Mainstreaming Disability into Community Governance System

1. Mainstreaming Disability into Community Governance System AsithaWeweldeniya, Weweldenige, Development with Disabled Network Colombo, Sri Lanka coordinator@dwdnetwork.org

2. Overview • About 8% disability population (WHO World Disability Report 2010) • Over 70% are living in rural areas • Over 90% are in under the poverty line • Less development benefits due to poor participation in local development process • Increasing disability population due to accidents / illness • Negative attitudes towards PWDs’ / not socially accept / lack of understanding • Discrimination from on-going post Tsunami / post conflict development programs and mega development projects • Lack of participation in decision making process of local government • Lack of mutual interaction between DPOs’ and Development agencies • Lack of capacity

3. What is governance? The process of decision-making and the process by which decisions are implemented. Key principles of good governance • Participation – All stakeholders have space to involve and role to play in decision making. • Accountability – All stakeholders mutually accountable for the decisions they make • Transparency – The processes are transparent and therefore, the outputs and outcomes are predictable • Rule of Law- Bind with agreed framework of law • Equitable and Inclusive – All people and stakeholders have equal rights to take part the entire governance process • Efficient and Effective - The system makes the development process effective and efficient

4. Why do we need include PWDs in Community Governance process • To accommodate PWDs needs, wants and aspirations. • Respect for the human dignity of people with disabilities • General access to service delivery, information and the physical environment • Equality of opportunity for both men and women with disabilities • Full and effective participation by and inclusion of people with disabilities in decision making process • Respect for the evolving capacity of children with disabilities and respect for their right to preserve their identity • The need to contribute to changes in negative attitudes and cultural beliefs about disability in the local government

5. Issues in Governance on PWDs • Knowledge gap on PWDs – Development sector and disability sector • Disability is not a core business areas • lack of participation by persons with disabilities in various community forums and structures created for community participation in local government • Ineffective communication about services • Lack of capacity and resource to accommodate PWDs needs

6. Other issues • Employment: There is a serious lack of employment opportunities for people with disabilities and a high level of discrimination against them. • Transport: There is lack of accessible public transport for the physically challenged, the visually impaired and hearing impaired people which makes it extremely difficult for them to travel to places of employment and health facilities. • Accessibility: Most public and private buildings are not designed to cater for the needs of people with disabilities. • Public schools: These are often not designed to be accessible for people with disabilities, and children whose parents have some form of a disability are often excluded from education opportunities due to financial constraints. • Social security: There is still a problem in that some people with disabilities are still not able to access disability grants. • Assistive devices: People with disabilities have inadequate access to assistive devices, such as wheel chair, white canes and Braille machines. • Advocacy: Not enough awareness programmes are implemented which could curb misconceptions about people with disabilities and enhance the concept of self-representation. • Funding: There is a lack of adequate funding to support disability-related initiatives.

7. What DwDN have done? • Marginalize community development project in Nikawaratiya, Badulla and Moneragala. • Key activities • Building capacities of PWDs • Organizational strengthen. • Economic development activities. • Service linkages. • Appropriate technology development and manufacturing devices. • Tools • Participatory planning (mobilizing, budgeting and participatory review) • Mapping exercise

8. Opening windows for People with Disabilities in Ampara, Batticaloa and Kurunegala. • Developing local resource group for facilitating inclusive development process. • Establish experiences and learning sharing mechanism and coordinating body. • Developing training and capacity building manuals (Participatory community mobilization). • Livelihood development for PWDs in Ampara. • Activties • Economic development for PWDs • Service linkages. • Infrastructure development and improve mobility. • Employment and vocational training. • Establishing self-help group for advocating and monitoring. • Tools • Participatory planning, implementation and review

9. Guiding principles • FAIRNESS - People with a disability have equal rights • FACILITATION - Supports are needed to allow people with a disability to exercise their rights, needs and negotiations • CHOICE - Individuals with a disability should have choice in prescribing their access and other needs • INCLUSION - Cultural, systemic and environmental obstacles to access and participation for people with a disability should be removed

10. Recommendations • Go beyond the good governance and promote community governance • Organizational development and transforming • Access to service at local level • Local economic development to benefit PWDs • Public participation and good governance

11. Suggestions • Mainstreaming Disability issues at local level (especially local government.) • Establishing partnership & linkages • Promoting awareness on disability issues. • Capacity building programmes for people with disabilities. • Providing sustainable, accessible and affordable community services to people with disabilities especially through local governments • Ensure that budgetary allocations to disability work are utilized efficiently and effectively. • Promoting participation and representation of people with disabilities in municipal affairs. • Establish a process monitoring mechanism. • Knowledge sharing

12. Development with Disabled Network (DWDN) is a collective of development sector organizations, disability focused organizations and professionals those work towards mainstreaming disability in the process of development. The Network was initiated in 2003 and working as a forum on mutual sharing of expertise and experiences on mainstreaming disability in to development. Thank you … www.dwdnetwork.org