Akerkar Et Al 2018 - Good Practice Guide - FINAL ONLINE

Good practice guide:
embedding inclusion of older people

and people with disabilities in
humanitarian policy and practice
Lessons learnt from the ADCAP programme
Supriya Akerkar and Rhea Bhardwaj
1
Good practice guide: embedding inclusion of older people
and people with disabilities in humanitarian policy and
practice
Authors: Supriya Akerkar and Rhea Bhardwaj, CENDEP,

Oxford Brookes University, UK
Published by the Age and Disability Consortium as part of

the ADCAP programme.
ISBN 978-1-910743-33-1
Copyright © Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, 2018
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons

Attribution-NonCommercial 4.0 International License,
https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc/4.0 Any
part of this publication may be reproduced for non-profit
purposes unless indicated otherwise.
This material has been funded by UK aid from the UK

government; however the views expressed do not
necessarily reflect the UK government’s official policies.
This material is made possible by the generous support

of the American people through the United States Agency
for International Development (USAID). The contents are
the responsibility of HelpAge International and do not
necessarily reflect the views of USAID or the United States
Government.
2
Good practice guide:
embedding inclusion of older people
and people with disabilities in
humanitarian policy and practice
Lessons learnt from the ADCAP programme
3
Acknowledgements
This good practice guide has been developed as part of

the Age and Disability Capacity Programme (ADCAP),
an initiative of the Age and Disability Consortium. The
members of this consortium are CBM, DisasterReady.org,
Humanity & Inclusion, HelpAge International, International
Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
(IFRC), Oxford Brookes University and RedR UK.
ADCAP partnered with the Kenya Red Cross Society, CBM

and Christian Aid in Kenya; Concern Worldwide, Islamic
Relief and HelpAge International in Pakistan; and Islamic
Relief Worldwide and Christian Aid in the UK.
The authors are grateful to the following people for their

valuable contributions to this guide:
Inclusion advisers for their generosity in sharing their

experiences with us and helping us translate them into
case studies and learning: Claire Grant, Sharon Kibor,
Ayisha Mohamed (Christian Aid); Sherin AlSheikh Ahmed
and Farooq Masih (Islamic Relief Worldwide); Anwar Sadat
(HelpAge International); Michael Mwendwa (CBM); Lillian
Matemu (Kenya Red Cross Society) and Shafqat Ullah
(Concern Worldwide).
Austin Snowbarger (CENDEP) for his excellent literature

review and Kristinne Sanz (CENDEP) for her contribution
to the same. Several colleagues within Oxford Brookes
University for their support, encouragement and belief:
Matt Gaskin, Paul Inman, Cathrine Brun, Marcel Vellinga,
Leslie Henderson, Lorraine Wilson and our other CENDEP
colleagues.
4
Acknowledgements
Members of the Age and Disability Consortium whose

advice and inputs have sharpened and enriched the
content of this guide: Philip Hand, Diana Hiscock, Irene
van Horssen, Ivan Kent and Marcus Skinner (HelpAge
International); Kate Aykroyd and Ricardo Pla Cordero
(Humanity & Inclusion); Giulia David, Laura Gore and
Kirsty Smith (CBM); Kaisa Laitila and Tina Tinde (IFRC);
Kate Denman and Isabelle Robinson (RedR UK), and Tina
Bolding (DisasterReady).
External reviewers for their useful suggestions: Alice

Hawkes, International Rescue Committee, UK; Catherine
Cowley, CAFOD and Catholic Relief Service.
5
Table of contents
1. Introduction 9
1.1 Context of age and disability in humanitarian 10

response
2. ADCAP and its approaches to inclusion 13
3. Summary of good practices 19
How to use the guide 27
4. Towards inclusive humanitarian practices:

change themes 29
4.1 Change theme: Mainstream inclusion within your

organisational structure 31
4.2 Change theme: Collect, analyse and use sex, age

and disability disaggregated data 46
4.3 Change theme: Integrate inclusion within

humanitarian, development and risk reduction
programmes 58
4.4 Change theme: Address intersections between

social identities to embed inclusion within programmes 64
4.5 Change theme: Develop an institutional pool of

inclusion champions 74
6
Table of contents
4.6 Change theme: Challenge wider cultural and

social attitudes towards older people and people with
disabilities 86
4.7 Change theme: Overcome internal barriers to age

and disability inclusion 94
4.8 Change theme: Develop inclusion competency of

staff involved in humanitarian action 100
4.9 Change theme: Engage older people and people

with disabilities, and their representative organisations,
in all aspects of humanitarian programming 108
5. Summing up 117
Appendix 1: ADCAP organisational age and disability

inclusion assessment 122
Appendix 2: Age and disability organisational action plan 132
Appendix 3: Technical Competency Framework 136
Appendix 4: List of ADCAP resources developed 144
References 147
7
8
Introduction
Left: © CBM/John Javellana
9
Introduction
This guide shares good practices and challenges that have

emerged through the experience of the Age and Disability
Capacity Programme (ADCAP) implementing partners,
in embedding inclusion of older people and people with
disabilities within their humanitarian policies and practices.
All mainstream and specialist organisations engaged in
humanitarian responses can learn and benefit from this
experience. This guide complements the ‘Humanitarian
inclusion standards for older people and people with
disabilities’ (see Appendix 4), by documenting practices
that will help humanitarian organisations to systematically
include older people and people with disabilities.
1.1 Context of age and disability in

humanitarian response
Older people and people with disabilities face
disproportionate impacts in humanitarian crises, whatever
the country’s level of prosperity.1 The world’s average
population over 60 is estimated to be over 11% and the
world’s average population of people with disabilities is
estimated to be over 15%.2 Yet despite being significant
population groups, older people and people with disabilities
are often invisible in humanitarian action. They face social,
environmental and organisational barriers to access and
participation in humanitarian action, which puts them at
higher risk.3 Even with positive policy frameworks which
hold duty-bearers accountable for respecting, protecting
and fulfilling the rights of older people and people with
disabilities at the global level, there are gaps in adoption
and implementation that lead to discrimination and lack of
support to older people and people with disabilities.4
10
Introduction
These frameworks include:
• The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with

Disabilities
• Madrid International Plan of Action on Ageing
• Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 1.5, 11.5 and
13: Build the resilience of persons with disabilities,
and reduce their exposure and vulnerability to climate-
related extreme events and other economic, social
and environmental shocks and disasters)
• The Paris Agreement, United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change
• The Sendai Framework for Disaster Risk Reduction
• The Dhaka Declaration on Disability and Disaster Risk
Management
• The New York Declaration for Refugees and Migrants
• The Charter on Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in
Humanitarian Action
The Inter-Agency Standing Committee operational

guidelines on human rights and natural disasters
suggest that exclusion of people with disabilities is
due to “inappropriate policies or simple neglect” by
organisations.5 Various reviews suggest that agencies
continually fail to design and deliver responses that are
both appropriate and adapted to the needs of older people
and people with disabilities.6 In 2010, the Inter-Agency
Standing Committee reviewed progress on inclusion of
older people in humanitarian action, and recognised that
global and field level capacity on ageing was weak and that
inadequate attention is given to cross cutting issues such
as gender and disability.7
11
12
ADCAP and its
approaches to
inclusion
Left: © Concern Worldwide Pakistan
13
2. ADCAP and its approaches to inclusion
The Age and Disability Capacity Programme (ADCAP)

was a three-year initiative funded by the UK government’s
Department for International Development (DFID) and the
US government’s Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance
(OFDA), and was implemented between 2014 and 2018.
The programme aspired to overcome the gaps in policies
and practices of humanitarian actors, which lead to the
exclusion of older people and people with disabilities.
ADCAP’s overall goal was to improve the quality of
humanitarian response by strengthening the capacity of
the sector actors to deliver age- and disability-inclusive
programming that is gender sensitive. ADCAP was broadly
built on an approach to inclusion that is based on the
removal of barriers faced by older people and people with
disabilities. These barriers are posed by society, including
civil society, of which humanitarian organisations are a part.
ADCAP was an initiative of the Age and Disability

Consortium: CBM, DisasterReady.org, HelpAge
International, Humanity & Inclusion, International
Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies
(IFRC), the Centre for Development and Emergency
Practice (CENDEP) at Oxford Brookes University, and RedR
UK. The ADCAP consortium partnered with organisations
in the UK, Kenya and Pakistan to implement inclusion
initiatives within their organisations. These implementing
organisations were: Islamic Relief Worldwide, UK; Islamic
Relief Pakistan; Christian Aid International, UK; Christian
Aid, Kenya; the Kenya Red Cross Society; CBM, Kenya;
HelpAge International Pakistan, and Concern Worldwide,
Pakistan. Senior managers within these organisations
gave their support to ADCAP’s vision of change, which in
14
turn led to the signing of formal partnerships between the

ADCAP lead agency and the implementing organisations.
Eight inclusion advisers were recruited in the first year
of the programme, one within each implementing
organisation. They were supported through a series of
trainings to build their capacity, together with other learning
initiatives, throughout the programme period. A series of
e-learning modules and webinars on age and disability
inclusion were developed by DisasterReady.org, with
support from ADCAP consortium members, which were
used by inclusion advisers to upgrade their knowledge
and skills. They also benefitted from ongoing coaching
and mentoring support from ADCAP consortium members.
Inclusion advisers participated in face-to-face intensive
training of trainers for one week in the UK, organised by
RedR. Follow up training was organised in November
2016 by HelpAge International. In these training activities,
inclusion advisers gained knowledge that enabled them to
identify barriers and opportunities; influence and manage
change; and develop organisational action plans.
Following this training programme, inclusion advisers

led learning and change processes within their own
organisations and their partner organisations. The inclusion
advisers worked to achieve organisational change by using
tools developed by the ADCAP programme — namely
the organisational review and organisational action plan
templates.
15
Specifically, inclusion advisers:
• Carried out organisational assessments of their

respective organisations and identified areas
where their policies and programmes were weak
on gender-sensitive age and disability inclusion.
Using assessment results, they identified areas
where improvements were needed, and developed
an organisational action plan and indicators for
inclusive policy and practices. Appendices 1 and 2
provide the ADCAP templates used for organisational
assessments. The inclusion advisers have put these
organisational action plans into practice over the
programme period, to make their organisations more
age and disability inclusive.
• Conducted a training programme and sensitisation
activities with selected staff and local partners using
the ADCAP training package ‘Inclusion of age and
disability in humanitarian action’ (see Appendix 4). The
training package was adapted by inclusion advisers to
make it relevant to their country contexts.
• Used the ADCAP ‘Minimum standards for age and
disability inclusion in humanitarian action (pilot
version)’ to sensitise and orient staff and partners on
gender-sensitive processes that included age and
disability. The pilot ‘Minimum standards for age and
disability inclusion in humanitarian action’ have since
been revised, following consultation with humanitarian
organisations and organisations of older people and
people with disabilities. The title of the revised version
is the ‘Humanitarian inclusion standards for older
people and people with disabilities’ (see Appendix 4).
16
• Used the coaching and mentoring support provided

to them to overcome the various implementation
challenges.
• Undertook self-assessment using the inclusion
competency framework, developed by ADCAP at
the start of the project. This assessment identified
the inclusion advisers training and professional
development needs. The changes in their competence
were tracked to identify progression and to assess the
competency levels they achieved by the end of the
programme (see Appendix 3).
17
18
Summary
of good
practices
Left: © Age International/Simon Rawles
19
3. Summary of good practices
As research partner in the ADCAP consortium,

CENDEP at Oxford Brookes University has been closely
tracking change initiatives within ADCAP implementing
organisations over the last three years. Evidence such
as ADCAP monitoring and change reports, interviews
and reflection sessions with inclusion advisers and
stakeholders, the mid-term evaluation, and wider literature
has been evaluated to develop a set of good practice
change themes.
The nine change themes identified are explored in-depth

in this guide. If embedded into organisations, these
approaches will strengthen gender-sensitive age and
disability inclusive practices in humanitarian action.
Change themes:
1. Mainstream inclusion within your organisational

structure.
2. Collect, analyse and use sex, age and disability
disaggregated data.
3. Integrate inclusion within humanitarian, development
and risk reduction programmes.
4. Address intersections between social identities to
embed inclusion within programmes.
5. Develop an institutional pool of inclusion champions.
6. Challenge wider cultural and social attitudes towards
older people and people with disabilities.
7. Overcome internal barriers to implementing inclusion.
8. Develop inclusion competency of staff involved in
humanitarian action.
9. Engage older people and people with disabilities, and
their representative organisations.
20
Good practice recommendations at a glance

Change theme 3.1: Mainstream inclusion within your
organisational structure
• Ensure senior managers support the inclusion agenda.
• Undertake systematic and participatory organisational
assessment to identify gaps in policies and practices
and develop an organisational action plan for
inclusion.
• Collaborate with older people and people with
disabilities throughout this process.
• Review and revise strategic documents and
humanitarian programming guidelines.
• Identify a focal point for inclusion and/or a working
group to be responsible for monitoring progress of
organisational action plan implementation.
• Develop standard operating procedures on inclusive
staff recruitment, inductions, and training.
• Use ongoing discussion and meeting platforms within
the organisation to sensitise staff on inclusion and
share progress and success stories.
• Use training, mentoring and exposure events to build
staff capacity on inclusion.
Change theme 3.2: Collect, analyse and use sex, age

and disability disaggregated data
• Revise data collection tools to incorporate sex,
age and disability disaggregated data throughout
humanitarian programmes.
• Deliver training on the use of data collection tools and
collectively assess their effectiveness.
21
• Collect disaggregated data on disability by use of the

