Inclusion: theory and practice : Children, Disability and Development - Achievement and Challenge. Contents

Children, Disability and Development: Achievement and Challenge

A Save the Children Fund global seminar to learn from experience and maximise impact - Extract from Conference Report - April 13th - 22nd 1994

Session 15 - Strategic Issues

Focus Group: Disability and Poverty Alleviation

Facilitators: Richard Mawer, Sue Stubbs and Susie Miles

Summary:
In this session, an attempt was made to pull together some key lessons from the week. SCF has to balance its focus on particular areas of work in the context of a huge number of needs and issues (HIV/AIDs, famine and food security, children in conflict situations etc.) and the group was asked to make a strong case for continuing to focus on disability, and to come up with strategic recommendations. The groups were split into partner agencies and SCF staff, in order to get feedback from partners about their experience of working with SCF. The summary of these discussions resulted in a Disability Manifesto.

Some key lessons learnt over the years included:

• A change in direction from direct service provision to seeing disability as a socio-economic and political issue.
• Recognising the importance of the representation of DPOs and parents' groups.
• Realising that it is a long term process.
• Acknowledging that a flexible, multi-sectoral approach is needed working at all levels, and with a range of partners.
• Recognition of the potential of disability work to enrich communities and to act as a catalyst for other development issues.

Inclusion: theory and practice : Children, Disability and Development - Achievement and Challenge. Contents

19/11/1997