1. Water and Sanitation for All in emergency operations
NGO Workshop, Oslo
Hazel Jones
1st June 2011
Introduce WEDC

2. Who are the affected population?
This conference is about people with disabilities, but my talk is about a wider population scope:
Anyone who for whatever reason may experience difficulty getting to a facility, getting into it or onto it, or using it
People who have difficulty accessing and using existing facilities for whatever reason, e.g.
Disabled people
Frail elderly people
People with chronic (long-term) medical conditions
People who are sick or injured (temporary)
Small children
Women whilst heavily pregnant or menstruating
Overweight people
This is actually a majority of the population
Improving access is not technically difficult – technology not complicated
They’ve just not thought about it
Many examples presented are of disabled people, as they have the most severe difficulties. I want to point out that if we find a solution or approach that benefits disabled people, many others will automatically also benefit.

3. Obstacles getting there

4. Water sources that present obstacles
Obstacles to accessibility- these next four slides show examples of obstacles. Run through these quickly, asking students to identify potential obstacles.
Top L: log access to shallow well in Cambodia
Bottom L: Shallow well in Uganda

5. Obstacles getting in
Top left: Getting there can be a problem: paths can be uneven, slippery, steep with obstacles
Top right: Entrances are often too narrow (this one is 550mm)
Bottom right: Steps often too steep, uneven & slippery when wet
Bottom Left Drop hole too wide, unstable, nothing to hold onto…

6. Typical latrines

7. Resource Materials
Make technical people aware that stuff they build is to be used by people.
If some people can’t use it they’ve not done their job properly

8. (Photo: Handicap International Sri Lanka)
Key word is access
Let’s take a step back and examine the context – working environment
(Photo: Handicap International Sri Lanka)

9. Floor layout for a school toilet block (part of a larger drawing)

10. Examples of training Inclusive design incorporated into MSF training
Webinar for UNICEF on accessible school sanitation
Mixed mode training for WaterAid (distance learning/ online discussion/ workshop
E-learning course: Humanitarian Engineering for Development & Disasters

11. Field level advocacy – accessibility audits
1. Field level advocacy – ask how a wheelchair user/small child/ heavily pregnant woman will get into this latrine? (Accessibility audit approach) Make technical people aware that stuff they build is to be used by people. If some people can’t use it they’ve not done their job properly

14. Useful links
WEDC Knowledge Base:
Water & Sanitation for Disabled People & other vulnerable groups:
Inclusive WASH & Disability Keylist:
(Scroll to the bottom for emergency docs)

15. Who are the WATSAN service providers?
Usually young, male, newly qualified engineers
Little supervision
Technology focused rather than people-centred
Forget about users & their range of needs
Young engineers fit active & enthusiastic
Training is technology focused
Difficult for them to put themselves in shoes of users who may have a wide range of needs;