1. TRIPLE JEOPARDY: Protecting
At-Risk Refugee Survivors of Sexual and Gender-Based Violence
UNDERSTANDING DISABILITY

2. Objectives By the end of the session, participants will understand
The definition of “disability”
The difference between “impairment” and “disability”
How discrimination affects people with disabilities

3. Disability
Group Brainstorming
How would you define “disability”?

4. Definition of Disability
Persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairment which, in interaction with various barriers, may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others.
2006 Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)

5. Understanding Disability
Impairment is a problem in a body function or structure. Impairments can be of a physical, sensory, intellectual or psychosocial nature
Disability occurs when one or more impairments interact with other barriers, such as attitudinal, physical and communication barriers, making it difficult to participate in community and social life

6. Types of Impairments Impairments can be:
Physical – difficulty moving, lifting or grasping objects
Sensory – difficulty seeing and difficulty hearing
Intellectual – difficulty in learning new things or applying this learning to new situations
Psychosocial – includes those with mental health conditions
Some disabilities are visible, others invisible
Discrimination and exclusion can vary according to the type of disability

7. The Scope of Disability Among Refugees
15% of the world’s population live with some form of disability
World Health Organization, World Bank (2011)
The rate among refugees, who flee conflict or natural disaster, is estimated to be higher
15% of 60 million forcibly displaced = 9 million
20% of 60 million forcibly displaced = 12 million

8. Discrimination People with disabilities face discrimination in
Decision-making: family, community and service providers often make decisions for them
Family: limitations on their right to have children
Education: exclusion from school
Housing: lack of safe, accessible accommodation
Medical care: limited care, mistreatment
Employment: misperceptions about their capacity and skills
Women and minorities who have disabilities face multiple levels of discrimination

9. Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
Article 11: Linking to refugees, the CRPD provides that States shall “ensure the protection and safety of persons with disabilities in situations of risk, including situations of armed conflict, humanitarian emergencies and the occurrence of natural disasters.”
Article 16: Linking to SGBV, the CRPD provides that States shall “prevent all forms of exploitation, violence and abuse by ensuring… appropriate forms of gender- and age-sensitive assistance and support for persons with disabilities and their families and caregivers.”

10. Working with People with Disabilities
Two key models or approaches to working with people with disabilities:
Social model: Identifying and removing barriers that prevent a person with disabilities from participating in our programs and activities
Rights-based model: Assumes people with disabilities have rights to equal opportunities and participation in all spheres of society -

11. Case Study: Sharifah
Sharifah is a 15-year-old refugee. She lives in a refugee camp. She was paralyzed from the waist down after being shot by the Janjaweed in Darfur. She has a wheelchair provided by an NGO, but her school is on top of a hill and she cannot push herself up it. On the first day of school, her brother pushed her there. The other children laughed when they saw them and he didn’t want to push her the next day. So Sharifah didn’t go back to school. Instead, she stays at home to care for a baby sister while both her parents work.

12. Charitable, Medical, Social, or Rights-Based?
Statement 1: Sharifah cannot move her legs. If she has an operation, she may be able to walk to school
Statement 2: Let’s buy Sharifah a donkey so she can ride to school
Statement 3: We asked Sharifah – she thinks that we should form a group of children with disabilities and their families to advocate that schools be accessible for all
Statement 4: We need to talk to Sharifah’s family and make sure they have alternatives for the baby’s care
Statement 5: Let’s conduct a community dialogue on the inclusion of people with disabilities in everyday activities with a focus on their abilities

13. What Do People with Disabilities Want?
We want to learn things, we want to go to school, we want to make friends, we want to be productive. Someday, some of us want to be wives and mothers, but people forget about girls with disabilities. They forget we have goals and dreams sometimes … There is a lot that we can achieve. I can learn, I can work, and I can do profes­sional training. I can be more than just a wife to someone. I can be a better version of myself. Bolia, 16 years old

14. Summary
Impairments may be physical, sensory, intellectual or psychosocial
Disability occurs when a person’s impairment interacts with other barriers in society, reducing their participation on an equal basis with others
Women and minorities with disabilities may face multiple forms of discrimination
As many as 12 million refugees have disabilities
Service providers should use a social and rights- based approach to design programs that include people with disabilities