The Iraqi Alliance of Disability Organizations (IADO), the Arab Organisation of Persons with Disabilities (AOPD), the International Disability Alliance (IDA) and the International Organisation for Migration in Iraq (IOM Iraq) hosted the Bridge CRPD-SDGs Module 1 Iraq, in Erbil, from 9 to 16 November 2021.
This Bridge Module 1 involved 83 people, of which there were 23 participants, 10 facilitators and resource people, 34 support people - including sign language interpreters, language interpreters, Braille and sound technicians, illustrators, and personal assistants, as well as 03 logistic support and 13 observers.
The 23 participants were selected from 12 Governorates across Iraq and represented a very diverse field of experiences. The Bridge Quality Criteria ensured that 52% of participants were from underrepresented groups, including people with intellectual disabilities, Deaf people, people with psychosocial disabilities, autistic people, Yazidis with disabilities and internally displaced people with disabilities. A particular focus was made to include women, youth (56%) and older people with disabilities.
The accessible methodology was ensured with the availability of sign language interpreters, illustrators (drawing concepts for participants with specific visual learning styles), simultaneous language interpretation in Arabic, English and Kurdish, support persons, Braille, augmentative printed materials, resting area, design of the conference room, and diverse accessible training materials.
The training was facilitated by 10 facilitators, resource persons, of whom 8 were Bridge Alumni and 09 were Arabic speakers from the MENA Region (including Bridge Alumni from Iraq).
Bridge CRPD-SDGs Iraq Module 1 was funded by the Australian Government’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade (DFAT) under the project “Supporting Durable Solutions, Social Cohesion and Reintegration in Iraq”, CBM Global and IDA.
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