Boosting field staff understanding of disability leads to better outcomes for all

Above: FIVDB Livelihoods officer Tony D. Costa speaking with program participants in a Self Help Group (SHG) in Cox’s Bazar.

People with disabilities are often excluded from income generation activities, particularly in poor or marginalised communities where there are limited opportunities.

Through the Australian Humanitarian Partnership response (AHP) in Bangladesh, Plan International is working with implementing partner, Friends in Village Development Bangladesh (FIVDB), to break down this barrier and support more people with disabilities to find meaningful work.

Tony D. Costa, FIVDB’s Livelihood Officer, is working in communities in Cox’s Bazar to bring about change. Equipped with improved knowledge on disability inclusion after training from technical and inclusion partners, Tony is sharing his knowledge with colleagues on inclusive communications, the Washington Group Questions, and more.

“Now I have a clear understanding of how to include people with disabilities in project activities. I replicated the training with the field team. Now the team are also aware of how to identify people with disability by using the Washington Group Questions as well as how to communicate clearly,” Tony said. 

The Washington Group Questions (WGQ) are targeted questions on individual functioning intended to provide a quick and low-cost way to collect data, and allow disaggregation by disability status. The questions also ensure those with invisible disabilities are not overlooked.

FIVDB’s livelihoods activities are supporting 416 people to engage in self-employment, including 63 people with disabilities. Activities include goat, chicken, and pigeon farming, or establishing small shops. The program is supporting people with disabilities to contribute to their families’ financial needs, and to their community.

Improved understanding of disability has also translated to FIVDB’s early childhood programs, supporting education for all.

“Earlier, access for children with disability to our education activities was not considered as we were not really aware about how to identify children with disabilities,” Tony said.

To ensure meaningful participation for all children, project field staff now consider physical access to early childhood education centres, and inclusive education materials. Staff have also incorporated the child-specific WGQ module into their work.

Access to improved training and knowledge on disability is one of the advantages of working together in a partnership such as the AHP. Partners are able to share their expertise and knowledge, and access the expertise of inclusion and technical partners, strengthening capacity in the overall response.

In Bangladesh, both the Center for Disability in Development and CBM Global have been supporting partners to improve their understanding of disability and inclusion.

“Plan International Bangladesh is also engaging communities in different disability awareness sessions,” Tony says.

In the livelihoods space, inclusive programming has elevated the position of people with disability in their communities. Service providers are also more aware of including people with disability in programs and communicating in accessible and clear ways. Together, AHP partners have demonstrated that equal opportunities and inclusion lead to better outcomes for all.  

The AHP Bangladesh response is supported by the Australian Government, and implemented by a consortium of six leading Australian NGOs and their local partners.