Common Myths on Inclusion of Women with Disabilities
|
| There are numerous ways to include people with disabilities in existing programs at no extra cost.
|
We would like to work on disability issues, but there are so many issues facing 'normal' women that it's just not a priority
Women with disabilities are normal. People with disabilities are present in every community across the globe; it is just one expression of the diversity of the human race.
However, it is true that people with disabilities, in particularly women with disabilities, have historically faced discrimination and have been marginalized from mainstream programs and practices by both local governments and the international aid community.
USAID works to create a more secure, democratic and prosperous world. This goal can only be achieved if our programs reach all people within the
countries in which we are working, including those who face the greatest barriers within society.
There aren't many women with disabilities here, so it's really not an issue
One reason why the issue of disability is treated as something too specialized for many organizations is the misconception that the number of people with disabilities within the target population is insignificant. This myth arises for several different reasons:
- Many people with disabilities are hidden away by their families or placed in institutions due to social stigmas.
- There may be environmental and discriminatory barriers for people with disabilities that limit their ability to participate in certain activities. For example, due to limited accessible transportation or poor mobility devices, people with disabilities are marginalized and have less access to equal participation.
- Furthermore, disability is also not always apparent. A person may have a disability that may not be visible.
- Many men and women who may have a disability are often hesitant to self-identify as disabled because they fear that it may lead to increased or additional forms of discrimination.
Although many countries around the world have begun to include people with disabilities in national censuses and surveys, they are often viewed as inaccurate by the disability population. As a result, most disability groups refer to the World Health Organization (WHO) estimate, which states that 10% of any given population has a disability.
We have a limited budget, and although we would like to help women with disabilities, we do not have a separate line item for this type of work
Although there may be situations where programs are designed specifically to address the needs of people with disabilities,
there are numerous ways to include people with disabilities in existing programs at no extra cost.
Doing simple tasks, such as outreach to disabled persons organizations (DPOs) during planning and including men and women
with disabilities in selection and evaluation criteria in Requests for Applications (RFAs) and Request for Proposals (RFPs),
will help ensure the inclusion of people with disabilities
in existing USAID programs.
Inclusion of people with disabilities in contracts, grants and cooperative agreements is further supported by USAID's disability policy and policy directives.
We don't have the skills to include women with disabilities in our programs
In most cases, working with women with disabilities is the same as working with women without disabilities. Many of the development-related
needs are the same, but sometimes the approach to meeting them is different.
An organization's staff members do not have to all be experts in the area of disability and development. Instead, international or local organizations should turn to existing resources to help them better design projects and activities that are inclusive of people with disabilities.
The best resource by far is people with disabilities themselves. DPOs can be an invaluable source of information and can help
guide and assist staff in designing inclusive programs and activities. Organizations should conduct outreach to these groups and consider including DPO
representatives in forums, strategic planning sessions and evaluations.
A list of DPOs by region and country can be obtained through Mobility International's website at http://www.miusa.org/orgsearch.
Addressing disability is a U.S. luxury and is not applicable to the developing country context
USAID is committed to the reduction of poverty and recognizes that poverty is one of the leading causes of violence and political instability around the world.
The World Bank estimates that people with disabilities make up around 20% of the poorest of the poor, which translates to approximately 260 million people with disabilities living in absolute poverty.
Reducing barriers to ensure the inclusion of all people is not a luxury. Rather, it is an essential component of quality development practice.
This myth often arises when addressing USAID's policy, AAPD 05-07, now incorporated into ADS 302 and ADS 303, which states that all new construction or renovation of construction provided by USAID funds should be made accessible for people with disabilities. This is not a practice that is imposing unrealistic standards to the developing context but instead is consistent with USAID's approach to build back better.
Furthermore, accessible infrastructure is just good practice, and these adaptations have been proven to be useful for the population in general.
For example, providing ramps in buildings instead of stairs assists the participation of mothers with strollers and small children and facilitates moving of equipment.
Disability is a health issue
Health is as important to women with disabilities as it is to women without disabilities, but it is not the only issue, or even, in many cases,
the most important issue.
Instead, when developing and designing programs for women with disabilities, it is extremely important to look at all aspects of the life of
a person with a disability, including economic issues, education, civic participation, etc.
Looking only at the cure for disability or focusing only on an individual's limitations is known as the "medical model" approach to
disability. This model can be harmful because it promotes a negative, disempowered image of people with disabilities as opposed to the "social model"
which posits that it is the environmental, cultural, or social barriers that are factors in defining who is disabled and who is not in
a particular society.
For more information on USAID's disability policy, go to: http://www.usaid.gov/about_usaid/disability
Back to Top ^
|
Child Marriage