Washington Group questions
• Use a range of tools for needs assessments, such as
household questionnaires, and participatory tools,
such as focus group discussions, to gain insight into
the diversity of needs and capacities.
• Use feedback systems between different teams
such as monitoring, evaluation and learning, and
humanitarian response to critically analyse and reflect
on disaggregated data that has been collected.
• Use disaggregated data on sex, age and disability to
adapt programming interventions.
• When appropriate, include caregiver information in
your data collection tools and involve them, with the
consent of older people and people with disabilities, in
the programming cycle.
Change theme 3.3: Integrate inclusion within

programmes
• Integrate sex, age and disability inclusion in all
programmes: humanitarian, risk reduction and
development.
• Embed sex, age and disability disaggregated data
collection and analysis across sectoral areas for
inclusive access to livelihoods, WASH and education.
• Demonstrate linkages between age and disability
inclusion agendas and long-term development
strategies, such as poverty elimination, resilience
building, and empowerment to influence and access
institutional support.
22
Change theme 3.4: Address intersections between

social identities to embed inclusion within programmes
• Identify entry points in current work that can link with
or have synergy with inclusion work. Promote inclusion
as a cross-cutting concept.
• Highlight the intersections between social change
agendas, such as gender equity, and inclusion work.
Integrate age and disability inclusion in social change
programmes thereby making them more inclusive.
• Promote the message that addressing the equality
agenda requires addressing diversity of needs and
capacities.
Change theme 3.5: Develop an institutional pool of

inclusion champions
• Recruit and/or appoint inclusion champions
within your organisations and develop their core
competencies, awareness and skills on inclusion
through training and exposure.
• Identify and involve strategic individuals, including key
senior staff, to co-lead on inclusion.
• Develop strategic inclusion forums or working groups.
• Organise systematic training and awareness-raising on
age and disability inclusion for staff.
• Carry out consistent influencing and advocacy for
inclusion highlighting the benefits to programme
quality.
• Develop and share evidence (both internal and
external) of the impact of inclusive programming.
• Create awareness of inclusion by linking with global
23
agendas and events, such as “leave no one behind”

and the UN International Day of Persons with
Disabilities.
Change theme 3.6: Challenge wider cultural and

disabilities
• Include discussions on the effects of social stigma and
negative attitudes towards older people and people
with disabilities in training programmes.
• Work with older people and people with disabilities to
overcome their internalised negative self-perceptions.
• Expose staff and communities to the skills and
knowledge of older people and people with
disabilities.
• Encourage interactions between staff and
communities, and older people and people with
disabilities.
• Promote the message of equal rights and non-
discrimination to staff and communities.
Change theme 3.7: Overcome internal barriers to

implementing inclusion
• Spread the message that inclusion does not need
specialist skills but is about addressing barriers to
respond to a diversity of needs, which improves the
quality of humanitarian programmes.
• Adopt a twin track approach that mainstreams age
and disability inclusion in all ongoing programmes,
along with targeted interventions to address barriers,
using referral services if necessary.
24
• Use statistical evidence generated from sex, age and

disability disaggregated data to challenge individual or
organisational misconceptions.
• Engage older people and people with disabilities
to help challenge perceptions and find solutions
to barriers. Develop solutions in consultation with
local communities to overcome barriers that impede
involvement of these groups.
Change theme 3.8: Develop inclusion competency of

staff involved in humanitarian action
• Adopt the ADCAP inclusion adviser model and use
ADCAP training and e-learning courses to develop staff
competencies.
• Strengthen the core knowledge of humanitarian staff to
ensure a basic understanding of inclusive programming
and humanitarian inclusion standards.
• Impart inclusion knowledge and skills to staff through
training, mentoring and learning by doing.
• Encourage trained staff to undertake sex, age and
disability disaggregated data collection and analysis, to
support their projects.
• Encourage humanitarian actors to adopt age and
disability inclusive practices, and mentor them when
implementing inclusive programmes.
• Build staff capacities on how to address the barriers
faced by older people and people with disabilities
affected by crisis. Train staff on communicating
effectively with these groups.
25
Change theme 3.9: Engage older people and people

with disabilities, and their representative organisations
• Be open and willing to work with and learn from
older people and people with disabilities and their
representative organisations.
• Use contextually sensitive strategies to overcome
entrenched social barriers and to involve older women
and men and women and men with disabilities.
• Involve older women and men, and women and men
with disabilities, in programmes. Appoint them to
skilled roles, such as training and auditing.
• Consult with older women and men, and women and
men with disabilities, when developing programmes,
to better understand and overcome the barriers they
face.
• Collaborate with organisations representing older
people and people with disabilities, and support them
in their advocacy activities.
26
How to use the guide

This good practice guide can be used by humanitarian
managers, field staff, senior organisational managers and
organisational change practitioners, as well as technical
field teams. It is a collection of practical examples and
successful approaches to age and disability inclusion in
humanitarian response. We hope the guide will inform and
inspire individuals and organisations to commit to inclusive
humanitarian practices.
The guide can be used for many purposes and in many

contexts, for example when:
• designing new programmes;
• adapting current programmes;
• adjusting organisational frameworks and
programming tools;
• undertaking systematic reviews of organisational
policies and practices;
• reviewing and developing staff competencies; and
• developing staff training tools based on good
practice examples.
27
28
Towards
inclusive
humanitarian
practices:
change themes
Left: © CBM/Shelley
29
4. Towards inclusive humanitarian practices:
change themes
This section presents the nine change themes that reflect

successful inclusion practices emerging from the ADCAP
experience. We strongly encourage organisations to
implement these changes, to make their humanitarian
responses more inclusive. Each theme includes analysis
— using examples of action from ADCAP implementing
organisations, a set of good practice action points, and
case studies detailing how change was brought about in
different implementing organisations.
30
Age and disability inclusion practices should be embedded

into organisational structures — across systems, policies
and processes.8 Any institutional barriers must be
addressed to enable new practices to endure.9 Major
challenges include the lack of standardised protocols and
guidelines on responding to the needs and capacities of
older people and people with disabilities.10
ADCAP’s approach to mainstreaming age and disability in

organisational structures meant systematically including
age and disability in a range of policies, guidelines and
practices. ADCAP implementing partners have also revised
their country and global strategies, plans and humanitarian
responses, to make them more inclusive. Christian Aid’s
country strategy papers and annual reporting formats now
have a section on gender, age, disability and diversity
inclusion. HelpAge International Pakistan’s new country
plan has “enabling inclusion of older persons and people
with disabilities in economic and income generation
activities” as one of its objectives. The new Islamic
Relief Worldwide global strategy states a commitment to
groups at risk of exclusion, factoring in age, gender and
disability. Islamic Relief Pakistan’s new country strategy
aims to ensure meaningful participation of people with
disabilities and older people as a cross cutting theme in its
interventions. The Kenya Red Cross Society has developed
guidelines to implement their disability and social inclusion
policy. CBM’s new Kenya country plan has incorporated
both age and gender dimensions into their disability work
on health, education, rehabilitation, and advocacy.
31
These organisations have addressed inclusion in their

Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). Despite the limited
timeframe of the ADCAP programme, they were able to
develop such procedures in varying degrees within their
policies and programmes.
Examples include:
• SOPs or policies for inclusive human resource

recruitment and induction procedures, by HelpAge
International Pakistan, Islamic Relief Pakistan, CBM
Kenya, Christian Aid;
• The Kenya Red Cross Society SOP in finance,
whereby a percentage of funded projects is ring-
fenced for capacity building of staff about inclusion,
and for making all activities inclusive and accessible;
• Concern Worldwide Pakistan’s SOP for inclusive
proposal development in their main emergency
response programme, RAPID;
• SOP for inclusive needs assessment and monitoring
of programmes by HelpAge International Pakistan
and Islamic Relief Pakistan (all ADCAP implementing
organisations are working towards this); and
• ADCAP implementing organisations are in the
process of developing SOPs for other aspects of their
organisational systems.
Inclusion advisers supported these changes in SOPs and

practices by developing a wider ownership of the gender-
sensitive age and disability inclusion agenda among
staff. They used ADCAP tools and templates, such as
organisational assessments and organisational action plans
32
(see Appendices 1 and 2) to develop critical discussions

with staff, assessing where improvements were needed.
A number of ADCAP implementing organisations used the
templates to conduct an online survey with their staff. This
identified areas where more organisational capacity on
inclusion was needed.
The inclusion advisers presented feedback and findings

from these assessments to their senior management
teams. They then developed organisational action
plans, using participatory methods to engage staff, and
implemented them over the programme period.
Support and endorsement of the process by senior

management was crucial to communicate the
importance of mainstreaming inclusion throughout the
organisation.
Co-leads were identified to support the inclusion advisers

in implementing the organisational action plan, leading
to wider buy-in. For example, Affan Cheema, Head of
Programme Quality, Islamic Relief Worldwide, was the
co-lead on making their organisational policies inclusive.
Affan’s testimony given later in the guide reveals how
his own understanding of inclusion changed as he drove
organisational change together with the inclusion adviser,
Sherin AlSheikh Ahmed.
One of the key barriers to embedding age and disability

inclusion across programmes was the culture of working
in silos, with different departments working independently.
Inclusion advisers learnt to address this by sensitising,
33
training and building capacities of staff at different levels,

thereby integrating inclusion in all sections. For example,
the advisers advocated for inclusion with key individuals
and teams including gender, monitoring and evaluation,
disaster response, disaster risk reduction, programming,
and human resources. They have gradually nurtured a pool
of champions within their organisations who are steadily
helping to embed more inclusive practices in their work
(see theme 4.5).
The inclusion advisers disseminated the inclusion message

across the organisation through one to one meetings,
training, staff meetings and workshops.
Inclusion adviser, Anwar Sadat captures the journey of

change in HelpAge International Pakistan: “We [inclusion
advisers] have started to do things differently [...] This
change from us as individuals has trickled down throughout
the organisation.” Farooq Masih, inclusion adviser with
Islamic Relief, Pakistan, says, “Now age and disability is
everyone’s business […] the monitoring, evaluation and
learning department has taken ownership of inclusion
work in terms of setting indicators, planning, review and
evaluations.”
As inclusion advisers succeeded in identifying and

addressing gaps in their programmes by adapting them,
they were able to provide evidence to their colleagues and
partners. For example, they used ongoing implementing
partner projects to adapt their practices to better respond
to the needs and capacities of older people and people
with disabilities. This provided them with evidence that
34
approaches to change worked, and they then advocated

for further mainstreaming of inclusion — both internally
and externally — with wider stakeholders (see theme 4.8).
ADCAP experience suggests that organisations must
embed age and disability in their organisational structure,
policies and programming tools.
Good practice action points
• Ensure senior managers support inclusion agenda.

• Undertake systematic and participatory
organisation assessment to identify gaps
in policies and practices and develop an
organisational action plan for inclusion.
Collaborate with older people and people with
disabilities throughout this process.
• Review and revise strategic documents and
humanitarian programming guidelines.
• Identify a focal point for inclusion and/or a working
group to be responsible for monitoring progress of
organisational action plan.
• Develop SOP on inclusive staff recruitment,
inductions, training.
• Use ongoing discussion and meeting platforms
within the organisation to sensitise staff on
inclusion and share progress and success stories.
• Use training, mentoring and exposure events to
build staff capacity on inclusion.
35
Case study: Concern Worldwide Pakistan

Developing inclusive standard operating procedures
Concern Worldwide is Ireland’s largest humanitarian aid
agency working in over 26 countries, including Pakistan,
where it has been operational since 2001. Most of its
humanitarian response is implemented through local
partners.
Inclusive standard operating procedures were piloted

through their flagship programme Responding to
Pakistan’s Internally Displaced (RAPID). RAPID is a funding
mechanism established in 2009, and funded by USAID’s
Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA). Through
this pilot, Concern Worldwide aimed to support projects
funded via the pooled fund to be inclusive of older people
and people with disabilities, and eventually scale up the
approach to all its projects and programmes in Pakistan.
The ADCAP programme has led to changes in the way

RAPID emergency response projects are selected,
designed, implemented and monitored. All RAPID project
applications are screened against eligibility criteria. As
a result of ADCAP, a new criterion has been added: all
applicants are required to prioritise groups at risk of
exclusion and discrimination, such as older people and
people with disabilities. Once applications are submitted,
they go through an internal technical review by Concern
Worldwide before being sent to OFDA. The ADCAP
inclusion adviser is now included in the review team, to
screen all applications, and make sure that they outline
36
achievable strategies to include older people and people

with disabilities. Once funding is approved, Concern
Worldwide used to offer a two-day capacity strengthening
support to partners. Due to the ADCAP programme, an
additional day has been added to orient partners on how
to include older people and people with disabilities (see
theme 4.2, Concern Worldwide Pakistan case study for
details on RAPID response project).
Case study: HelpAge International Pakistan

Changing strategic plans, mainstreaming inclusion
HelpAge International works in over 50 countries, and is

the only international development agency to promote the
rights of older people during emergencies.
Since completing its organisational assessment and

organisational action plan, HelpAge International Pakistan
has changed its annual country plans, and emergency
preparedness and response programme. These documents
now cover inclusion of older people and people with
disabilities in development, humanitarian response, and
disaster risk reduction programmes as key priority areas.
These changes in policy and strategy have sent a positive
message to staff and given the inclusion adviser, Anwar
Sadat, the confidence and opportunity to influence other
layers of the organisation.
Throughout the ADCAP programme, Anwar focused
37
on building staff capacity — both technical as well

as support functions. The capacity building strategy
included generic training, technical training, mentoring,
and on the job support. This approach proved to be the
bedrock for embedding inclusion. Anwar developed a
productive relationship with the human resources team,
who gradually reviewed all job descriptions to include
skills and competencies required for mainstreaming
inclusion. The recruitment policy was also revised to
encourage applications from older people and people with
disabilities. A range of inclusive practices are now routinely
implemented as part of the SOP in HelpAge International
Pakistan, such as staff induction and training. Members
of the human resources team have now become inclusion
champions.
Since HelpAge International Pakistan already has a

mandate for working with older people, Anwar has focused
on working with programme teams to review and revise
their tools to include people with disabilities. Use of the
Washington Group questions11 was introduced to gather
data and information about people with disabilities in
humanitarian response projects. As a result, all new
projects use an assessment tool that captures information
about both older people and people with disabilities.
Proposal formats and evaluation guidelines were also
reviewed and revised to include disability related aspects.
Older people and people with disabilities were engaged in
monitoring of activities, which reaffirmed the importance
of their involvement in project design. For example, in the
RELIEF consortium project led by HelpAge International
38
Pakistan in Peshawar, older people and people with

disabilities were involved in mid-term evaluation to give
feedback on latrines designed to be accessible. Feedback
showed that some of these latrines were not used by
people with disabilities because they were built too far
away. Learning from this experience, the local partner is
now encouraging the involvement of older people and
people with disabilities in the design of new initiatives.
HelpAge International Pakistan has also produced

guidelines on communicating with older people and people
with disabilities. Practical suggestions include use of
non-jargon words; adaptations to minimise environmental
barriers, for example, getting older people and people
with hearing difficulties to sit in the front row of meetings;
using visual tools or sign language; and using clear verbal
communication for people with visual disabilities.
Given that inclusion mainstreaming is a long process,

Anwar maintained momentum by updating staff weekly.
This helped to reinforce the message that they were not
thinking about inclusion in isolation: it was part of a shift in
the humanitarian sector, a donor requirement, and key to
their commitment to meet humanitarian standards and the
“leave no one behind” agenda.
39
Case study: Islamic Relief Worldwide

