Voice and Participation: Lessons Learned in OPD Engagement

• In Event: Implementation of the Right to Education for Learners with Disabilities: Lessons Learned from USAID’s Multi-Country Study on Inclusive Education

Proposal

From solicitation through implementation of the Nepal project, including OPDs as partners was a core aspect of the project. This is a significant achievement for USAID and the project as they seek to enshrine the principle of “nothing about us without us.” Partnering with national- and local-level OPDs infused the project with direct knowledge and expertise on disability, and all stakeholders benefited from the existing connections that these partnerships brought to the project. OPD partners provided tremendous value to the project with local knowledge of existing resources, community context, and lived experience with disability. They largely expressed satisfaction with their engagement on the project and felt their capacity was substantially increased in inclusive education. Some areas, like providing accessibility and more timely consultation, are in need of strengthening and should be factored into project planning. Senior project staff noted that, before partnership, most OPD engagement in the education sector focused on advocacy related to access to education for children with disabilities. OPD partners reported that participation in the project has raised their organizations’ stature in the community and that they have received recognition from local government as technical advisors on disability and inclusive education, which has led to stronger relationships and ability to advocate for quality inclusive education.

In Malawi, OPDs provided important contributions to the project, but OPDs did not have contracts that provided payment for the work they did. REFAM modeled inclusion by utilizing OPD members as trainers, and requested support on various tasks. Despite the positive inputs from OPDs, the lack of payment for their support left OPDs dissatisfied. OPD partners expressed that while their capacity had been strengthened through the collaboration, they felt they should have their own budget to implement interventions because it would help with consistent engagement and sustainability. Thus, while these collaborations are highly commendable and demonstrated REFAM’s commitment to inclusion, as well as benefitted OPDs in terms of exposure and stature, the omission of formal partnerships and compensation resulted in concerns from OPDs on sustainability.

To promote meaningful OPD engagement, allocate budget and time to ensure reasonable accommodation is provided, build organizational capacity for donor partnerships, and ensure representation for all disability types in those partnerships. A lesson learned from MCSIE is that OPD engagement requires reasonable accommodation and a commitment to accessibility—from meeting spaces to materials. All training should include accommodations, such as sign language interpretation, materials provided in electronic or alternative formats, and physically accessible venues. In addition, to make the most of OPD’s deep community connections and lived experience, increase engagement with OPD partners in areas of technical content versus only logistical support. Consultation with OPD partners requires time to co-create activities to ensure engagement avoids tokenism. Lastly, partner with OPDs across the disability spectrum to ensure a robust representation of visible and invisible disabilities.

Author

• Padam Bahadur Pariyar, Inclusive Development Partners