Humanitarian organisations want to include people with disabilities in their emergency programming – and organisations of persons with disabilities (OPDs) have the expertise to help.

Despite their complementary expertise, few OPDs are engaged as partners in humanitarian work.

This online learning module for humanitarian actors helps to bridge that gap.

The aim of this module is to help humanitarian actors understand the value added of working with OPDs, why and how to collaborate with them, and how to build and sustain effective partnerships.

Module Breakdown

This training module is divided into three chapters:

  1. Why work with OPDs? In this section, understand the unique value OPDs bring to humanitarian action — from their proximity and lived experience to the mutual benefits that strong partnerships create for both humanitarian actors and OPDs.
  2. How to work with OPDs – In this section, get practical guidance on how to work with OPDs, including in education in emergencies. This section will break down different ways of working, the roles OPDs can play, meaningful inclusion across the project cycle, and OPD-developed resources you can put to use.
  3. Good partnerships – In this section, explore what good partnerships with OPDs look like, how to solve the common challenges, and real examples of effective OPD–humanitarian partnerships in practice.

Through videos, toolkits and resources, and case studies, the module documents the experiences of both OPDs and humanitarian organisations working together.

Hear real stories about partnerships for humanitarian action – including what works and what doesn’t work for building inclusive partnerships.

Audience

This module is designed for individuals within humanitarian organisations who may be working in partnership with OPDs for the first time.

This module can be a useful tool for:

  • Onboarding new staff members within humanitarian organisations
  • Delivering training on inclusive partnership practices to team members
  • Building a case within your humanitarian organisation for strengthening links with OPDs

Start the Module

The module is available in English, French, and Spanish.