Inclusivity and sensitivity working group leads change
process
Islamic Relief Worldwide is a UK-based international
humanitarian and development organisation. Both its
UK head office and the Pakistan country office were
implementing partners of the ADCAP programme. An
inclusion adviser was appointed in each office to act as a
change agent and lead the inclusion process.
Islamic Relief Worldwide has always embraced the concept

of reaching out to groups at risk of exclusion through its
humanitarian programmes. When the inclusion adviser,
Sherin AlSheikh Ahmed, started talking to colleagues at
head office about doing an organisational assessment
on age and disability inclusion, some asserted that, “our
programming approach is nothing but inclusive.” Others
questioned whether such efforts would be onerous and
yield any concrete changes. Sherin persisted with her
conversations and encouraged colleagues to see the
ADCAP programme as an opportunity to collect missing
evidence on inclusion. She heard individual perspectives
and recognised that inclusion was not fully understood:
everyone had their own idea of what it entailed. She
followed up by administering an anonymous organisational
assessment survey to head office staff. With a 74 per
cent response rate, the findings showed that there were
indeed gaps in the inclusion of older people and people
with disabilities in the organisation’s practices. Sherin did
a review of programme tools and found that many of them
40
excluded older people and people with disabilities. For

example, needs assessment tools posed no requirement
to collect data disaggregated by age beyond 50 years, and
older people were grouped into an homogenous group of
50 years and above. Similarly, there was no requirement to
collect information about people with disabilities. Support
from senior managers, such as the head of humanitarian
programmes, encouraged other managers to look at the
assessment results as “an opportunity to move in the right
direction.”
Following this, Sherin formed and led an inclusivity and

sensitivity working group, to implement the organisational
action plan. The group mainly comprised technical advisers
from the programme quality team and representatives
from country teams. Each member was tasked with
bringing together inclusion and protection as cross-cutting
issues. Each technical specialist had their own ‘sphere
of influence’ that was identified by Sherin as a way to
embed inclusion within programming practices. Sherin
recalls the importance of this working group: “My ADCAP
workplan would not have been implemented without the
working group. I could not have spoken to individuals and
departments individually or reviewed the tools without
having these technical persons on board […] It has been an
eye opener for all of us, seeing the added value when we
work together. We have become more intersectional in our
analysis, capturing more information, not just on age and
disability, and discussing it.” She emphasised throughout
that mainstreaming inclusion was a “tangible step to fulfil
41
commitments towards the core humanitarian standards

and leave no one behind agenda that Islamic Relief
Worldwide had signed up to.”
The inclusivity and sensitivity working group led the change

process. This resulted in the revision of needs assessment
guidelines and tools, such as rapid response assessment
formats, to ensure that data collected was disaggregated
by sex, age and disability. Other key guidance materials
that were revised included household selection criteria,
distribution forms, proposal formats, proposal writing
guidelines, and results-based management manual. An
inclusion marker tool was created to benchmark funding
proposals and initiatives in relation to gender, age, disability
and other diversity issues. The working group also
provided support to programme and field teams on how to
collect primary and secondary data on older people and
people with disabilities. A training package on protection
and inclusion was rolled out in different countries.
Islamic Relief Worldwide has six new “inclusion projects”

being implemented in six countries, funded by the Swedish
International Development Cooperation Agency (Sida).
These projects were designed using the newly revised
programming tools. They included a dedicated budget
line of 1.5 per cent of the total budget to cover inclusion
capacity strengthening and adjusting programming
activities. Country offices that fund global programmes,
have made inclusion of older people and people with
disabilities a mandatory requirement for all projects and
programmes.
42
Case study: Islamic Relief Pakistan

Embedding inclusion through training and mentoring
Training and mentoring staff on inclusion proved to be

an effective way to systematically embed inclusion into
Islamic Relief Pakistan programmes. The inclusion adviser,
Farooq Masih, gave sensitisation and training support
to 139 staff in developing personal action plans and
identifying key priorities to pursue after the training. Farooq
regularly followed up on these plans, providing technical
support when needed. This process created a pool of staff
committed to inclusion, and helped Farooq identify new
inclusion champions in other teams. He gave technical
support to 15 champions, who are now cascading the
inclusion messaging and providing support within their own
teams (See theme 4.4).
Regular meetings and workshops on inclusion led

to review and redesign of tools, such as the needs
assessment methodology, tools to collect disaggregated
data, and project proposal templates. Islamic Relief
Pakistan’s country strategy (2017-2021) has reinforced
the commitment to inclusion by instilling the need to
provide humanitarian action that is inclusive of older
people and people with disabilities of all ages and genders.
Farooq also worked closely with the human resources
manager to review and revise all job descriptions and
person specifications. These now reflect relevant skills,
competencies and overall commitment to inclusive
humanitarian action. People with disabilities and women
are now encouraged to apply for new positions. To
43
reach those in remote areas with limited internet access,

positions are also advertised through text messages. In
addition, HelpAge developed communication guidelines
for older people and people with disabilities, which were
translated into the local language, to help staff understand
the needs and capacities of these groups. Farooq
sensitised staff on national and international frameworks
that make inclusion of older people and people with
disabilities a requirement. Senior managers were made
more accountable by making it mandatory to report on
progress towards inclusion.
At national level Islamic Relief Pakistan now tracks data by

sex, age and disability.
44
45
The lack of data on people with disabilities means that they

are invisible, and this contributes to their exclusion from
humanitarian responses. Similarly, data about older people
are often not collected, despite their being recognised as a
group at risk of exclusion. This lack of baseline data deters
subsequent planning and monitoring of the inclusion of
these groups.12 They are rarely consulted in the planning
and execution of humanitarian action, and their capacity to
be active participants in recovery and response is ignored.
Older people and people with disabilities are a diverse

group and hence a blanket approach to supporting them
is not appropriate.13 A further disaggregation by age and
disability, and collection of information on barriers faced,
may lead to a deeper and more targeted response. As
of now, there is no foolproof, tested and recognised
tool available to collect comprehensive disaggregated
data and information about barriers and capacities. This
has meant that undertaking effective disaggregated
information collection, analysis of barriers faced, and
inclusive action planning has been a process of learning
for ADCAP implementing organisations. Islamic Relief
Pakistan, Concern Worldwide Pakistan and HelpAge
International Pakistan, for example, have revised their
tools for disaggregated data collection during several
recent humanitarian responses. The use of these revised
tools and feedback on them has led to further revisions
to the disaggregated needs assessment and monitoring
tools. These organisations now use the Washington Group
questions for disability data collection, a widely accepted
tool for collection of disability disaggregated information.14
46
Christian Aid Kenya has reviewed its participatory

vulnerability capacity analysis tools and processes.
These now emphasise the need to include focus group
discussions and interviews with both older women and
men, and women and men with disabilities, making
sure their perspectives are integral to project planning,
monitoring and evaluation. They have also held field-based
training workshops with local partners on developing
inclusive responses. These partners agreed to review
their own community interactions, and in the process they
also developed facilitating skills. Such interactions have
encouraged partners to collect disaggregated data in their
projects. Christian Aid is now introducing the collection of
disaggregated data globally across its programmes using
the Washington Group questions.
ADCAP partners have found that effective disaggregated

data collection and its use has led to positive learning
between and across different layers of their organisations,
particularly monitoring, evaluation and learning teams,
humanitarian response teams, and inclusion advisers.
Involving different organisational actors in discussions

about data collected has provided useful feedback,
enabled improved analysis and ensured learning is
translated into effective action. Certain improvisations were
made in data collection, such as identifying the caregivers
when their involvement was deemed required by some
older people or people with disabilities. Concern Worldwide
and the Kenya Red Cross Society have adapted their
delivery of water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) and health
programmes based on feedback from data analysis, as
47
indicated in their case studies below.

Collection, analysis and use of disaggregated data has
led to more inclusive programmes, and the provision of
appropriate relief assistance to older people and people
with disabilities.
ADCAP implementing organisations have started to gain

experience on the ground in using the Washington Group
questions to identify people with disabilities, including older
people with disabilities.
48
• Revise data collection tools to incorporate sex,

age and disability disaggregated data throughout
humanitarian programmes.
• Deliver training on the use of data collection tools
and collectively assess their effectiveness.
• Collect disaggregated data on disability by use of
the Washington Group questions.15
• Use a range of tools for needs assessments, such
as household questionnaires, and participatory
tools, such as focus group discussions, to gain
insight into the diversity of needs and capacities.
• Use feedback systems between different teams
such as monitoring, evaluation and learning,
and humanitarian response to critically analyse
and reflect on disaggregated data that has been
collected.
• Use disaggregated data on sex, age and disability
to adapt programming interventions.
• When appropriate, include caregiver information
in your data collection tools and involve them,
with the consent of older people and people with
disabilities, in the programming cycle.
49
Case study: Concern Worldwide, Pakistan

Collecting disaggregated data for RAPID project
A key action in Concern Worldwide’s organisational action

plan was to pilot an inclusive approach to programming
in their managed pooled fund project for Pakistan —
Responding to Pakistan’s Internally Displaced (RAPID).
As part of RAPID, three partner organisations were trained

on the inclusion of older people and people with disabilities
in humanitarian programmes. During training it became
clear that the lack of data about these groups would
make it difficult to design projects that would address the
barriers they faced. Concern Worldwide decided to use
this opportunity to collect data on older people and people
with disabilities in five union councils and three tehsils,
which are local administrative units covering around 100
villages in the Sindh province. Assessment tools were
modified to include the Washington Group questions — a
valuable way for many Concern Worldwide and partner
staff to understand the practical aspects of inclusive
programming. The data collected were comprehensive
and further endorsed by the local government and other
humanitarian actors, who were also eager to understand
the percentage of older people and people with disabilities
in the administrative units of Sindh province. Some
agencies have since used the data to inform their own
programmes, and local government has used the data to
provide appropriate relief assistance.
The data collection process was new, as it gathered data
50
that identified caregivers of older people and people with

disabilities, when required, for the first time. When older
people and people with disabilities require the support of a
caregiver, this person can play an important role in ensuring
these groups have access to humanitarian assistance.
However, humanitarian agencies also need to be aware

that sometimes caregivers may also pose barriers to
access and participation of older people and people with
disabilities.
Previously, villagers hesitated to share data about people

with disabilities, due to associated shame and taboos, but
using the revised needs assessment approach assured
the community that Concern Worldwide and its partners
genuinely wanted to provide appropriate and accessible
services. This message was further reinforced once the
selection criteria were changed to prioritise the groups
at risk of exclusion. A special budgetary provision of 10
per cent of the total budget was included in some RAPID
projects, to absorb any capacity strengthening costs or
additional costs, as required.
Initially, there was some apprehension amongst partner

staff about using modified needs assessment tools. After
training and clarification, however, the new approach
started to make sense.
Partners were glad to have the baseline data on older

people and people with disabilities, in addition to
the technical and mentoring support from inclusion
advisers and Concern Worldwide teams.
51
Through these projects, evidence of inclusion soon started

to emerge, with partners now doing things differently, as
the following examples illustrate.
Previously, all Concern Worldwide humanitarian response

projects were oriented to results. For example, a WASH
project would aim to deliver a fixed number of latrines
for one village. With the emphasis on understanding the
diversity of social identities and the existence of barriers to
access, the RAPID project had to change its approach to
latrine provision in response to the temporarily displaced
persons crisis in 2016. Data analysis from the needs
assessment showed that 53 families had at least one family
member with a disability. The partner staff realised that the
standard latrine design would be useless for these families,
so they adapted the design and provided chair-based
latrines for these families.
In a project responding to the drought in Tharparkar, Sindh

Province, the Concern Worldwide partner reviewed and
revised a conditional cash programme, to use inclusive
selection criteria that prioritised older people and people
with disabilities.
In a livelihood project distributing livestock fodder, the

Concern Worldwide partner staff realised that some older
people and people with disabilities preferred collection
of fodder from the distribution site by another person
designated by them. So they boosted project resources to
cover the extra cost for a caregiver – or a family member
or friend as identified by the older person or person with a
52
disability — to act as a proxy collector. Some of the older

people also asked for assistive devices, and the partners
linked them to another project that was providing these.
The collection of disaggregated data has changed Concern

Worldwide and their partners’ humanitarian responses.
Aneel Ahmed, RAPID Project Coordinator, says, “had it
not been for the data, these afterthoughts or modifications
would not have taken place, and inadvertently older
people and people with disabilities would have been
excluded from these projects.” Zain Tanoli, the Monitoring,
Evaluation and Learning Coordinator, reflects, “when
the data are available, you realise that the standard
humanitarian package will not work. If you have no data,
there will be no analysis and no appropriate services.” Field
exposure has helped his team understand how to analyse
and use disaggregated data better, and has given them the
confidence to explain the process to colleagues.
An inclusive monitoring plan is now implemented for RAPID

project funding. The inclusion adviser and monitoring,
evaluation and learning team now make sure that relevant
monitoring indicators reflecting inclusion of older people
and people with disabilities are included in projects.
Monitoring visits also help to adjust programme activities
and address the barriers identified by these groups. Most
of this happened as a result of training, mentoring and the
‘learning by doing’ approach. Providing technical support
at the point of delivery also helped project teams to apply
their new skills and knowledge to existing projects.
53
Case study: The Kenya Red Cross Society

Disaggregated data brings inclusion and greater
accountability
The Kenya Red Cross Society is a member of the
International Federation of the Red Cross and Red
Crescent Societies, with a mandate to respond to the
humanitarian crisis in Kenya.
Before being involved in ADCAP, the Kenya Red Cross

Society was collecting data about people over 50, without
using more specific age cohorts beyond 50 years of age.
This meant that the organisation did not collect information
on older people and people with disabilities that was
specific enough, and therefore did not set up interventions
for these groups. Once ADCAP started, the organisation
reviewed and revised its data collection tools. Data is now
disaggregated to include age cohort groups of 10 years,
such as 50-60, 60-70, and 70 and above, and people with
disabilities are identified using data related to the disability
cards provided by the Kenyan government.
The inclusion advisers collaborated with the health,

monitoring and evaluation and disaster operations teams
to revise these organisational data collection tools.
Feedback from the operations response team showed
that people with disabilities were reluctant to be identified
by their disability cards, as they wanted to know how the
information would be used. This led to a further review of
data collection tools, and inclusion of additional questions
on the barriers, faced by people. The tools are now used
54
to identify the barriers faced by different groups, and

to monitor responses to them. The team is aware that
identifying people with disabilities through disability cards
given by the Kenya government may have led to under-
reporting of people with disabilities. Revision of SADDD
tools within the Kenya Red Cross Society is a work in
progress. The Kenya Red Cross Society plans to use
the Washington Group questions to identify people with
disabilities in near future. In future, the organisational
change plans will use the Washington Group questions to
identify people with disabilities.
Additionally, since the Kenya Red Cross Society team

found out that some people had not been able to access
disability cards, despite having a disability, they went on
to facilitate access to them by connecting them to county
health teams for certification.
The collection of disaggregated data has made

accountability stronger, as people can now question the
Kenya Red Cross Society on how they use the data. Lillian
Matemu, the inclusion adviser, says, “the data we received
from the reviewed data collection tools have helped us
change our practice […] We have moved from numbers to
intervention in very realistic ways […] With the data, you
can’t ignore inclusive humanitarian programming. The data
give you facts, numbers and details, ensuring that your
response is relevant, accessible, and appropriate.” The
organisation has also used the data for advocacy. Having
more specific numbers of older people and people with
disabilities has meant they can promote the value of an
55
inclusive response with stakeholders.
The Kenya Red Cross Society is adapting its contingency

and response programmes to address the barriers faced
by older people and people with disabilities, making
these programmes accessible and appropriate. Instead of
standardised services, there are now more personalised
and targeted household-level responses. For example,
they have expanded medical outreach programmes to
household services for those older people and people
with disabilities who face barriers to accessing such
services. People are also provided with assistive devices,
to give them greater independence. Food and nutrition
programmes now distribute food that is suitable for older
people who experience difficulties with chewing and
eating, as in the drought response in Turkana County. In
other responses, such as that in Nyando County, flood
evacuation plans prioritised the evacuation by boat of
people with disabilities, older people and pregnant women.
In Bungoma, evacuation plans identified appropriate and
accessible locations for evacuating older people and
people with disabilities. More diverse communication
methods are used to raise awareness, such as posters
and household-level discussions. Other ongoing health
programmes, such as outreach on non-communicable
diseases, now include medicines and interventions
appropriate to older people.
These changes to emergency response programmes have

