Capacity on Disability Inclusion
Capacity strengthening on disability inclusion aims at increasing knowledge, ability and confidence on disability inclusion of all individuals involved in managing and implementing a program including staff, partners, and key decision makers.
Capacity Strengthening On Disability Inclusion
Disability inclusion capacity strengthening aims to change mindsets, increase knowledge and increase confidence on the implementation of disability inclusive programming for everyone involved in managing and implementing a program. This includes all staff, partners and partner staff, ecosystem actors and key decision makers. We do this to work towards creating an enabling environment that facilitates the meaningful participation of young women and men with disabilities.
Inclusion is a journey that requires a solid foundation to start, and continuous technical support to ensure solutions are found to challenges met along the way. Continuous capacity strengthening ensures that inclusion remains top of the agenda throughout every stage of the program cycle, in daily practices both personal and professional, and creates sustainability through organizational policies, systems and processes.
There are three key areas of focus for capacity strengthening on disability inclusion:
What can you find in this section?
Disability Awareness
Covers the basics of disability inclusion with a focus on definitions, respectful language, key concepts, barriers faced by people with disabilities and their solutions, different types of disabilities and their inclusion needs. This type of training is designed to improve the skills and confidence of all people who work with young women and men with disabilities so that they have a basic level of understanding and are able to interact in an inclusive and respectful way.
Inclusive Programming
Focuses on embedding disability inclusion throughout the project cycle. Some key areas of focus could be, benchmarking inclusion at program level, developing a Disability Inclusion Action Plan, or tailored training on specific areas of work, either thematic or within the program. Including top management, finance and M&E teams in disability inclusion training at this level will support you to meet your inclusion outcomes.
Institutional / Organizational Capacity Strengthening
Brings inclusion into the conversation at an organizational level. It helps to develop a holistic view of inclusion across programs as well as systems and processes. Institutional capacity building supports long-term strategy development and sustainability, safeguarding your inclusion work against staff turnover and program changes.
Budgeting
Capacity Strengthening needs to be budgeted for. It Is advisable to set aside 21% percent of the budget dedicated to disability inclusion to carryout capacity strengthening activities. This may include:
- Training and workshop logistics (venue, training materials, reasonable accommodations as needed)
- Consultancy fees for disability inclusion experts (Learn more about Disability Inclusion Advisory Services
The Role Of Organizations of People With Disabilities (OPDs)
Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) have a great deal of knowledge and expertise on advocacy, as well as local laws and policies that relate to inclusion. This expertise can be helpful if you are aiming to include advocacy work in your program, or if more specific details on the legal framework for inclusion as it relates to your work would e of use.
Continuous Learning
Disability inclusion experts can also provide support for continuous learning, because capacity strengthening on inclusion is a continual process. Experts can check progress and review data to help you determine what works and what needs change within your program to become as inclusive as it can be. These lessons learned can contribute to your program’s learning agenda.