Integrating disability perspectives into institutional and community structures, processes and mechanisms in India

Organization: Samarthyam

Location: Six districts, namely, Dungarpur, Jaipur, Sirhoi, Udaipur, Bikaner and Chittaurgarh of Rajasthan State in India

Duration: March 2021 - May 2022

Target group

• Persons with disabilities, with particular emphasis on women with disabilities
• Organizations of persons with disabilities (OPDs) and All People’s Network Organization (APNO), a state-level disability network
• Government officials of various departments that provide specific services to persons with disabilities
• Community-based self-help groups (SHGs)

Project: Protecting and empowering persons with disabilities in the context of the COVID-19 pandemic

With the aim of improving the standard of living for persons with disabilities in India’s Rajasthan State, ESCAP and Samarthyam has designed a project to strengthen the capacities of persons with disabilities, organizations of persons with disabilities (OPDs), mainstream community networks and government agencies in India to integrate the promotion of disability rights and disability inclusion into institutional and community structures, processes and mechanisms. This project seeks to achieve the following results:

1. Strengthened capacity of OPDs and government agencies to advocate for disability rights and disability inclusion at the district level;
2. Strengthened institutional capacities, mechanisms and processes for OPDs and government agencies to conduct accessibility audits at the district level;
3. Increased participation of women with disabilities in district-level mainstream community networks and OPDs; and
4. Increased representation of persons with disabilities in district-level government committees.

The overall objective of this partnership is to strengthen the capacities of persons with disabilities, OPDs, mainstream community networks and government agencies in India to integrate the promotion of disability rights and disability inclusion into institutional and community structures, processes and mechanisms, thereby contributing to an improved standard of living for persons with disabilities.

The project aims to raise awareness among decision-makers, including government officials and community leaders, so that they will better understand the situation of persons with disabilities amid the pandemic and refer to disability-related legislation, policies, programmes and campaigns to protect and empower persons with disabilities during COVID-19. Without disability mainstreaming into institutional and community structures, processes and mechanisms, persons with disabilities face the risk of being left behind in the response to COVID-19.