led to allocating additional resources within existing and
new programmes. New funding proposals include budgets
56
for inclusive activities. Initially, the mindset among staff

was that inclusive programming and targeting is expensive.
However, this attitude has slowly shifted: budgets are now
allocated for adaptation of programmes, capacity building,
improving access to therapies, medicines, assistive
devices, and other services where required. There are
also budgets for training and capacity building of first line
responders, such as Red Cross action response teams,
surge teams, specialist teams for WASH and health, and
for other departments to integrate and adapt their existing
interventions.
57
4.3 Change theme: Integrated inclusion within
programmes
Age and disability inclusion needs to be mainstreamed

across humanitarian and risk reduction programmes.16
Further, higher socioeconomic development has been
correlated with resilience: greater ability to recover after
disasters. Thus improving the quality of life of older people
and people with disabilities through long-term development
projects can improve their resilience to emergencies.17
The importance of ensuring inclusion in development and

risk reduction programmes, in addition to humanitarian
programmes, was a key lesson for the ADCAP
implementing organisations. Initially, given ADCAP’s
mandate, inclusion advisers focused on humanitarian
responses. But the limitations of this approach are
captured by Jane Machira of Christian Aid Kenya, “if
mitigation, preparedness and disaster risk reduction are
not strengthened equally through inclusion, as well as
humanitarian responses, then it is like taking two steps
backwards and one step forward as you have to re-evaluate
the preparedness itself after the response.” For example, an
ADCAP implementing organisation undertook contingency
planning ahead of the rainy seasons by stocking assistive
devices to help in evacuation. They later found out that,
having carried out the evacuation successfully, there
were no supportive or assistive facilities in the evacuation
centres for older people or people with disabilities. This
demonstrates the need for holistic preparedness and risk
reduction plans ahead of humanitarian responses.
HelpAge International Pakistan has integrated age and

disability inclusion within its Building Disaster Resilience
in Pakistan project. Its main role is to develop community
58
programmes
based disaster risk management plans and strategies,

but the project now also incorporates age and disability
inclusive livelihoods, WASH and shelter plans and
strategies. This has meant collecting sex, age and disability
disaggregated data to further identify people who need,
for example, adapted WASH facilities. Similarly, Concern
Worldwide Pakistan makes its training and sensitisation
workshops on inclusion available to staff working on
different programmes, thereby spreading their impact.
Christian Aid UK and Christian Aid Kenya have embedded

age and disability inclusion within their long-term poverty
elimination work, gender and power work, resilience
building, and rolling out of the core humanitarian standards.
They have used DFID-supported project, such as Linking
Preparedness, Response and Resilience, to embed
inclusion.
This mainstreaming of age and disability inclusion in

long-term development strategies, risk reduction and
preparedness programmes, has profoundly influenced the
organisations’ approaches to programme development and
risk reduction.
59
programmes
• Integrate sex, age and disability inclusion in all

programmes: humanitarian, risk reduction and
development.
• Embed sex, age and disability disaggregated data
collection and analysis across sectoral areas
for inclusive access to livelihoods, WASH and
education.18
• Demonstrate linkages between age and disability
inclusion agendas and long-term development
strategies, such as poverty elimination, resilience
building, and empowerment to influence and
access institutional support.
60
programmes
Case study: Christian Aid UK and

Christian Aid Kenya
Mainstreaming inclusion across development and
humanitarian programmes
Christian Aid’s strategic framework puts power at the

heart of poverty. It argues that people are poor due
to imbalances of power: the root causes of injustice
must be tackled to see change. Levels of poverty and
exclusion are significantly higher for older people and
people with disabilities as well as for women and minority
groups.19 Gender-sensitive age and disability inclusion is
therefore relevant for the fulfilment of all Christian Aid’s
strategic change objectives, which aim to see sustainable
improvements in wellbeing and an end to poverty.
The internal inclusion working group formed during ADCAP

has promoted an inclusive programming approach.
This embeds “challenging power imbalances” as its
first pillar, to support the fulfilment of Christian Aid’s
strategic framework. Establishing clear linkages between
humanitarian and development work has helped the
uptake of inclusion. Throughout the ADCAP programme,
members of the inclusion working group took opportunities
to integrate inclusion across the power work, resilience
framework, core humanitarian standards roll out, as well as
thematic training in gender and protection.
ADCAP provided funding for two full-time inclusion

advisers and their training, but no partner staff
training or programmatic budget. Existing funding
61
programmes
streams were therefore used to integrate inclusion

into ongoing programme plans. The DFID Programme
Partnership Agreement (PPA) fund was a chance to trial
new approaches through existing humanitarian and
development projects. Resilience, power and inclusion
were the themes for the PPA programming period, and they
brought these strands together wherever feasible.
Initially, some staff saw inclusion as a new concept that

was beyond the remit of their work, particularly disability.
But there was less resistance when it was presented as
a means to accomplish existing strategic commitments.
In Kenya, for example, a workshop brought together
partners to explore resilience, the core humanitarian
standard and inclusion together, leading to a revisiting of
the community response plans to risk. Since the end of the
PPA period, the resilience and inclusion themes have been
expanded through the DFID funded programme Linking
Preparedness, Response and Resilience.
This programme aims to identify and apply the

recommendations and perceptions of crisis survivors,
on how humanitarian response could better strengthen
and not undermine long-term community resilience
building. Looking at gender, age and disability across
resilience building requires assessing risk for all community
members, resulting in community action plans that
represent and involve everyone, not just the majority.
For example, within Kenya, the community action
plans prepared with pastoral communities responding
to drought in the Marsabit area are now being revised
62
programmes
through consultations with older people and people with

disabilities. In Myanmar, where complex conflict response
work is taking place, inclusion is being applied to aid
disbursement of cash grants for community self-help
initiatives through local partners.
The core humanitarian standard is another way of bringing

together strands of humanitarian and development
work. Diversity lies at the heart of the standard, and a
simple mapping of the inclusion issues against the core
humanitarian standard principles, has helped to combine
the two together. For example, Christian Aid has trialled
the collection of disaggregated data in various pilots, to
identify and address diverse barriers and capacities; this
requirement is now being introduced across Christian Aid
programmes. Training sessions on the core humanitarian
standard have been held, where inclusion was integrated
to strengthen the implementation of the standard.20
Christian Aid is bringing together common criteria for
both inclusion and the core humanitarian standard into
evaluations. Country strategy papers and annual reporting
formats now have a section on reporting on inclusion — a
strong indicator that in future country programmes will be
addressing inclusion across their work.
63
Through ADCAP, organisations have changed their

policies, practices and standard operating procedures
to embed age and disability inclusion. To achieve this,
inclusion advisers have encouraged their organisations to
recognise the intersections between social identities, such
as gender, age and disability, and how different forms of
discrimination affect each other. This is often called an
intersectional approach. In practical terms, this has meant
ADCAP implementing organisations have been examining
the needs and capacities of their target groups in more
complex ways.
At the onset of ADCAP in 2014, the more specialist

organisations, such as HelpAge International Pakistan
and CBM Kenya, had either age or disability as their
organisational mandate. Christian Aid UK and Christian
Aid Kenya were more generalist, but had gender as their
mandate. Concern Worldwide Pakistan and Islamic Relief
Worldwide had a mandate of working with “vulnerable
groups.”
The use of generic categories such as “vulnerable groups”

can overlook specific barriers faced by older people,
people with disabilities,21 or social minorities. Others
critique this approach for lacking contextual sensitivity
and understanding.22 Prior to ADCAP, the work of the
generalist organisations reflected such issues, and suffered
from the lack of capacity and understanding needed
for gender-sensitive age and disability inclusion. Their
work with undifferentiated “vulnerable groups,” focused
on vulnerability without a recognition of capacities, and
they were relatively inexperienced in integrating age and
64
disability in their work. Similarly, ADCAP implementing

organisations who had focused on working with older
people, with people with disabilities, or on gender equality,
did not pay sufficient attention to how these identities
intersect with each other.
For ADCAP implementing organisations, looking at the

intersections of gender, age and disability has meant
reassessing their approach to social identities and
recognising their complexities. Michael Mwendwa,
inclusion adviser for CBM, an organisation that works on
inclusion of people with disabilities, addresses this, “for
us, disability is the key. That is not going to change. It is
our mission and it inspires our policies and processes. But
we now have cross cutting concepts of age and gender
[…] So we are looking at disability as an intersectional
issue.” Similarly, Sharon Kibor, inclusion adviser with
Christian Aid Kenya, says, “my biggest learning is that
most organisations hesitate to start something new. So
the idea should be to look for entry points in our current
work that link with or have synergy with inclusion work.”
Claire Grant, inclusion adviser with Christian Aid UK, has
opened up inclusion in their core gender justice work. “We
have had conversations with gender staff to say, ‘how can
we look at equality for all if we are not actually exploring
the intersections within our gender work? What happens
when we say leave no one behind, we’ve got a woman with
disability, or we’ve got somebody who is older?”
The promotion of gender, disability and age intersectional

work within the Kenya Red Cross Society, a generalist
organisation with a gender focus, was initiated on the
65
basis of a set of new inclusion policies. Prior to ADCAP,

the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red
Crescent Societies had adopted a gender and diversity
framework for humanitarian responses. The Kenya Red
Cross Society had also ratified a disability mainstreaming
policy and a social inclusion policy. Given this supportive
policy background, the Kenya Red Cross Society focused
on their practical implementation. The inclusion adviser
has developed guidelines to implement their disability
mainstreaming and social inclusion policies. Uptake of
inclusion within the organisation is an ongoing process,
with dissemination of these policy documents to
governance and management staff taking place. Training
on approaches to age and disability inclusion and its
messaging are embedded in the implementation of the
gender and diversity inclusion frameworks, because
they are accepted by the staff as part of its mandate and
founding principles. Approaches to age and disability
inclusion are also incorporated in the Red Cross action
team and surge team training. The sessions explore how to
make interventions gender, age and disability inclusive.
Concern Worldwide reviewed their programming

approach following the organisational assessment, which
focused on their equality policy. They agreed to identify
the diverse needs of the affected population. Following
many discussions, and lobbying by the inclusion adviser,
the senior management team endorsed the piloting of
disaggregated data collection and the development of
diversity based action plans under its RAPID programme.
66
• Identify entry points in current work that can link

with or have synergy with inclusion work. Promote
inclusion as a cross-cutting concept.23
• Highlight the intersections between social change
agendas, such as gender equity, and inclusion
work. Integrate age and disability inclusion in
social change programmes thereby making them
more inclusive.
• Promote the message that addressing the equality
agenda requires addressing diversity of needs and
capacities.
67

Christian Aid Kenya
Beyond gender to age and disability inclusion
Within Christian Aid, the inclusion advisers introduced age

and disability inclusion strategically: using an intersectional
approach and building on the organisation’s primary work
on gender. Initially there was some resistance, particularly
from gender focal staff. Questions included, “why do
you want to water down our gender work? Is it strategic
to include age and disability if we don’t have enough
capacity? We are not specialists on them. Historically,
we haven’t invested in these issues even though there
have been a few projects with a disability focus.” The
advisers responded to these concerns by emphasising
that the aim was not for Christian Aid to become experts
on a wide range of identities, but rather that the agency’s
gender work would be strengthened using an intersectional
approach to development and humanitarian work. Since
then, training and webinars by inclusion advisers have
taken a “gender plus” approach, by including age and
disability in their work.
Christian Aid launched its strategic framework in 2012. This

sets out “equality for all” as one of its change objectives,
aiming to reduce structural and gender based inequality,
and create a more inclusive world. Over the past five years,
the focus of this objective has been on “gender justice for
all.” The inclusion advisers emphasised that this framework
strategy would be strengthened by looking at other aspects
of identity such as age, disability and sexual orientation, to
68
increase the impact of the gender agenda. Where identities

overlap, there may be increased risk and reduced power
for individuals.
Regional differences in priorities and experiences, led to

differing approaches to inclusion. The inclusion advisers
had to be flexible with their language. For example, in
Asia, the emphasis was on how gender, age and disability
identities intersect with minorities and Dalit rights. In Latin
America, intersections with gender, age and disability
were explored in relation to sexual orientation and rights of
lesbian, gay, bisexuals, transsexual and intersexual (LGBTI)
people.
Country programmes now recognise the need for tools

and approaches that enable a better understanding of
vulnerability to be able to target subsets of groups, such
as women and men with disability and older women and
men. Christian Aid’s global commitments and principles
around “leave no one behind” have also helped to create
momentum for the inclusion of age and disability, and how
they crosscut with other identities.
Clear links were also made between Christian Aid’s gender

strategy and the Global Protection Cluster protection
mainstreaming principles, which emphasised work
with other marginalised identities. Similarities between
the two were identified and communicated through a
range of training tools and checklists called “inclusive
programming.” This inclusion material was shared globally
through regional workshops targeting Christian Aid’s
69
gender focal points. The gender justice strategy was

updated in 2017, to reflect how gender crosscuts with
other social identities. Two new positions were created on
gender and inclusive programming for the Asia and Africa
regions, helping to align the gender and inclusion agenda.
In 2016, Christian Aid Kenya began to focus on the

intersection of social identities through the DFID-supported
PPA project. This was working with local partners on
issues such as sexual and reproductive health, governance
and disaster risk reduction. The agency recognised that
greater awareness among partners of how social identities
cross-cut could help in making necessary adaptations
to the programming. The inclusion advisers organised
training for partners on age and disability inclusion. As a
result of participation, local partners — Transmara Rural
Development Programme, The Hive, and The Narok
integrated development programme — adapted their
programmes to address the needs of older people and
Some of the specific changes included: providing access

for Maasai older women and women with disabilities to
sexual and reproductive health services; supporting Maasai
families of women with disabilities and other ethnic minority
groups to develop sustainable economic livelihoods; and
including women with disabilities in savings groups.
The biggest challenge was that Maasai women with

disabilities had not been able to express their needs
in accessing sexual and reproductive health services
70
before. The partners opened up new conversations with

these women to address this challenge, which led the
Transmara Rural Development Programme to redesign
their health outreach programmes. Women with disabilities
were deterred by the long distance to health clinics, so
the partner worked with the county’s community health
workers, involving women with disabilities to identify their
sexual and reproductive health needs. The community
health workers now do regular home visits and identify
households that face barriers in accessing health care
— for example organising transport and adapting health
services to make them more accessible.
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Case study: CBM Kenya

