Disability and inclusion

Deputy prime minister Angela Rayner and Sightsavers' Ross Gilligan stand together holding a copy of Sightsavers' Changing Times newspaper. They are standing in front of Sightsavers' stand at the Labour party conference.

Labour party conference: Sightsavers urges MPs to champion disability rights

Sightsavers engaged with some key political leaders at the event in Liverpool.

September 2024
Abigail Brown and Boma Cliford Fosong.

How we’re advancing inclusive data

Sightsavers recently launched the Inclusive Data Network to share our knowledge on inclusive data with the international development community.

Sightsavers, August 2024
A girl smiles in a classroom in Zambia. She's sitting in a wheelchair and wearing a blue school shirt.

Landmark disability rights treaty comes into force across Africa

The African Commission on Human and Peoples’ Rights says the African Disability Protocol (ADP) is now legally binding.

August 2024
Junior Painter of the Year contestants are all pictured together holding up their artwork.

Junior Painter 2024: winning artworks celebrate disability inclusion

Finalists in Sightsavers Ireland’s competition showcased their prizewinning artwork at an awards ceremony in Dublin.

June 2024
Enock, who uses a wheelchair, poses for a photo with two teachers from his inclusive school.

Sightsavers responds to report into FCDO’s work on disability inclusion

A report on the UK government’s development strategy and how inclusive it is of people with disabilities was published on Thursday 4 April.

April 2024
Johannes Trimmel

The key to inclusive education is engaging organisations of people with disabilities

Collaborating with disability groups has earned the Inclusive Futures consortium a Zero Project Award in 2024.

Johannes Trimmel, February 2024
Teenage girls learning trade skills in Nigeria pose for a group photo along with course leaders.

Spectrum Markets helps teenagers in Nigeria gain creative skills on World Children’s Day

Teenage girls from Kaduna State marked the global event by attending the launch of a new project that will give them the skills they need to start their own business.

January 2024
Two staff members enter ask a man questions during a survey about river blindness.

Sightsavers launches new action plan on inclusive data

The updated plan reaffirms Sightsavers' commitment to enhancing inclusive data and collaboration in the international development sector.

November 2023
Three women discuss gender-based violence at a workshop in Uganda.

Collaborating to improve gender-based violence services

Women and girls with disabilities face a higher risk of gender-based violence, yet they are often prevented from receiving support due to inaccessible services.

Lucy Muchiri, November 2023
In a village in Mozambique, two people in blue polo shirts hold clipboards and talk to members of the local community.

Lifting the rock on inclusive data: Sightsavers and the Inclusive Data Charter

We spoke to Dominic Haslam, Sightsavers’ director of policy and programme strategy, about the launch of our second Inclusive Data Charter Action Plan and how it reaffirms our commitment to inclusive data. 

Sightsavers, November 2023
John Chiti smiles while wearing sunglasses.

Sightsavers campaign ambassador inspires Netflix film about albinism

The film ‘Can You See Us?’ is based on the life of John Chiti, who is a Zambian albinism rights campaigner and Sightsavers’ ambassador for the African Disability Protocol campaign.

September 2023

Improving contraceptive choices and bodily autonomy for women and girls with disabilities

There is compelling evidence that improving access to contraception can reduce mortality and high-risk pregnancies, improve child health and increase protection against sexually transmitted infections.

Sightsavers campaign sends message to world leaders at UN summit

The Promise in Peril campaign culminated at the SDG summit with a declaration reaffirming commitments to achieving the global goals that explicitly references disability rights.

September 2023
Mariana Rudge.

How inclusive education can create a more equal and sustainable future

As learners with disabilities are disproportionately affected by global crises such as climate change, we're urging governments to build more resilient education systems for everyone.

Mariana Rudge, September 2023
Tichafara Chisaka.

Inclusive data and Sightsavers: an ongoing journey

Five years since the creation of the Inclusive Data Charter, we’re updating our goals and commitments on inclusive data. So what are our key learnings?

Tichafara Chisaka, July 2023
Junior Painter award-winner Lauren shows off her framed artwork.

