Recommended actions

Preparedness Response Recovery
1. Assessment, analysis and planning
Conduct a needs assessment of the health workforce to determine its understanding both of disability and the importance of including persons with disabilities in health programming and service delivery. X X X
Identify shortcomings in the capacity and awareness of health staff, and in policy and guidance, with respect to inclusion and disability. X X
Map and regularly update the number and location of staff who work with persons with disabilities (health and rehabilitation professionals, community workers, etc.). X X
2. Resource mobilization
Map resources. Include in the health workforce persons with disabilities who have health skills and training. X X X
Recruit professional staff who have expertise in responding to the health needs of persons with disabilities. X
Mobilize funds to strengthen the disability expertise of health staff. Include communication skills and health examinations. X X X
Include rehabilitation staff in emergency medical teams. X
Mobilize a range of health providers (including occupational and speech therapists) to enable persons with disabilities to obtain the services they require. X X
3. Implementation
Ensure all health programming and core trainings for health professionals address disability awareness and the rights of persons with disabilities. X X
Train health staff on the effects humanitarian disasters have on the health of persons with disabilities. (For example: persons with psychosocial disabilities have more serious symptoms; lack of medication makes it impossible to manage epilepsy, diabetes, etc.; persons with spinal injuries cannot manage their pressure sores if they are separated from support persons, etc.). X X
Develop outreach and community-based care strategies, and home-based care, to enable health workers to reach persons with disabilities who cannot travel or who live at a distance. X X
Ensure that all feedback and complaint mechanisms are accessible to persons with disabilities. X X X
4. Coordination
Develop and field test referral pathways between the community and hospitals and between health services and other sectors and services. X X
Create a database of health workers at all levels who have disability training. X
5. Monitoring and evaluation
Regularly monitorthe knowledge and skills of health workers with respect to persons with disabilities and their inclusion. Propose follow-up training. X X X
Evaluate the training on disabilitythat is availableto the health workforce. X X