Promoting inclusion as cross-cutting concept
CBM is an international Christian development

organisation, committed to improving the quality of life
of people with disabilities in the poorest countries of the
world. CBM has an international office in Germany, and
regional offices and teams. The CBM Kenya office in
Nairobi was implementing the ADCAP programme for CBM
International. Since disability inclusion was the focus of
CBM’s work, ADCAP led to explicitly including age, and
strengthening existing initiatives on disability inclusion.
The addition of age was seen by staff as “extra initiative

with an extra focal person.” Some programme staff felt that
age was outside of their mandate. Initially, staff members
lacked knowledge on age-related issues and ADCAP was
treated as a standalone project. The general attitude was
that, since older people are 60 or more and on the verge
of retirement, why should we work with them; why should
they be a target population when most of our programmes
focus on children?
Given the diverse views, the main challenge for the

inclusion adviser, Michael Mwendwa, was how to convince
staff that age was a priority in their work, and should not
be separated from disability. He gradually shifted these
attitudes through capacity building initiatives on age-
and disability-staff education days, structured training
and workshops, staff meetings, and one-to-one informal
meetings.
72
The key message was that age and gender should be seen
as core to the disability agenda. Programming language
now explicitly states that the organisation not only works
with people with disabilities, but also “girls and boys and
women and men with disabilities.” Training documents
for staff inductions in Kenya and regional offices will
communicate inclusion as a cross-cutting concept, linking
disability with gender and age.
Michael used an intersectional approach to advocate

for the inclusion of age within the CBM federation. As
a result, the working group on safeguarding adults
with disabilities, of which Michael is a member, is now
extending the disability child safeguarding policy to adults
with disabilities who are at risk of exclusion, such as older
Michael reflects that, “every time we introduce a new

concept we should mainstream it into existing practice,
policies, programmes and documents […] Mainstreaming
doesn’t mean separate interventions, or changing the core
business of the organisation. It means adapting current
interventions to include age and disability.”
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inclusion champions
Lack of awareness and training on age and disability issues

are common reasons for staff not including older people
and people with disabilities in humanitarian programmes.
To address this, ADCAP implementing organisations held
training and awareness-raising activities to sensitise staff.
While training refers to structured inputs to develop new
knowledge, understanding and skills, awareness-raising
refers to a continuous process of training, as well as
opportunistic events and processes, used to sensitise and
make people more aware about an issue.
Inclusion advisers themselves were initially the champions

for age and disability mainstreaming. As the programme
progressed they developed their own capacities and
competencies on age and disability inclusion. This was
from learning by doing, and by continuously upgrading
their knowledge, beyond the formal training and e-learning
courses organised by ADCAP. They have participated
in workshops and conferences, read extensively, and
— most importantly — learnt by interacting with older
people and people with disabilities and their representative
organisations. Structured Skype monthly meetings have
also enabled inclusion advisers to share and learn from
each other.
Their personal commitment to learn more led them

to use new methods. For example, Shafqat Ullah, the
inclusion adviser for Concern Worldwide, decided to
learn sign language. “I took the initiative to learn how to
communicate using sign language. I downloaded videos
on YouTube which show how to communicate with people
who are deaf, how to say thank you or hello. When I used
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inclusion champions
those methods to interact with people who are deaf in

communities, they were very happy and often corrected me
[…] This is one area where I want to improve — I want to
learn sign language to be able to communicate better.”
As these initial champions for inclusion progressed, they

realised they would need a bigger pool of committed
staff to achieve mainstreaming in their organisations. By
adopting new approaches and embedding inclusion, other
staff became committed champions as well.
A range of creative approaches were developed to

inspire more change agents: the first step was to create
awareness and sensitise staff about the “need for change.”
A group of senior managers from across implementing
organisations was engaged throughout the programme,
and constantly updated on progress. Sensitised senior
managers have promoted the inclusion agenda in
internal and external forums. The senior managers also
supported institutionalising the inclusion agenda within
key strategic documents and practices (see testimony of
Affan Cheema, senior management team member, Islamic
Relief Worldwide). With strong commitment and active
participation of senior management, other staff followed
suit.
Acting as initial champions internally, the inclusion advisers

were involved in influencing, lobbying and building
strategic relationships with other staff, to spread ownership
of the inclusion agenda. Relationship building was key.
They identified strategic individuals, had sensitisation
meetings with them, and created strategic working groups.
75
inclusion champions
For example, Christian Aid initiated a gender and inclusion

working group and Islamic Relief UK set up an inclusivity
and sensitivity working group. They invited other strategic
individuals to be involved in ADCAP activities to build their
commitment and knowledge. The Concern Worldwide
inclusion adviser called these individuals “change
agents,” while Christian Aid recognise them as “inclusion
champions,” giving them esteem-related motivation.
Inclusion advisers used opportunities such as the UN

International Day of Persons with Disabilities to boost
the profile of disability work within their organisations.
They shared stories of change from their work related to
inclusion of people with disabilities, inspiring others to join
in the cause. Christian Aid has documented case studies,
as evidence of change that promoted learning across the
organisation.
The Islamic Relief Pakistan humanitarian and monitoring,

evaluation and learning teams have acted as internal
champions. They encouraged staff to reflect on the
inequality and discrimination faced by older people
and people with disabilities, and to challenge cultural
thinking and behaviours that influence the organisation.
Together, they then identified ways to promote inclusion
by making changes to policy and practice. The
humanitarian team advocated the use of Do No Harm
analysis when designing programmes, applying a gender,
age and disability perspective. This refers to analysis
of a humanitarian situation to identify activities that will
not harm or divide communities, but will promote their
capacities and peace. Evidence from age and disability
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inclusion champions
inclusive projects in Kashmir and federally-administered

tribal areas was used to amend internal messaging towards
“inclusion is possible” within Islamic Relief operations.
At Concern Worldwide, training was the main strategy

employed by the inclusion adviser to identify game
changers and allies, and establish a pool of inclusion
champions. He identified key individuals, such as the
monitoring, evaluation and learning coordinator, and the
partnership coordinator. Empowering these “internal
change agents” spread responsibility for designing and
implementing inclusive projects across the organisation.
As an example of change, the new champions led the
adaptation of the RAPID programme monitoring formats
to include disaggregated data by sex, age and disability,
despite internal resistance.
ADCAP shows that once inclusion advisers are brought in,

organisations can accelerate and energise the inclusion
process by nurturing an institutional pool of champions
through advocacy, training and awareness-raising.
77
inclusion champions
• Recruit and/or appoint inclusion champions

within your organisations and develop their core
competencies, awareness and skills on inclusion
through training and exposure.
• Identify and involve strategic individuals, including
key senior staff, to co-lead on inclusion.
• Develop strategic inclusion forums or working
groups.
• Organise systematic training and
awareness-raising on age and disability inclusion
for staff.
• Carry out consistent influencing and advocacy for
inclusion highlighting the benefits to programme
quality.
• Develop and share evidence (both internal and
external) of the impact of inclusive programming.
• Create awareness of inclusion by linking with
global agendas and events, such as “leave no one
behind” and the UN International Day of Persons
with Disabilities.
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inclusion champions

Christian Aid Kenya
Developing inclusion champions at regional and
country level
Christian Aid’s approach to inclusion was to engage a wide

range of staff as inclusion champions, to firmly embed
inclusion in working culture and practice.
Initially, the organisation hired inclusion advisers in the

London head office and in the Kenya country office. This
required joint working to identify problems and gaps in
organisational processes and to address improvements.
For example, to adapt existing tools beyond a gender
focus, they needed to work with senior staff in the central
office and in country offices.
Gender-focused staff in London were initially interested

in this approach, as they could see that an intersectional
approach would support and strengthen their gender
equality work. But significant input from other country
programmes was lacking. To address this, they established
an inclusion working group representing staff in all
regions to coordinate and develop coherent approaches
to inclusion and share learning globally. The discussions
became rich and layered, channelling legitimate concerns
from country offices. They also held events, to ensure
that everyone was informed and committed to inclusive
programming.
The inclusion working group developed an inclusive

programming approach, which ensured that all diversities
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inclusion champions
are addressed within the gender framework. They trialled

and adapted the programming guidance documents
globally, through regional workshops with gender focal
points from each country office. This regional training
helped ignite passion for this work. Staff felt invested in
and supported, as they came together to share ideas and
learning, as well as find solutions to anticipated resistance
or concern.
Christian Aid has regional gender advisers, who now

also have inclusion responsibilities, following lobbying
by inclusion advisers. These regional advisers have
discussions with the country programme teams to promote
their ownership of the organisational action plans. For
example, country staff have held workshops with staff and
partners in Sierra Leone, Zimbabwe, Central America and
other locations. Surveys in Burundi and Nigeria were also
trialled using the Washington Group questions to collect
disaggregated sex, age and disability data. These partners
subsequently reviewed their community participatory
methodologies to address barriers to inclusion.
Cross-learning has been initiated through documentation of

case studies and lesson learned from inclusion practices,
which have encouraged others to champion inclusion in
their programmes.
80
inclusion champions
Testimony of:
Affan Cheema, Head of Programme Quality, Islamic
Relief Worldwide
“[As Head of Programme Quality,] all global protection
and inclusion advisers are managed by me. I gained
new skills, which evolved over time. Before the ADCAP
adviser’s engagement, I was not sensitised to the barriers
faced by older people and people with disabilities. This
issue was not part of my analysis framework and not a
systematic part of the organisation’s analysis framework.
We addressed this by ensuring that staff were sensitised
through face-to-face training and the ADCAP e-learning
courses.
Ultimately, any institutional change has to affect work

occurring at grassroots operational level. Two key aspects
were particularly challenging: too many competing
demands in country offices; and getting recognition at
Headquarters that the older people and people with
disabilities faced barriers that put them at risk of exclusion.
The risk of exclusion faced by women and children was
already recognised.
We overcame these challenges by packaging the inclusion

agenda within the “leave no one behind” banner, and
addressing age, disability and gender within one integrated
inclusion and protection discussion. This resulted in an
integrated inclusion marker tool. This helped deal with the
second challenge, whereby we convinced the organisation
that there were similarities in the approaches to these
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inclusion champions
groups at risk. We then included the concept in the global

strategy.
Senior manager champions supported us in this process,

particularly the Director of International Programmes.
Some examples of changes in the organisation include:

• processes were adjusted within needs assessment
and project management;
• new bids have mainstreamed inclusion of older people
and people with disabilities; and
• the Islamic Relief Worldwide global strategy clearly
states a commitment to at risk groups particularly
along the lines of age, gender and ability.
I now call myself an inclusion champion. I feel confident

enough to discuss a way forward on inclusion, and it is
now a core part of my analysis framework.”
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inclusion champions
Testimony of
Aneel Ahmed, RAPID Programme Partnership
Coordinator, Concern Worldwide Pakistan
I am responsible for coordinating programme

implementation with our partners in Pakistan. After
attending the first ADCAP training on age and disability
inclusion, I realised that we had not factored in enough
detail on older people and people with disabilities in our
humanitarian response projects. Since I was working
on drought response projects at that time, I took the
opportunity to use my newly gained knowledge to change
our approach to the design and implementation of these
projects. I started training and sensitising our partner teams
on age and disability inclusion. We introduced a series
of changes: adjusting our data collection and selection
criteria, and including new indicators and questions in
project monitoring to evidence inclusion of older people
and people with disabilities.
One of the key things that emerged was the role of

caregivers. Recognising how their involvement was critical
for those older people and people with disabilities who
required their support was a big learning point for me. In
partner orientation workshops, we made sure enough time
was allocated to discussing the role of caregivers and how
to engage with them, when their involvement was useful
to support the independence of older people and people
with disabilities. We also made sure that all community
meetings included these groups, or their caregiver if
they could not join in. In some villages, older people
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inclusion champions
and people with disabilities were nominated to chair the

village committees, highlighting the positive ways they can
contribute. I also feel that this effort has enlightened staff
and partners about working with these groups.
I believe we have been successful in age and disability

inclusion for two reasons. Firstly, we had the opportunity to
get training and technical support on inclusion. Secondly,
we applied this learning in our projects, giving us further
insights and assurance that inclusion is possible and
beneficial to society. At a personal level, I had the chance
to support partners too, enabling me to share learning and
good practice.
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disabilities
Older people and people with disabilities are often seen

as a burden to families and society. Stigma and prejudice
towards them is generally the root cause of discrimination,
which acts as a barrier to accessing humanitarian aid and
participating in humanitarian action. This discrimination
is not only common at the community level, but can be
equally prevalent in attitudes of staff in humanitarian
organisations.24
In the ADCAP country programmes in Pakistan and Kenya,

negative attitudes towards people with disabilities include
the belief that they are not productive, require high cost
support, and are highly dependent. People with disabilities
are also viewed with fear, pity and repulsion, especially
women with disabilities. Misconceptions about people with
disabilities multiply when they intersect with gender, age or
ethnicity. Older people also experience prejudice. Although
in Pakistan and Kenya older people command some
respect, the general misconception is that older people are
dependent and do not contribute much, due to their health
problems.
Such cultural and attitudinal barriers are difficult to

overcome and impede both the participation of older
people and people with disabilities and the provision of
support and assistance to them.25 Exclusion from services
such as health, education and social services can threaten
the wellbeing of older people and people with disabilities
and delay their recovery in humanitarian crises.26 Their
exclusion from humanitarian protection can also put them
at heightened risk of abuse and violence.27
Another important barrier is that humanitarian organisations

86
disabilities
often consider older people and people with disabilities as

vulnerable groups without any capacities.28 This leads to
them not being involved in humanitarian programmes, and
just being passive recipients of aid.
During training, ADCAP implementing partners have

worked to challenge such negative perceptions and
stereotyping. They have used positive images and videos
to tell the personal stories of older people and people with
disabilities engaged in meaningful and productive roles.
Local role models who are older people or people with
disabilities are invited to meet staff in training and other
events. Close interaction like this has changed perceptions
about older people and people and disabilities from
“people who are to be pitied” to “people with agency”.
Michael Mwendwa, the CBM inclusion adviser is an
example, as a person with albinism. He has participated
in training programmes organised by the Kenya ADCAP
team for their staff and stakeholders. Seeing Michael as
the lead trainer challenged the participants’ stereotypical
assumptions, and meant that inclusive messages coming
from him were considered more persuasive.
Experiences of exclusion and discrimination also give

many older people and people with disabilities negative
self-perceptions. ADCAP implementing organisations
have challenged these tendencies to get older people and
people with disabilities to participate and freely express
their views. HelpAge International Pakistan sensitises
staff and partners to the consequences of negative self-
perceptions in their training programmes. Anwar Sadat,
HelpAge International Pakistan’s inclusion adviser, argues
that these negative self-perceptions often result in older
87
disabilities
people and people with disabilities withdrawing from social

activities in their villages, which can lead to isolation.
The Kenya Red Cross Society has also had to challenge
negative attitudes among members of local organisations
of people with disabilities.
Promoting positive images of older people and people with

disabilities as individuals who have capabilities and skills
can be key to changing attitudes.29 ADCAP has learnt that
more positive attitudes towards older people and people
with disabilities can be developed through promoting
greater awareness among humanitarian staff about
their own prejudices and preconceptions. Training and
sensitising staff on age or disability related discrimination,
and advocating for equal rights for all, can help make
programmes inclusive and participatory.
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disabilities
• Include discussions on the effects of social stigma

and negative attitudes towards older people and
people with disabilities in training programmes.
• Work with older people and people with disabilities
to overcome their internalised negative self-
perceptions.
• Expose staff and communities to the skills and
knowledge of older people and people with
disabilities.
• Encourage interactions between staff and
communities, and older people and people with
disabilities.
• Promote the message of equal rights and non-
discrimination to staff and communities.
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disabilities
Case study: Help Age International, Pakistan
Challenging misconceptions in positive ways
The HelpAge International Pakistan inclusion adviser,

