Disability, Equality and Human Rights: A Training Manual for Development and Humanitarian Organisations

Disabled people are among the poorest of the poor in virtually every community in the world. Powerless at the best of times, they suffer acutely when war or natural disaster strike. Disability, Equality, and Human Rights argues that disabled people themselves know best what their needs are; that they should be involved in the planning and delivery of relief and development initiatives; and that the most effective support that agencies can give them is to empower them to claim their basic human rights and their civil and legal rights.
This manual is based on the experience of Oxfam staff working in partnership with disabled people before, during, and after the 1990s crisis in Kosovo; but its principles and practical training materials can be applied far more widely. Case studies from Africa and Asia, arising from the work of Action on Disability and Development (ADD), show that the values of equality, empowerment, and autonomy that are promoted by the social model of disability are universal in their relevance.
The text is written in clear and simple language. The practical materials are particularly useful to trainers working in isolated areas without access to sophisticated equipment. Most of the activities can be adapted for use with groups of adults who have a variety of impairments and educational levels.