Junior Painter 2023: students’ ‘phenomenal’ artwork commended

Finalists in Sightsavers Ireland’s annual competition have been celebrating their prizewinning artwork at an awards ceremony in Dublin.

July 2023
Joy Shu’aibu, Sightsavers’ director of programme operations in Nigeria.

Sightsavers to call for action on disability rights at Women Deliver Conference

The conference, taking place in Kigali on 17-20 July 2023, is one of the world’s largest multi-sector events to advance gender equality.

July 2023
Gertrude Oforiwa Fefoame.

First anger, then action: why you should sign the Feminist Accessibility Protocol

In my years as a disability advocate, I’ve learned that getting angry needs to be accompanied by getting active. We wanted to advise organisations on how to do better to include women and girls with disabilities.

Joseph Mensah

Social behaviour change: a game-changer to reduce stigma

Sightsavers’ Joseph Mensah shares four key learnings from a SBC programme in Ghana that aims to reduce stigma around disability, and how they'll inform our future SBC work.

Joseph Mensah, June 2023
Cathy Stephen

Inclusive, accessible social behaviour change: what it is and how to do it

Sightsavers’ Cathy Stephen shares what we've learned from embedding inclusive, accessible social behaviour change processes in some of our recent projects in East and West Africa.

Cathy Stephen, June 2023
Peter Kwasi.

“In Ghana, the work we began on disability inclusion will continue”

Sightsavers’ Peter Anomah-Kordieh Kwasi shares successes and what we learned from the Ghana Somubi Dwumadie participation project, which Sightsavers supported as a partner to improve the lives of people with disabilities.

Peter Kwasi, June 2023
Diane Kingston

How we’re championing mental health and human rights in Ghana

Through Ghana Somubi Dwumadie, Sightsavers’ Diane Kingston delivered training that will help protect and promote effective mental health provision and human rights in Ghana.

Diane Kingston, June 2023
Simon Brown

Why disability-inclusive employment benefits all of us

Sightsavers’ Simon Brown shares how organisations like Sightsavers can influence labour markets to be more inclusive of people with disabilities in decent employment.

Simon Brown, June 2023
Ujala Sarfaraz and Saleck Dah.

Why disability rights are integral to the Sustainable Development Goals

Sightsavers’ Saleck Ould Dah and Ujala Sarfaraz highlight two key issues around disability inclusion that are hampering efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

Sightsavers, June 2023
As part of an Inclusion Works programme, Manuel, who has a physical disability, assists a colleague to check in a guest at a hotel in Kenya.

Sightsavers partnership aims to improve inclusion in hospitality

Sightsavers has partnered with the Sustainable Hospitality Alliance to help make the hospitality sector accessible to everyone, with a particular focus on Africa and Asia.

April 2023
Sightsavers' Laurene Lerclercq.

How we’re transforming political participation in Cameroon and Senegal

Sightsavers’ Laurène Leclercq shares successes from an award-winning project in Cameroon and Senegal that’s supporting people with disabilities to participate in all aspects of political life.

Laurène Leclercq, March 2023
Gertrude Oforiwa Fefoame speaking into a microphone.

Gertrude Oforiwa Fefoame elected chair of UN disability committee

Gertrude, who is Sightsavers’ global advocacy manager for social inclusion, becomes the first African woman to lead the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

March 2023
During a press interview in Senegal, a man faces a video camera while speaking into a microphone. Three fellow event attendees are standing behind him.

Senegal launches action plan to collect high-quality inclusive data

The initiative outlines the steps needed to ensure that people with disabilities are represented in official data, which will inform the government’s planning and monitoring.

December 2022
A woman sits talking on a mobile phone.

Sightsavers wins Zero Project award for work on political participation

The prize was awarded for our inclusion project which promotes the rights of people with disabilities to participate in civic and political life in Cameroon and Senegal.

December 2022
A group photo of people involved in the Ghana Somubi Dwumadie programme.

A parliamentary caucus on disability issues in Ghana is possible!

Sightsavers’ Peter Anomah-Kordieh Kwasi shares the journey that led to the establishment of a parliamentary caucus that champions disability issues.

Peter Kwasi, November 2022