Anwar Sadat, came across stakeholders in Pakistan who
thought that older people and people with disabilities
could not participate in all activities the same way as
others – therefore it would be a wasted effort to consider
them as “potential stakeholders” of the project. Anwar
approached such situations with sensitivity, as these
beliefs are culturally entrenched. He made sure that the
training and sensitisation workshops challenged these
prejudices. He also showed positive examples, where both
older people and people with disabilities were engaged
in productive roles. For example, older people are often
excluded from livelihood programmes because they are not
considered productive beyond 60 years. Anwar showed a
video from livelihood projects where older men and women
were actively engaged and fully productive. He also gave
examples of parliamentarians and other senior members of
society who were older people and people with disabilities,
who are entrusted with high-level decision making and
responsible duties.
Sometimes stakeholders argued that the focus should

be on “normal” people first, before reaching out to other
groups like older people and people with disabilities.
This was tackled by advocating for equal rights and
access for all, helping them recognise such attitudes as
discriminatory. Anwar used simulation exercises where
participants experienced first-hand the limitations of
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disabilities
standard food packages — which were not suitable for

older people’s diets.
HelpAge International Pakistan also succeeded in

challenging stigma and prejudice by engaging older
people and people with disabilities in key positions. They
recruited an inclusion coordinator who has a disability, and
stakeholders began to see him as an inspirational figure.
When he advocated for the rights of older people and
people with disabilities, his message was seen as more
credible.
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disabilities
Overcoming negative attitudes towards people with

disabilities
Some community members in Bungoma and Turkana

County believed that disability was a curse and that it
could be transmitted. Such harmful beliefs were countered
by the Kenya Red Cross Society through community
engagements and sensitisation meetings. These focused
on demystifying disability through messaging. For example,
that disability is not caused by witchcraft or recklessness
of parents; and that anyone can become disabled, for
example through injury. They were made aware that people
with disabilities have the same rights as everyone else, as
expressed in Kenya’s constitution.
Local authorities were sensitised on social attitudes and

given messages on the rights of people with disabilities.
The project also advocated for people with disabilities to
be involved in local authorities’ planning, interventions and
services. Community health workers who work for local
authorities were mobilised by Kenya Red Cross Society
volunteers to share this messaging through their household
visits. They visited households of people with disabilities,
and exchanged information with them and, when relevant,
their caregivers or family members. Village community
meetings were used for advocacy messages on treating
people with disabilities with dignity.
As a result of this awareness-raising, people with

disabilities achieved greater participation and visibility in
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disabilities
the Kenya Red Cross Society’s humanitarian response

programming and with the local authorities. For example,
as a result of this awareness-raising, older people
and people with disabilities had improved access to
humanitarian services. Community support groups of
people with disabilities have been formed to offer peer
help and emotional support to people with disabilities. This
refers to the psychological support that people in similar
situations get from each other through peer discussions, in
this case among groups of people with disabilities. These
groups are now linked with the community health workers
and Red Cross response teams.
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and disability inclusion
Some staff working with humanitarian organisations have

common misconceptions about working with older people
and people with disabilities. These include the assumption
that working with older people and people with disabilities
needs big budgetary allocations for expensive specialist
care and will increase programming costs. They think that
this will lead to poor ‘value for money,’ as the cost per
beneficiary is higher, when compared to using a blanket
approach to programming. These misconceptions are a
key reason why some humanitarian agencies have not
made progress on inclusion. To address this, ADCAP
implementing organisations have allocated a percentage
of new programme budgets for inclusion capacity building
activities and adapted response, where needed.
Limited knowledge on inclusion also means that

humanitarian workers often treat older people and people
with disabilities as objects of charity, rather than as active
partners and change agents in humanitarian responses. For
this reason, they do not seek local involvement and local
solutions adequately. ADCAP implementing organisations
encouraged consultation with local communities, older
people and people with disabilities. For example, by
inviting local older people and people with disabilities
to participate in programme meetings, and by making
meeting venues accessible.
Many organisations see age and disability as specialist

issues to be dealt with by specialist organisations. This
is the reason that “not within my mandate” is a common
response. This is usually based on the idea that working
with these groups requires technical expertise. While this
may be true with provision of specialist services, generalist
94
organisations can establish referral links with specialist

agencies when required, while still ensuring their own
services are accessible and inclusive for these groups. For
example, HelpAge International Pakistan has developed a
referral system for both displaced communities and host
communities that require specialist services, as part of
an internally displaced peoples’ response programme in
Peshawar, Bannu and Kohat.
Some organisations wrongly believe that their programmes

are already inclusive and respond to everyone’s needs.
This belief usually stems from a misconception that the
needs of older people and people with disabilities are
similar to the general populations’, without recognising
the barriers they face in accessing mainstream services.
The inclusion adviser for HelpAge International Pakistan
conducted a simulation exercise as part of his training.
The exercise involved participants undertaking role play
about older people with sensory-motor function limitations
in humanitarian situations. This sensitised participants
to the effects of age-related changes in sensory-motor
function on daily living activities. Similarly, using Concern
Worldwide’s equality policy as a springboard, their
inclusion adviser initiated discussions on how to avoid
treating all at-risk groups as an homogenous group.
This revealed a limited understanding about the barriers
faced by and capacities of older people and people with
disabilities.
The monitoring, evaluation and learning coordinator for

Concern Worldwide summed this up:
95
“We thought we were inclusive in our approach, but

suddenly realised that we didn’t have a common
definition of old age, and we were not aware of different
types of disabilities or how to collect such detailed
information […] only after undergoing a training
session did we understand the importance of collecting
disaggregated data.”
The inclusion adviser has now persuaded the organisation

to address the diversity of needs through its equality
policies and practices.
Another misconception is that older people and

people with disabilities form a small percentage of the
population, and hence do not need specific attention.
This misconception can result from a lack of data on
these groups. To tackle this, the Kenya Red Cross Society
collected disaggregated data on gender and diversity in
local households, and used it to advocate with the county
leadership to develop more inclusive responses. New
age and disability data collected by Concern Worldwide
in Sindh province, Pakistan, has similarly been used
by district authorities to adapt their development and
humanitarian response plans.
ADCAP organisations have followed a twin track approach

to address these challenges: mainstreaming the inclusion
of older people and people with disabilities in general
programming; and delivering targeted interventions for
these groups wherever required, including use of referral
services.
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• Spread the message that inclusion does not need

specialist skills but is about addressing barriers to
respond to a diversity of needs, which improves the
quality of humanitarian programmes.30
• Adopt a twin track approach that mainstreams age
and disability inclusion in all ongoing programmes,
along with targeted interventions to address
barriers, using referral services if necessary.
• Use statistical evidence generated from sex, age
and disability disaggregated data to challenge
individual or organisational misconceptions.
• Engage older people and people with disabilities
to help challenge perceptions and find solutions
to barriers. Develop solutions in consultation
with local communities to overcome barriers that
impede involvement of these groups.
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Case study: HelpAge International Pakistan
Countering internal resistance
In Pakistan, myths about older people and people with

disabilities were leading to their invisibility in humanitarian
responses. To address this problem, the inclusion
adviser, Anwar Sadat, presented compelling data on the
demographic shift in Pakistan. This illustrated how older
people would soon outnumber the younger population,
meaning that organisations needed systems in place to
provide accessible and appropriate services. In 2017,
a new national census collected data on people with
disabilities, after a gap of 19 years. There are some
concerns that the data collected may under-represent
people with disabilities due to stigma and prejudice, and a
lack of sensitisation and training of census staff about the
collection of data on people with disabilities. To prepare
for this, HelpAge International Pakistan is conducting a
primary survey in 20 villages across four districts, aiming
to compare these results against the census data, and use
the findings to raise awareness among stakeholders.
When disability inclusion was discussed in HelpAge

International Pakistan initially, colleagues were
apprehensive. The response was, “including disability
within our mandate would increase the caseload, and we’ll
be competing with organisations specialising in disability.”
In response, Anwar gave the example of Concern
Worldwide, a generalist organisation that had successfully
used the Washington Group questions and were collecting
and using sex, age and disability disaggregated data.
98
This showed that HelpAge International Pakistan did not

require any specialist skills to collect data on disability, and
that it would improve programme quality, encouraging the
acceptance of disability inclusion.
99
Effective recovery after disasters requires trained staff who

are competent in age and disability inclusive responses.31
Emergency responders, humanitarian organisations, and
local authorities are often not aware of the rights of older
people and people with disabilities and the barriers they
face.32 Greater awareness of age and disability is needed
among staff of all international and national NGOs, national
and local governments.33
ADCAP inclusion advisers have used a range of methods

to improve their competencies, as noted in change
theme 4.5. Tracking competency change of the inclusion
advisers through the ADCAP competency framework
(see Appendix 3) shows that formally organised ADCAP
trainings and exposures, self-learning, and learning by
doing, have contributed to their competency progress.
ADCAP implementing organisations, supported by
inclusion advisers, have used field-based training and skills
development for their staff, to build a pool of humanitarians
who are equipped with the knowledge to design
programmes that are inclusive. ADCAP e-learning courses
(see Appendix 4) were used and promoted by inclusion
advisers to develop their own competencies and those of
their colleagues and partners.
Inclusion advisers have trained their needs assessment

teams on how to identify people with disabilities in the
community through the use of the Washington Group
questions; how to communicate with older people and
people with disabilities; and how to implement the sector
specific guidelines, based on pilot ADCAP minimum
standards on age and disability inclusion in humanitarian
action. These pilot minimum standards version are now
100
replaced by the Humanitarian inclusion standards for older

people and people with disabilities (see Appendix 4).
Inclusion advisers have built capacities of staff at different

levels within their organisations by taking into account
their internal ways of working. For example, given that the
Kenya Red Cross Society primarily works with volunteers,
training was organised with county volunteer teams.
These teams were encouraged to develop gender, age
and disability inclusive emergency action plans at county
level. Concern Worldwide Pakistan works with local
organisations and implements projects in partnership with
them. Their strategy is therefore to train not only their own
staff but also their local partners.
In addition to developing skills and capacities of staff,

ADCAP implementing organisations have conducted
external stakeholder analysis in Kenya and Pakistan.
This is to enable them to identify organisations they can
influence, to implement inclusive practices within their
own work. These include local NGOs, governmental
departments, local organisations of older people and
people with disabilities, and international humanitarian
organisations. The inclusion advisers have used different
forums and opportunities to spark discussions among
these stakeholders as a way of identifying and overcoming
barriers to inclusion. Many also participated in training on
approaches to age and disability inclusion and capacity
building sessions.
The priority of ADCAP implementing organisations has

been to strengthen their own capacities and expertise in
inclusive humanitarian programming. As they benefit from
101
experience and evidence from the field, these organisations

can begin to influence wider practices in the sector. In
particular, sex, age and disability disaggregated data are
being used to advocate for greater visibility and inclusive
responses with local and district authorities in Pakistan
and Kenya. ADCAP pilot minimum standards for age and
disability inclusion have been translated in local languages
and adapted to suit local contexts by the National
Disaster Management Authority, Pakistan. The Federally
Administered Tribal Areas’ Disaster Management Authority
(FDMA) in Pakistan has decided to mainstream age and
disability inclusion in all humanitarian responses in these
areas. The authority has also broadly followed the ADCAP
model of inclusion, and appointed an inclusion coordinator.
Training has been organised for local organisations by the
FDMA inclusion coordinator with support from the HelpAge
International inclusion adviser. The Kenya Red Cross
Society has trained its volunteers, partner organisations
and county authorities about their work on gender-sensitive
age and disability inclusion.
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• Adopt the ADCAP inclusion adviser model and use

ADCAP training and e-learning courses to develop
staff competencies.
• Strengthen the core knowledge of humanitarian
staff to ensure a basic understanding of inclusive
programming and humanitarian inclusion
standards.
• Impart inclusion knowledge and skills to staff
through training, mentoring and learning by doing.
• Encourage trained staff to undertake sex, age
and disability disaggregated data collection and
analysis, to support their projects.
• Encourage humanitarian actors to adopt age and
disability inclusive practices, and mentor them
when implementing inclusive programmes.
• Build staff capacities on how to address the
barriers faced by older people and people with
disabilities affected by crisis. Train staff on
communicating effectively with these groups.
103
Case study: Concern Worldwide Pakistan

Inclusion capacity building for local partners
Concern Worldwide Pakistan has collected comprehensive

disaggregated data on older people and people with
disabilities in Sindh province, under their RAPID project.
These data were further endorsed by the local government
including the Provincial Disaster Management Authority
(PDMA) and other humanitarian actors in the region –
also struggling with lack of data on these groups. Some
have used the data to inform their own programmes;
local government authorities have used it to provide
humanitarian assistance to affected communities.
Concern Worldwide has also encouraged three local

RAPID partners to adopt an inclusive approach. Some
initial hesitation was overcome with training and capacity
building of their staff. A focal point on inclusion was
identified within each partner organisation; a one-day
sensitisation workshop was held with partner staff to
build support for the changes; and training helped to
win over staff, partners and the community. The training
provided the practical “know-how” on how programming
can be adjusted to make it age and disability inclusive.
Staff also focused on changing the attitudes of partners
and the wider community, using video to convey positive
messages and stories. The lessons from this show the
value of planning and resourcing for in-depth sensitisation
of partner staff and the wider community on inclusion.
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Case study: CBM, Kenya

Sharing knowledge on inclusion with stakeholders
The ADCAP Kenya team identified the UN’s Inter-Agency

Working Group (IAWG) Kenya as a key external stakeholder
for influencing inclusion or older people and people with
disabilities in NGO agendas. Following lobbying by the
CBM-ADCAP Kenya team, the working group made age
and disability inclusion the core theme for its September
2016 conference. The conference was attended by 142
participants from organisations across Kenya. Key agendas
within the Sustainable Development Goals such as “leave
no one behind” were used to sensitise the audience
towards inclusion.
ADCAP’s work was also shared in the conference, and as

a result IAWG decided to form a new age and disability
inclusion sub-group. This sub-group was launched in April
2017 and currently has nine member organisations, with
CBM as its interim chair, and Christian Aid as its interim
co-chair. In June 2017, the IAWG sub-group held its first
workshop using ADCAP training resources, involving 24
participants from IAWG member organisations. ADCAP
Kenya shared experiences and models of working for the
inclusion of older people and people with disabilities. The
workshop resulted in individual inclusion action plans from
participants.
105
Case study: Islamic Relief Pakistan

