From 2023 to 2026, Inclusion International and the International Disability Alliance have worked with Asdown Colombia and Fédération Nigérienne des Personnes Handicapées (FNPH) on a multi-country project to ensure children with disabilities are not left behind in emergencies. 

This project was funded by Education Cannot Wait (ECW).

During the project we:

• Learned from children with disabilities and their families about their experiences accessing education during crises.
• Trained teachers to create inclusive classrooms where all children can learn, even in emergency settings.
• Empowered families to become advocates for inclusive education.
• Supported Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) to partner with humanitarian organisations delivering education in emergencies.

As part of this work, we developed a collection of practical tools to help teachers, humanitarian actors, governments, families, and OPDs ensure that children with disabilities are included in education before, during, and after emergencies.

These tools are designed for a wide range of users.. This blog post introduces the tools and explains what they are for and who can benefit from using them.

Getting started?

If you are new to inclusive education, working in emergencies or interacting with humanitarian organisations, we recommend these resources to help you.

For OPDs: Introduction to humanitarian action – and how to get involved

We’ve created three short courses on our learning platform, exclusively for Inclusion International members.

These modules answer 3 big questions:

• What is humanitarian action?
• How can OPDs work with humanitarian organisations?
• How can OPDs work on Education in Emergencies?

Click here to go to Inclusion International’s learning platform – Inclusion International members can contact Clay to get your login details.

For OPDs: Introduction to Inclusive Education in Emergencies

This interactive learning tool gives OPDs the tools they need to apply their knowledge about inclusion and inclusive education to emergency contexts.

Users of the learning tool progress through scenario focused questions that support them to explore these areas:

• Principles of inclusive education
• International frameworks relevant to humanitarian work
• Gaps in implementation of inclusive education in emergencies
• How OPDs can strengthen the work of humanitarian actors

Click here to access this tool in English, French and Spanish. 

For Humanitarian Actors – How to work with OPDs

This short online learning module is for humanitarian actors. 

The module explores what the value OPDs can bring to humanitarian work, how humanitarian actors can form partnerships with OPDs, and what good partnerships look like.

Click here to access this module, completely free and accessible to all.

Putting your knowledge to action

For Humanitarian Actors – Crisis Response Simulation 

In this interactive learning tool, users step into the role of an Education Officer working in a country affected by a protracted crisis. 

Throughout the simulation, disability inclusion is treated both as a “must do” and a process, not a one-off decision. 

As the emergency situation develops, users respond to new information, navigate challenges and make quick decisions, with the goal of delivering an education intervention that promotes the inclusion and participation of all children. 

Click here to access this tool in English, French, Spanish and Arabic. 

For Humanitarian Actors, OPDs, Schools and Families – Audit and Action Plan: Removing Barriers to Inclusive Education in Emergencies

This toolkit looks at accessibility barriers that prevent children with disabilities from accessing education in emergencies. This includes barriers that children face on the way to school, and barriers once they have reached the school gates.

Each section includes:

• An audit tool to help organisations identify barriers
• An action planning tool to help organisations build a plan to remove barriers

This toolkit is available in English, French and Spanish.

For OPDs and Humanitarian Actors – Learning Through Crisis Report

The ‘Learning Through Crisis’ report shares the experiences of children with disabilities and their families trying to access education in emergencies (EiE) in crisis-impacted regions of Colombia and Niger, and makes recommendations for how governments and humanitarian organisations can remove barriers to EiE.

The report is available in English, French and Spanish.

For OPDs and Humanitarian Actors – Case Studies: Making Inclusive Education Happen

These four case studies share real lessons from the ECW funded project about how to turn knowledge about inclusive education into real change.

Engaging Families of Children with Disabilities

This case study shares effective strategies for delivering training to families of children with disabilities living in emergency contexts.

This case study is accessible in English, French and Spanish.

Collecting Data from Children with Disabilities in Emergencies

This case study shares an inclusive and accessible model for collecting qualitative data from children with disabilities living in emergency contexts and their families.

This case study is accessible in English, French and Spanish.

Training Teachers on Inclusive Education in Emergencies

This case study shares a model for delivering training to teachers working in emergency contexts, to support them to deliver more inclusive education in emergencies.

This case study is accessible in English, French and Spanish.

OPDs Strengthening Inclusive Education Delivery in Humanitarian Contexts.

This case study highlights how humanitarian programmes can build stronger partnerships with Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) to ensure inclusive education in emergencies.

Developed from the experience of Education Cannot Wait’s Multi-Year Resilience Programme (MYRP) in Colombia, this case study explores how the national OPD, Asdown Colombia, played a key role in strengthening the programme’s design and implementation.

This case study is accessible in English, French and Spanish.

For Families: Your Voice Matters! Asking for a Safe Trip to School

Families and students with disabilities know better than anyone what makes going to school hard, but it can be hard to speak up and ask for their right to a safe journey to school.

This guide is a tool to help families advocate for access to education.

It gives families clear lists of what to ask for — like safe roads, accessible transport, and inclusive schools — and helps families create simple advocacy messages to demand their child’s rights.

This tool is accessible in English, French, Spanish, and Arabic.