Partnerships when no OPDs adequately represent an affected population
In many humanitarian contexts, no local OPDs may exist; where they do exist, they may have been weakened by the crisis orhave limited capacity or may not adequately represent all persons with disabilities in a population. Where a population hasbeen displaced, for example, members of OPDs may be scattered in various locations. They may have difficulty contacting oneanother or organizing themselves to respond to the crisis or support the humanitarian response.
Whether or not OPDs can be located and engaged, a humanitarian response must include persons with disabilities and must addresstheir priorities and requirements. To do so when no local OPDs exist or when no OPDs can fully represent a displaced population,the following strategies can be adopted:
- Engage with persons with disabilities and their families at community or camp level and encourage them to participate in consultation processes and decision-making bodies, including camp governance. Invite them to use their knowledge of disability to develop specific risk and mitigation strategies for persons with disabilities.
- Identify qualified individuals who have a range of disabilities and are of different ages and gender and recruit them as staff members and volunteers.
- Set up and encourage the formation of formal and informal groups (such as peer-support groups of persons with disabilities and their families) and build the capacity of these groups to represent their constituencies in management and coordination of the response. They can contribute, for example, to identifying barriers, meeting needs and reducing protection risks, and more generally by making sure that persons with disabilities have a voice.
- Where the persons of concern are refugees, coordinate with host country OPDs. If feasible, invite them to mobilize persons with disabilities in camps and in host communities. Encourage and support OPDs to include refugees and other displaced persons in their networks.