Encouraging and mentoring staff for inclusion
Equipping staff with knowledge on inclusion through
training and ongoing personalised support was the key
to building competency by the inclusion adviser, Farooq
Masih. Farooq organised a two-day training of trainers for
departmental staff, so they could cascade the inclusion
message to their teams. They did simulation exercises
that challenged them to reflect on inclusion practices
and change the way they worked. Each two-day session
was followed by technical training on a specific theme.
Farooq encouraged learning by doing and gave colleagues
personal support, so that he could understand their
individual motivations and address any reluctance or
concerns. This helped to build trust and confidence in him
among colleagues, who then explored solutions actively
with him. He carried out visits to field teams where he
trained, mentored and encouraged them. For example,
in the internally displaced people crisis response, he ran
a two-day training for the WASH field team, followed by
technical support on how to make latrines and water
supply accessible on the sites. Farooq also encouraged
colleagues to attend external events, such as job fairs for
people with disabilities or awareness activities held on the
UN International Day for Persons with Disabilities. This was
to enable them to better understand how inclusion aligned
with other agendas such as “leave no one behind” and the
core humanitarian standard commitments.
106
107
in all aspects of humanitarian programming
In emergency situations, older people and people with

disabilities are commonly not consulted about their
capacities, and the barriers they face in accessing and
participating in humanitarian assistance and protection.34
Often information is not shared with them, leading to a
limited awareness of available services and resources. This
comes from a misconception that older people and people
with disabilities are passive, and lack decision making
capacities. ADCAP’s work demonstrates that older people
and people with disabilities are valuable resources when
it comes to designing and implementing humanitarian
programming.
In some countries and contexts, discrimination and cultural

barriers may prevent women speaking out in front of men,
or may inhibit them from voicing their concerns.35 ADCAP
experience in Pakistan shows that having female staff in
needs assessment and response teams can ensure that
their voices are counted and that they get the support they
require. ADCAP’s work in Pakistan has also engaged older
women and men in community mobilisation. Islamic Relief
Pakistan recognised that older women and men were well
placed to identify groups at risk of discrimination. They
began to engage older women and men in the Federally
Administered Tribal Areas — where there are challenges in
relation to gender equality — to support the project team
in identifying at-risk groups during needs assessment and
relief distribution. They also trained people with disabilities
to contribute to response and risk reduction. For example,
a 38-year-old man, whose upper limb was amputated, was
an active member of his village disaster risk management
committee. He attended five days of training on
108
community-based disaster risk management. As a certified

trainer, he now trains members of other village disaster risk
management committees.
Wherever older people associations or organisations of

people with disabilities existed, Islamic Relief’s project
teams consulted them throughout the programme.
HelpAge International Pakistan also involved older people
and people with disabilities by getting feedback on
services through the programme’s mid-term evaluation.
Recognising the mediation and leadership skills of older

people and people with disabilities, Concern Worldwide
has encouraged them to chair the village committees. One
example is a village elder in the Sindh province, who has
a physical disability, and who is now the village committee
chair. Previously he faced discrimination and neglect
from his relatives and community. The local partner, Sami
Foundation, identified his coordination skills during the
needs assessment. Now people see him as a role model,
and he has been instrumental in advocating for the rights of
older people and people with disabilities.
In communities where women could participate while

still adhering to the purdah system — a practice wherein
younger women in particular have to cover their faces and
body either partially or fully in public — Concern Worldwide
staff have, in discussion with the participating women,
encouraged the older women to speak up on behalf of all
women, as they command respect within the community.
Staff engaged with older people and people with
disabilities along with their caregivers, where required, to
109
get essential information for the needs assessment teams.

Older people and people with disabilities were involved in
auditing the interventions. A WASH project, for example,
redesigned a hand pump project to be accessible, by
making sure that people with disabilities themselves tested
the devices’ appropriateness and ease of use.
The Kenya Red Cross Society’s experience shows that

engaging organisations of people with disabilities in
training leads to improvements in the programme design.
They learned about new barriers faced by people with
disabilities, such as information barriers in preparedness
phases. Involvement of organisations of people with
disabilities in needs assessment and response activities
also made these organisations aware of the different
services offered by the Kenya Red Cross Society and local
authorities. As a result, the organisations have been able to
demand better access to the services.
Christian Aid’s consultation processes included individual

and group discussions with older people and people with
disabilities about their capacities, their needs, and the
barriers they faced. This sensitised local partners in Kenya,
leading to changes in their consultation processes and
programmes (see theme 4.4 Christian Aid case study).
110
• Be open and willing to work with and learn from

older people and people with disabilities and their
representative organisations.
• Use contextually sensitive strategies to overcome
entrenched social barriers and to involve older
women and men and women and men with
disabilities.
• Involve older women and men, and women and
men with disabilities, in programmes. Appoint
them to skilled roles, such as training and auditing.
• Consult with older women and men, and women
and men with disabilities, when developing
programmes, to better understand and overcome
the barriers they face.
• Collaborate with organisations representing older
people and people with disabilities, and support
them in their advocacy activities.
111

Working with local organisations of people with
disabilities in humanitarian responses
The Kenya Red Cross Society has worked closely with
local organisations of people with disabilities in its
responses to the 2017 floods in Bungoma and Turkana
counties, by involving older people and people with
disabilities on a pilot basis. This was a new experience
for the Kenya Red Cross Society, initiated since ADCAP
started, and has led to institutional learning on how to
mainstream age and disability inclusion in humanitarian
responses.
In response to the floods, the Kenya Red Cross Society

undertook a mapping of organisations for people
with disabilities in Bungoma and Turkana. To select
partners, they identified the most active organisations
that represented people with different disabilities. These
organisations maintained full registers of people with
disabilities. Initially, the Kenya Red Cross Society planned
to work with the organisations to identify and target
potential beneficiaries, disaggregating them further into
age groups, so that they could also include older people
with disabilities in their flood response programme.
They started with basic sensitisation sessions with

the selected organisations which revealed some basic
concerns of people with disabilities, including a lack of
information on preparedness and evacuations plans,
and poor access to health services after the crisis. They
112
learned that families sometimes hid their children with

disabilities due to stigma, and some people with disabilities
had experienced being left behind by their family during
emergencies. The importance of these concerns led the
Kenya Red Cross Society to re-evaluate the role of these
organisations. They realised they could play an active role
in achieving inclusive preparedness and awareness-raising
among older people, people with disabilities, caregivers,
and the wider communities. The Kenya Red Cross Society
also began to empower these local organisations of
people with disabilities to demand inclusive humanitarian
responses from the local county structures.
As a next stage, the Kenya Red Cross Society trained

selected focal points within these local organisations
of people with disabilities in rights-based advocacy,
early warning, evacuation, first aid, security, access to
health and referral services, and livelihood regeneration.
Given that the focal persons were themselves people
with disabilities, the Kenya Red Cross Society had
to adapt the way they delivered the training and their
communication methods, making them accessible. For
example, accessible venues were chosen, sign language
interpreters from these local organisations were used, and
training materials in local languages focused on pictorial
messaging.
After this training, the Kenya Red Cross Society registered

members of the local organisations as volunteers on
response teams in these counties. They also became
involved in developing flood response plans along with
113
local authorities. These interactions sensitised local

authorities to issues affecting older people and people with
disabilities. This resulted in these authorities improving the
accessibility of food rations and cash-based assistance.
The local organisations received start-up funds for
business development plans and income generation
projects for older people and people with disabilities,
leading to their economic empowerment. Based on the
needs assessment, these groups could access health
services and assistive devices. The Kenya Red Cross
Society also referred people who required medical
support to the relevant services. They worked closely with
older people and people with disabilities throughout this
process, involving caregivers if required.
Involving local organisations directly in the response

programmes in this way meant developing a relationship
of trust — through listening, involvement and constant
dialogue. Lillian Matemu, the ADCAP inclusion adviser,
played a pivotal role in these changes. “[…] However much
we would have done with our skills and interventions,
we would not have had the bigger impacts we have had
through community involvement and empowerment,
and ownership of responses by the communities. This
would never have been possible without the people with
disabilities and older people at the forefront. Going forward,
even without ADCAP, this means people themselves
advocating for their rights.” These local organisations have
now developed their own policy document on inclusion in
humanitarian responses and are further developing their
skills to implement it.
114
The pilot work in Bungoma and Turkana, having highlighted

the importance of involving organisations of people with
disabilities, is now being integrated across the Kenya Red
Cross Society’s humanitarian responses.
115
116
Summing up
Left: © Age International/Hereward Holland
117
5. Summing up
The ADCAP experience demonstrates that age and

disability inclusion can be achieved to a high standard
when humanitarian organisations commit to putting older
people and people with disabilities at the centre of all
processes.
This means committing to systematically include

older people and people with disabilities in all their
organisational policies, procedures and programmes.
Identifying and overcoming social, environmental and

organisational barriers is key to the inclusion of older
people and people with disabilities. ADCAP inclusion
advisers and implementing organisations have vigorously
challenged harmful attitudes and misconceptions
towards these groups, by involving them in seeking
solutions, awareness-raising and collecting and acting on
disaggregated data.
ADCAP implementing organisations have changed their

own policies, practices and organisational frameworks
to make them inclusive. This has led them to both adapt
their ongoing programmes and to design new inclusive
programmes. It has also resulted in a positive shift in staff
attitudes towards older people and people with disabilities.
To follow suit, other humanitarian organisations can adopt
their broad vision of inclusion. Organisations can start
by addressing inclusion in their existing programmes,
where there may be gaps and intersectoral issues to
address. They need to look beyond inclusive humanitarian
responses by incorporating inclusion in longer-term
development processes and risk reduction programmes.
118
5. Summing up
ADCAP has developed several resources which can be

used to support organisational change (see Appendix 4).
Having management and staff who are competent and

committed to inclusion, backed up by robust organisational
structures, will facilitate these changes, as the work of
ADCAP inclusion advisers demonstrates. Small initial
investments, such as appointing an inclusion focal person,
equipped with training on age and disability inclusion
approaches, can catalyse the process. In addition, leaders
of humanitarian organisations must invest in, support
and develop inclusion champions; make the workplace
accessible for older people and people with disabilities;
and employ these groups. These strategies will be key to
building momentum internally, accelerating and energising
the change process. The result will be a growing cohort of
humanitarian organisations and workers who are equipped
to design and deliver inclusive programmes.
Given that organisations have signed up to national

and international obligations to deliver impartial and
accountable humanitarian assistance that is responsive to
the needs and capacities of older people and people with
disabilities, the inclusion process needs to be prioritised.
Adapting these good practices would be a significant step
towards meeting these commitments.
119
120
Appendices
Left: © Age International/Hereward Holland
121
inclusion assessment
DOMAIN A: Organisational policy and commitment

A1. The organisation has a specific policy commitment to
age and disability inclusion, signed off by the board and
disseminated to staff. The organisation (including the board
and senior management) take action to implement it.
A2. Staff are encouraged to take practical steps to include
older people and people with disabilities in their work.
A3. Age and disability issues are frequently raised by staff in
organisation and programme meetings and discussions.
A4. Age and disability issues are taken into account in strategic
planning processes — and are visible in organisational
strategies, aims and objectives.
A5. Specific financial resources are allocated to support
age and disability inclusion within the organisation and its
programmes.
A6. The organisation maintains active partnerships and
network collaboration with age- and disability-specialised
organisations including disabled people’s and older people’s
organisations.
A7. Organisational policies (HR, employment, safeguarding and
protection policies etc.) include a commitment to equal access
for all to services and employment.
A8. The organisation makes provision to ensure that people
with disabilities and older people have equal opportunities for
employment and volunteering, and equal access to office and
project sites.
A9. Age and disability awareness is included in job descriptions
and job performance appraisals.
A10. The organisation monitors, analyses and reports on the
age and diversity of staff and volunteers and their positions.
TRAFFIC LIGHT (RAG) RATING* NOTES**

DOMAIN B. Project and programme design,

implementation and review
B1. Older people and people with disabilities (men, women,
boys and girls) are systematically included and identified
in data collection (formats for assessment, registration and
evaluation disaggregate data by sex, age and disability).
B2. Needs assessments systematically include direct
consultation with older people and people with disabilities
and their carers (women and men, boys and girls) — their
perspectives are actively sought (e.g. formats and guidelines
specify this, & this is reported on).
B3. Project staff consult with older people and people
with disabilities on practical ways to overcome barriers to
participation and access to services and protection.
B4. Project activities, services and facilities are designed to
maximise access and participation of older people and people
with disabilities (women and men, boys and girls).
B5. Targeted assistance is provided where particular needs of
older people and people with disabilities have been identified
(e.g. appropriate NFIs).
B6. People with disabilities and older people with specific
needs requiring special technical attention are referred to
organisations with the relevant expertise, and this is followed
up.
B7. Reporting formats include specific sections for reporting
on project progress on steps to improve access, participation
and address protection issues for older people and people
with disabilities (men, women, boys and girls).
124
125
DOMAIN B. Project and programme design,

implementation and review
B8. Projects use a variety of communication methods, media
and information channels so that older people and people
with disabilities can access and respond to all important
information, including processes for providing feedback.
B9. People with disabilities and older people participate in
monitoring and evaluation alongside other people affected by
crisis; project committees include older people and people
with disabilities and promote their active participation.
B10. The TORs for project evaluations examine and report on
the extent of access and participation for older people and
people with disabilities (women and men, boys and girls).
126
127
DOMAIN C. Technical capacity, knowledge and skills

C1. The organisation has staff at appropriate levels (including
senior level), trained to support and monitor cross-organisation
and partner activities to deliver age- and disability-inclusive
responses.
C2. Induction and training for all staff provides information
on the rights of people with disabilities and older people and
the importance of including them in all programmes including
humanitarian response.
C3. Staff are aware of key issues and basic statistics
concerning age and disability in their own country and
programme context.
C4. Programme staff and volunteers are aware of:
• examples of disability-, age- and gender-based
discrimination — and how this limits participation;
• risks that may affect people with disabilities and older
people (e.g. difficulty accessing services, risks of gender-
based violence (GBV) and exploitation — particularly for
women and girls);
• the importance of collecting, analysing and using sex,
age- and disability-disaggregated data.
C5. There is a set of tools and resources which are used by
programme staff to gather disaggregated data.
C6. There is a set of tools and resources which are used by
programme staff to consult and communicate with women and
men of all ages and abilities.
128
129
DOMAIN C. Technical capacity, knowledge and skills

C7. Project staff demonstrate the ability to identify and
respond to barriers to participation for older people and
people with disabilities in consultations, field visits and training
activities.
C8. Teams carrying out project implementation and
assessment or evaluation assignments include at least one
person trained on age and disability inclusion.
C9. Each technical team or unit includes at least one person
with knowledge and skills on age and disability inclusion for
their sector (e.g. WASH, food security etc.).
C10. Programme staff are aware of the Minimum Standards
for Age and Disability Inclusion in Humanitarian Action (or
alternative) and have used these in their specific role.
130
* RED = none, or negligible evidence;

AMBER = some/ad hoc evidence;
GREEN = the criterion is fully met and systematically applied
** Note here key strengths, gaps and suggestions of what

priorities could be addressed – in the Organisational Action
Plan
131
Appendix 2: Age and disability organisational action
plan
Introduction
This tool is intended to set out a commitment and basic
‘road map’ for action on Age and Disability Inclusion in
your organisation. Organisational Action Plans (OAP)
need a ‘high-level’ commitment in order to be successful.
Therefore in order it must be signed off by the Senior
Management of the organisation. This document provides
a suggested format for this plan.
The plan should be developed by the Senior

Management Team following completion and review
of an Organisational Age and Disability Inclusion
Assessment.
The Age and Disability Inclusion Adviser in your

organisation will monitor progress on the plan and share
a report with the ADCAP Programme Management Team
every quarter.
The Age and Disability Inclusion Adviser will support the

priority changes identified in the plan. However, successful
implementation will require leadership and support
from other staff and managers in your organisation. It is
important to identify ‘co-leads’ that can be responsible
for moving forward each priority change.
The action plan is in two sections.

