Meaningful Participation of Marginalized and Underrepresented Persons with Disabilities

Meaningful Participation of Marginalized and Underrepresented Persons with Disabilities

We thank the Global Disability Fund for working with us, Inclusion International, and other organisations of persons with disabilities on this important guidance note.

The guidance note has been created to make sure that work funded by the Global Disability Fund includes all people with disabilities. 

The Global Disability Fund supports UN organisations like the World Health Organisation (WHO) and UNICEF to run programmes with national partners to advance the rights of persons with disabilities around the world. 

This note will make sure people with intellectual disabilities are included along with everyone else.

The Global Disability Fund (formerly UNPRPD) called upon Down Syndrome International to share our expertise in including people with intellectual disabilities.

Our work with Inclusion International on the Listen Include Respect guidelines ensures that people with intellectual disabilities are included in the work of organisations.

Together we wrote a paper which is included in the guidance: 

Including People with Intellectual Disabilities: Learning from Self-Advocates by Down Syndrome International and Inclusion International

In writing the paper, we drew upon interviews with self-advocacy groups, Listen Include Respect consultations and experiences and resources from our networks.

In the paper, we talk about key issues for people with intellectual disabilities:

  • the right to decide,
  • living and being included in the community, 
  • family and relationships,
  • inclusion in education,
  • access to healthcare,
  • and employment.

We go on to talk about the barriers that people with intellectual disabilities face when participating in organisations, including lack of awareness and inaccessible information.

We provide checklists on planning projects and programmes, inclusive budgeting, and project evaluation.

Finally we share two case studies exploring effective strategies and best practices for engaging self-advocacy groups.

Learn more about Listen Include Respect:

Listen Include Respect

We are working with Inclusion International to develop international guidelines so organisations can make their work inclusive.

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