons with disabilities including links to watch side-events specifically dedicated to disability inclusion.
 
Climate change is the urgent issue for every individual, every group and every network. Therefore, the reference Group on Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action is committed to join the global movement to combat climate crisis within the limits of its mandate and capacity. We are in particular concerned with impact of climate change on persons with disabilities living in humanitarian contexts, and need to utilize the potential of the DRG to ensure that the climate adaptation and plans by humanitarian actors is inclusive of rights and perspectives of persons with disabilities. We invite all members acting in the area of climate action in emergency situations to reach out to co-chairs to discuss DRG engagement.
 
As always, we hope you find this useful, and encourage you to share with us any updates you would like to see included in our next newsletter!

Elham Youssefian (International Disability Alliance), Christian Modino Hok (CBM Global) and Kirstin Lange (UNICEF)

© International Disability Alliance

Disability Inclusion in COP26: a Firm Step on a Long Road

IDA has released a blog post urging all States and the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC) to take immediate, efficient measures to fulfill their obligations to ensure inclusion and participation of persons with disabilities in climate action decisions and processes.

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Disability Inclusion in Climate Action: New Guide Published - CBM UK

BOND’s Disability and Development Group (DDG) launches a new climate briefing, which urges all NGOs to ensure a disability-inclusive approach to climate action.
>> Link to the Full Blog

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Disability Inclusive Climate Action COP26 Advocacy Paper

Developed by the Global Action on Disability (GLAD) Network Disability Inclusive Climate Action Working Group, this document highlights the disproportionate impact of climate change and the possible adverse impacts of climate mitigation and adaptation activities on persons with disabilities. It also proposes measures to ensure the inclusion and participation of persons with disabilities and their representative organizations in climate-related decision-making.
>> Link to the Full Blog

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Global Disability Summit 2022: Menu of Commitments

Suggested commitments to be made by states, multilateral agencies and civil society at the upcoming Global Disability Summit (GDS) have been released. The suggested commitments were developed in consultation with the Global Action on Disability network, the Disability Reference Group and disability experts including Organisations of Persons with Disabilities, and are meant to inform, inspire and incentivize ambitious commitments contributing to a successful GDS. 

Stakeholders are invited to register commitments by selecting from the menu. If what you wish to commit to is not adequately reflected in the menu, you may register your own commitment(s) by choosing “other” and filling in the form. It is also possible to update commitments made in the 2018 GDS by selecting “Update Existing Commitment”.
>> Link to the Menu of Commitments

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Global Call for Papers: “Persons with Disabilities in the Context of Armed Conflict: International Humanitarian Law, Policy and Action”

The International Review of the Red Cross has finalised the call for papers for an upcoming edition focused on International Humanitarian Law (IHL) in the context of disability.. They are pleased to release this call for papers with a view to having the edition scheduled to launch on International Day of Persons with Disabilities, on 3rd December 2022. Deadline by January 15th, 2022

>> Link to the Global Call for Papers

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Accessible Construction and Universal Design in Humanitarian Settings - MSF

The second part of the webinar on Accessibility and Universal Design in Humanitarian settings organised by the Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) took place on November 4th, 2021. The webinar introduced a number of tools produced by MSF to promote disability inclusion, including accessibility guidelines and accessibility checklist. A recording is available for those who could not attend the event.
>> Link to the Recording of the Webinar
>> Link to Accessibility Guidelines "Accessible and Inclusive Design Handbook"
>> Link to the Accessibility Checklist "Physical Accessibility Assessment Form"
>> Link to E-Learning "Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities Overview"
>> Link to Toolbox "Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities"

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New Video on How to Include Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) in Humanitarian Action

This video, inspired on the IASC Guidelines on Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action Chapter 4, is an initiative by the VIVID-T project (consortium composed by Abilis Foundation, CBM Global, Viatores Christi Limited, Tearfund Ireland, CBM Ireland, EDF and  Associazione Solidarieta Paesi Emergenti) aim of which is to create a global community of practice working towards disability inclusion in humanitarian action and volunteering.

It has been developed to serve as a tool to support organisations raise awareness on the importance of involving persons with disabilities and their representative organisations in humanitarian action.
>> Link to the Video

For more information, contact Marion Steff, International Cooperation Manager at the European Disability Forum: marion.steff [at] edf-feph.org ()

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UNICEF Consultations with Adolescents with Disabilities
As part of the process towards developing a Disability Inclusion Policy and Strategy, UNICEF is consulting with adolescents with disabilities aged between 14-18 years old and would like to ensure that the voices of young people affected by humanitarian emergencies are reflected. Adolescents with disabilities can participate either through a focus group discussion or by individual submissions. DRG members who work with adolescents with disabilities in the humanitarian settings are invited to contribute to this process either by supporting the making of individual submissions or by running a focus group discussion.
Any entity willing to support by running a focus group discussion are invited to contact yolanda.munoz [at] mcgill.ca ().
Deadline - January 17, 2022. However, this date is more flexible for individual submissions.
>> Link for Individual Submissions

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Intentional Inclusion - Persons with Disabilities and Food Security Programming - December 2nd at 10 AM CET

This event is organized by World Food Programme's (WFP) partners Trinity College Dublin and builds on over a year of experience partnering with WFP on building an evidence base for the inclusion of persons with disabilities in food security programming.

This event will also include a Welcome from Tom Shakespeare, Professor of Disability Research, London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine; Opening Remarks from Amir Abdulla, WFP Deputy Executive Director and an Overview from Gerard Quinn, the UN Special Rapporteur on the rights of persons with disabilities. This will be followed by a panel discussion.
>> Link to Register to the Webinar
>> Link to the Invitation

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Please share any feedback you may have on the content and format of this Newsletter with us. You can send any material you want to be included in the next issues of the Newsletter by the last Monday of the month via email rg.disabilityinclusion [at] gmail.com ()

 

 

 

 

 

 

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