Disability is no longer as medicalised as it was in previous decades. Today disability is understood as an issue of the equal rights, dignity and participation of persons with disabilities in all matters of life rather than a question of service delivery. However, the health sector still has a key role to play in prevention and rehabilitation of disabilities. Prevention of disability happens every day in the health sector when children are immunised, when chronic conditions are prevented or ameliorated, when nutrition and hygiene programmes are carried out well, when injuries and emergencies are managed properly, etc.
Rehabilitation of disabilities can take many forms and be located centrally or in primary health care facilities and with various links to NGO and community based initiatives. It may involve more or less specialised medication, surgery, physiotherapy, fitting of assistive devices, etc.
Community based rehabilitation initiatives, run by NGOs or Disabled People’s Organisations (DPOs) often also include training components, credit and employment schemes, etc.
1. Good Practice Case Stories supported by Danida:The majority of Danish support for the health sector is directed at strengthening the overall health system, and it is only to a limited extent directed at specific groups. Direct support for disabled people’s access to health care mainly happens through embassy grants and support to Danish NGOs and Disabled Peoples Organisations (DPOs), who collaborate with local organisations.
The development of the Technical Issue Note and the Good Practice Case Stories:
For the purpose of this web-site a good practice case story is understood as a concrete example of how disability has been addressed successfully in Danish development co-operation. The identification of good practice case stories on disability in development took a starting point in the summary of disability specific activities annexed to the review report on The Inclusion of Disability Aspects in Danish Development Co-operation from November 2004.
Good Practice Case Stories on disability in development are included in the Tool Box and Good Practices section of several networks at Danida Professional Networks.
Criteria and selection of cases were discussed with staff of Danida’s Technical Advisory Services and representatives from Danish disabled people’s organisations. Good practice case stories in this collection were chosen if they met at least two of the following criteria:
The intervention is generally perceived as successful by donors, implementers and end-users in the sense that it has lead to visible or measurable change in the inclusion and participation of people with disabilities.
2. Links to Good Practice papers by other agencies and resource centres:In Uganda the Ministry of Health has developed Guidelines for non-communicable diseases at district level containing advice for the management of six disabling conditions, including diabetes mellitus, bronchial asthma, and stroke.
Furthermore, the Ugandan Ministry of Health has published a guide on Essential Services for Rehabilitative Health Care for Persons with Disabilities in the District3. Danish policies on access to health care for people with disabilities: In the health sector Danida to a large extent bases its priority-setting on the policies and strategies of national Ministries of Health. Please refer to the Danida Network on Good Governance for Danida policies on the rights of persons with disabilities (Section on Good Practice papers and Tools)4. International conventions and declarationsUniversal Declaration of Human Rights, 1948. Article 25 lists the right to safe water.
The United Nations Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities, 1993 Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities5. Other resourcesCommunity Based RehabilitationEvaluating Community Based Rehabilitation: Guidelines for Accountable PracticeDisability and HIV/AIDSWHO web site on disabilityWorld Bank web-site on disabilityWorld Bank web site on Community Based RehabilitationDisability World: Bi-monthly web-zine on international disability news and views- Accessibility of built environment and other mobility technologiesUSAID Policy on Standards for Accessibility for the Disabled in USAID-financed Construction
World Bank site on Universal Design or Barrier Free Environments
Nothing About Us Without Us. Developing Innovative Technologies For, By and With Disabled Persons. David Werner’s idea book for low-resource settings.
