Disability & Discrimination Policy

01. PURPOSE

The purpose of this policy is to articulate Catalpa International’s commitment to disability inclusive development and describe the steps we will take towards putting this into practice.

02. WHO DOES IT APPLY TO?

This policy applies to all Catalpa staff, volunteers, sub-contractors and board members.

03. PRINCIPLES

03.1 Disability results from an environment that excludes people with different levels of functioning

Catalpa has adopted the definition of disability developed by the World Bank and used by the Australian Government. It defines disability as ‘the result of the interaction between people with different levels of functioning and an environment that does not take these into account’.

This definition is consistent with the UN Convention on the Rights of Disabled Persons which highlights that it is attitudinal and environmental barriers which hinder people with impairments from fully and effectively participating in society on an equal basis with others.

03.2 People with a disability are among the poorest and most excluded members of society

Data from 2011 shows that 15% of the world’s population consists of people with a disability and one in five people in living in poverty in developing countries having a disability. People with a disability are often among the poorest, most vulnerable and excluded members of communities in developing countries. Amongst people with a disability, women, girls and the elderly are the most marginalised and may face multiple layers of stigma and discrimination.

Poverty and disability reinforce and perpetuate each other, people with a disability are among the poorest and people in poverty are at greatest risk of acquiring a disability. This is largely attributable to the multiple barriers faced by people with a disability in accessing education, health, employment and participation in political and public life. For example, in Timor-Leste where Catalpa implements a number of projects, people with a disability face a number of barriers in accessing health services including a lack of knowledge among health care workers about how to make services inclusive, distance, the prohibitive cost of transport and disability related stigma and discrimination.

03.3 Discrimination on the basis of disability is not acceptable and undermines development

Discrimination against any person on the basis of disability is a violation of human rights and undermines a person’s dignity.

Discrimination is pervasive and comes in many forms. Examples include overt discriminatory behaviour by an individual towards a person with a disability, such as refusing them access, but it may also come in the form of institutionalised discrimination embodied in policies or guidelines.

People with a disability experience a high level of stigma and discrimination on the basis of their disability and are commonly denied their rights. This in turn contributes to their economic vulnerability and social exclusion.

03.4 Development should be disability inclusive

In the past, people with a disability have been largely excluded from the benefits of international development. Disability inclusive development occurs when the entire community, including those people with a disability benefit equally from the development process.

Disability-inclusive development is based on the following principles:

• Awareness of disability and its implications

• Participation and active involvement of people with a disability

• Comprehensive accessibility through addressing physical, communication, policy and attitudinal barriers

• Twin track approach that identifies disability specific actions combined with mainstream approaches

03.5 Information Communication Technology should also be disability inclusive

Catalpa International is committed to creating change in the developing world through the use of Information Technology. IT can empower people with a disability, and assist them to access resources, better communicate with others and perform a wider range of tasks.

However, Catalpa recognises that IT can also result in barriers to participation in development activities. Catalpa will seek to ensure that the technology used is appropriate and tailored to the contextual needs of the beneficiaries, including those who may have a disability.

03.6 Catalpa has a role to play in practicing disability inclusive development

As an organisation implementing international development projects in several developing country settings, we recognise that we have a responsibility to ensure we are working towards practicing disability-inclusive development at both organisational and programmatic levels.

We realise that building greater disability inclusive development practice is a process that takes time. We are going to start with the steps below. We we will evaluate our progress and review the policy annually to ensure that it is consistent with current best practice principles and remains relevant to our work.

04. WE WILL TAKE THE FOLLOWING STEPS TOWARDS DISABILITY INCLUSION

04.1 IN OUR ORGANISATION WE WILL:

• Raise awareness amongst our staff through information sharing and discussions

• Incorporate disability into internal strategies where possible

• Appoint a staff member as the focal point for disability inclusion

• Ensure the physical environments in which we work are accessible

• Where possible, gather research and data according to disability, type and impact as well as the gender and age of people with a disability