Section 1: A top-line statement which describes how
the organisation aims to change its practice to be more
inclusive of older people and people with disabilities?
What does it aim to do differently and how will this lead to
improved access and participation for older people and
people with disabilities?
132
plan
Section 2: A set of key priorities that have been prioritised

for action during the programme period. These are likely to
include changes in organisational policy and commitment,
in project implementation and in skills or knowledge.
Remember that changes in policy and skills need to be
accompanied by changes in behaviour and practice in
order to make a real positive impact for older people and
Section 1. Overall Change Statement: What will be

different about your organisation, its programmes and its
technical capacity by the end of the ADCAP programme?
How will this improve access and participation for older
people and people with disabilities in humanitarian action?
Change statement:
“[organisation name] will…….
133
plan
Section 2. Change Priorities

‘Change Priorities’ are the key shifts that have been
identified at the level of organisational policy, programme
implementation and/or technical capacity which can be
achieved during the ADCAP programme period. These
should be specific and observable, and should reflect a
dimension of changed behaviour or activity in order to
make a meaningful difference.
The categories in the assessment can be used as a

guide, but the ‘change priority’ should be specific to
your organisational context. It is not necessary to identify
changes for each of the ‘domains’ (Organisational Policy,
Programmes and Technical Capacities). However, the plan
should seek to make the most impact given the resources
available.
The Age and Disability Inclusion Adviser will support

the change priority identified in the plan. But successful
implementation will require leadership and support from
other staff and managers in your organisation. Therefore,
a ‘co-lead’ should be identified for each change, who will
take responsibility for moving the priority forward.
The identified ‘change priorities’ must be ambitious but

achievable within the timeframe of the project.***
*** For most ADCAP Partners, the Programme Agreement

is up to 31 August 2017. However, the implementation
period can be considered up to February 2017, and
corresponds to the period that Age and Disability Inclusion
Advisers are in place.
134
plan
Domain A. Organisational policies and commitment

Change Priorities Name of ‘co-lead’ Due date
1.
2.
3.
Domain B. Project and programme design, implementation

and review
1.
2.
3.
Domain C. Technical capacity, knowledge and skills

1.
2.
3.
Signed:
Senior Manager (name, designation)
Signed:
ADCAP Programme Age & Disability Inclusion Adviser
Signed:
ADCAP Inclusion Adviser’s Line Manager
135
Appendix 3: Technical Competency Framework
Inclusion Competency Framework: Technical Competencies

Level 1 Level 2 Level 3
Inclusion know-how — Demonstrate an understanding of,
and the ability to apply in practice, the theory and research
dimensions of inclusive humanitarian action
Sound Proven ability Demonstrated
understanding of to support experience of
risks, needs, rights development of supporting inclusive
and capacities proposals that are programme
of older people gender-sensitive, development and
and people with ageing and implementation,
disabilities in disability inclusive internally and with
humanitarian crisis partners
Sound Proven ability Proven ability to
understanding to improve support gender-
of gender- organisational sensitive ageing
sensitive, age and capacity to and disability
disability inclusive include gender- inclusive programme
humanitarian sensitive, ageing evaluation and
programme cycle and disability learning
and knowledge issues (including,
of associated key but not limited to
resources programmes, plans,
policies, and staff
training)
136
Knowledge and Able to identify Able to consistently

understanding strengths as use inclusion-
of how to well as prioritise sensitive indicators
implement and relevant gender to monitor and
promote Minimum sensitive ageing track changes in
Standards of and disability programme plans
Inclusion concerns/gaps and work processes
in organisational
Able to conduct an approach to
inclusion analysis of humanitarian
the organisation’s programming
humanitarian
programming
Approach
Proven ability to Able to identify Demonstrated ability
conduct gender converging to propose strategies
and social and diverging to address common
analysis using the approaches to needs of older
knowledge and include ageing people and people
understanding and disability in with disabilities in
around intersection humanitarian action humanitarian crises
between ageing,
disability and
gender
137
Knowledge of Well developed Contributes

national and understanding expertise on gender-
international legal of protection sensitive ageing and
frameworks, programming disability inclusive
policies and and protection humanitarian
guidelines on mainstreaming programmes across
gender, protection with a robust sectors
of women and understanding
girls, older people around needs and
and people with concerns of older
disabilities people and people
with disabilities
Drive and manage change: Enable organisations to integrate
gender, ageing and disability into humanitarian practice and
policies
Sound Works in Able to understand
understanding collaboration with the workings of the
of organisational different teams complex systems
frameworks, to tackle issues that makeup the
work culture and and problems organisation and the
knowledge of without damaging sector
organisational relationships
programme and
policy development
process
Knowledge of Works Able to scan, reflect
key stakeholders interdependently and identify learning
both internal with key and ensure insights
and external — stakeholders — are used to develop
with an ability to being both decisive individual, group
understand their and assertive, as and organisational
perspectives and well as diplomatic capabilities
motivations
138
Sound Uses different Demonstrates

understanding strategies to successful
of theories influence and application of
and models of enthuse diverse change theories,
individual, team parties through tools and processes
and organisational advocacy, vision in support of
change, with and drive, and inclusion goals
an ability to builds a solid
identify relevant platform for change
organisational
change model/s
that best represents
their own
organisation
Proven ability Demonstrates Able to understand
to create the ability to formulate, why evidence has
case for change guide and steer not been taken
and develop an key stakeholders into account by
inclusion strategy in implementing a decision makers and
based on the credible Inclusion effectively challenges
Organisational Action Plan with the decision —
Action Plan in appropriate by outlining the
collaboration with goals and review implications
senior management mechanisms
139
Advocacy: Advocates with, and on behalf, of older and disabled

people to influence humanitarian stakeholders to improve
access to needs based assistance
Scans the internal Advocates across Influences decision-
and external the sector for the making in the sector
environment, development of to develop ageing
identifies policies, guidelines and disability friendly
opportunities and procedures humanitarian policies
and threats, key to include older and programmes by
stakeholders, and people and persons sharing key data and
those likely to with disabilities analysis
oppose change, in humanitarian
seeks out allies and programmes
partners
Able to develop Uses evidence- Influences the
evidence- based advocacy development of
based advocacy inclusion messages policies, procedures,
messages which tailored to target guidelines or
are informed by audience to protocols that aim
secondary data highlight gaps in to protect the rights
review / analysis as humanitarian action of older people
well as participation and people with
of older people disabilities
and people with
disabilities
Develops and uses Builds strategic Engages with
a range of active alliances and and influences
advocacy strategies identifies inclusion key stakeholders
that reflect rights- ‘champions’ to on development
based approach promote gender- of strategies and
and promote sensitive age and proposals to make
minimum standards disability sensitive humanitarian action
of inclusion within humanitarian action age and disability-
existing structures friendly 140
and processes
Capacity Development — Develop measurable capacity

development goals and objectives for individuals and
organisations to support inclusion
Demonstrates Has proven ability Adapts approach
sound to manage group / technique in the
understanding dynamics and moment in response
of adult learning demonstrates to stakeholder
theory and successful information, while
participatory facilitation skills also holding a
training using experiential focus on learning
methodologies and active learning outcomes
besides the approaches
different
pedagogical
approaches that are
gender- age- and
disability-sensitive
Able to deliver the Able to Able to design and
two-day ADCAP identify which deliver needs-based
training to the intervention(s) will and context-specific
organisation and its deliver the learning training support to
partners. most appropriately the organisation, and
for the group of other stakeholders
learners (including
Training of Trainers)
141
Uses an active Is alert to tone Identifies patterns

listening style and and modularity of stakeholder
offers advice and as well as to thinking and actions
ideas only when explicit content of and uses a range
appropriate communication of questioning
techniques to raise
awareness and
create new
ideas
Demonstrates Uses feedback Identifies patterns

belief in helping and challenge of stakeholder
others to develop at appropriate thinking and actions
and believes that times to help and uses a range
others learn best stakeholders of questioning
for themselves gain different techniques to raise
perspectives and awareness and
responsibility create new
for action, while ideas
maintaining rapport
Able to develop Uses monitoring Uses the learning
indicators and tools to track both from the monitoring
measure change individual learner process to
in knowledge, progress and the continuously refines
attitude and organisational and adapt the
practice by using progress on the capacity building
proven tools (like Inclusion Action support required for
KAP surveys). Able Plan and provides the inclusion initiative
to link individual any required
learning outcomes support
with organisational
change process
— supporting the
inclusion initiative 142
Measure Impact — Use appropriate monitoring and evaluation

methods to determine the reach, impact and effectiveness of
inclusion/mainstreaming action
Identifies and Ensures strong Continuously uses
uses appropriate monitoring systems information from
monitoring tools are in place, monitoring systems
and establishes collecting key data to refine and adapt
an organisational followed by regular inclusion initiative
working groups analysis and review
to review the
effectiveness
of the inclusion
programme
Evaluates Contributes to Demonstrated ability

the inclusion the evaluation to use evaluation
programme in of humanitarian findings to refine and
terms of its impact programmes that improve inclusion
on humanitarian have adopted initiative
programmes and and implemented
wider humanitarian minimum standards
system for inclusion
Seeks opportunities Identifies good Facilitates the
to learn how practice of inclusion introduction of
effective experience and successful inclusion
programme and communicates this good practice to
policy changes to a wider audience inform and influence
have been by in the sector wider humanitarian
using a learning action
framework
143
Appendix 4: List of ADCAP resources developed
CBM International, Bensheim, HelpAge International,

London, and Handicap International, Lyon, Humanitarian
inclusion standards for older people and people with
disabilities, Age and Disability Consortium, 2018 (available
in English, French and Arabic), http://bit.ly/2edL6oQ
Age and Disability Capacity Programme (ADCAP), Basic

Principles of Disability Inclusion in Humanitarian Response,
Cornerstone OnDemand Foundation, 2015 (available in
English and Arabic at DisasterReady.org)
Age and Disability Capacity Programme (ADCAP),

Comprehensive Accessible Humanitarian Assistance for
Older People and People with Disabilities, Cornerstone
OnDemand Foundation, 2017 (available in English and
Arabic at DisasterReady.org)
Age and Disability Capacity Programme (ADCAP),

Understanding Older People and Their Needs in
a Humanitarian Context, Cornerstone OnDemand
Foundation, 2015 (available in English and Arabic at
DisasterReady.org)
Age and Disability Capacity Programme (ADCAP), Inclusion

of age and disability in humanitarian action: a two-day
training course:
• Learner’s Workbook, RedR, on behalf of the Age and
Disability Consortium, 2017, http://bit.ly/2AQGVrm
• Training Handbook, RedR, on behalf of the Age and
Disability Consortium, 2017, http://bit.ly/2B7VcUO
• Training Slideshow, RedR, on behalf of the Age and
Disability Consortium, http://bit.ly/2BGD7wF
144
145
146
References
Left: © Christian Aid/Allan Vera
147
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disasters collide: lessons from 16 international case
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Women’s Refugee Commission, Disability Inclusion:

Translating Policy into Practice in Humanitarian Action,
2014, New York, Women’s Refugee Commission, http://
bit.ly/2jaY4T5
2. United Nations Population Fund and HelpAge

International, Ageing in the Twenty-First Century: A
Celebration and A Challenge, 2012, New York, United
Nations Population Fund, http://bit.ly/2s094fJ
World Health Organisation, Disability and Health, (2

February 2018), http://bit.ly/2nBlNkr
3. Burton A and Breen C, ‘Older refugees in humanitarian

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Parr, A, ‘Disasters and disabled persons: an

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an inclusive approach’, in International Federation of
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IFRC, pp. 86-111, http://bit.ly/2DXMRk1
Kett M and Van Ommeren, M, ‘Disability, Conflict and

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Kett and Van Ommeren, ‘Disability, Conflict and

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7. IASC, “Mainstreaming age in inter-agency processes
149
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meeting, November 2010
8. United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees,

UNHCR Age, Gender and Diversity Policy: Working with
people and communities for equality and protection, 01
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Ito A, ‘Disasters, International law and persons with

disabilities’, The International Law of Disaster Relief
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9. Twigg J, Kett M, Bottomley H, Tze Tan L, Nasreddin,

H, Disability and public shelter in emergencies (eds)
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scale physical disabilities and their management in the
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Washington Group Short Set of Questions on Disability,
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Disability and Disaster: Explorations and Exchanges,
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rehabilitation in international disaster relief’, Global
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McGuire L, Ford, E, Okoro C, ‘Natural disasters and

older US adults with disabilities: Implications for
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Explorations and Exchanges, 2015, New York, Palgrave
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16. Alexander D, ‘Disability and Disaster: An overview’,

Disability and Disasters: Explorations and Exchanges,
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Macmillan
Phillips B, ‘Inclusive Emergency Management for

People with Disabilities Facing Disaster’, Disability and
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Stough L, (eds), 2015, New York, Palgrave Macmillan,
pp. 31-49
Kailes J, ‘If you people would just prepare!’, Disability
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I and Stough L, (eds), 2015, New York, Palgrave
Macmillan, pp. 97-109
Barrios A, ‘Mainstreaming disability in humanitarian
responses’, Crisis, Conflict and Disability: Ensuring
Equality, (eds) Mitchell D and Karr V, 2014, Routledge,
pp. 121-138
Birks F and Prater K, ‘Adapting to Global Change:

Ageing, Urbanisation and Resilience’, Architectural
Design, 84(2), 2014, pp. 28-35
Rouhban B, ‘Enhancing disaster preparedness and

resilience of people with disabilities’, Crisis, Conflict and
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Mitchell D and Karr V, Crisis, Conflict and Disability:

Ensuring equality, 2014, Routledge, pp. 736-764
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A Vision for Haiti’, Canadian Journal of Public Health,
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Deeny P, Vitale C T, Spelman R, and Duggan S,

‘Addressing the imbalance: empowering older people
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community resilience in Baluchistan’, Natural Hazards,
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19. World Health Organization and the World Bank, World

report on disability, Geneva, WHO, 2011, http://bit.
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20. CHS Alliance, Integrating the Core Humanitarian

Standard and inclusive programming in Christian Aid’s
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21. Kelman I and Stough L, (eds) Disability and Disaster:

Explorations and Exchanges, 2015, New York, Palgrave
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Mapping Vulnerability: Disasters, Development and
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vulnerability and capacity assessment, Disasters, 38 (3),
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of Art or Meaningless Term?’ (White paper) Nobody
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in the Context of Disaster: A Social Vulnerability
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highlights protection as a process of ensuring
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Teimoori, F, and Pourmalek, F, ‘Older people’s needs
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‘Perceptions of older people on disaster response and
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156
157
Good practice guide: embedding inclusion of older people
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Good practice guide:

embedding inclusion of older people

Supriya Akerkar and Rhea Bhardwaj

Authors: Supriya Akerkar and Rhea Bhardwaj, CENDEP,

Published by the Age and Disability Consortium as part of

Copyright © Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, 2018

This work is licensed under a Creative Commons

This material has been funded by UK aid from the UK

This material is made possible by the generous support

This good practice guide has been developed as part of

ADCAP partnered with the Kenya Red Cross Society, CBM

The authors are grateful to the following people for their

Inclusion advisers for their generosity in sharing their

Austin Snowbarger (CENDEP) for his excellent literature

Members of the Age and Disability Consortium whose

External reviewers for their useful suggestions: Alice

1.1 Context of age and disability in humanitarian 10

2. ADCAP and its approaches to inclusion 13

3. Summary of good practices 19

How to use the guide 27

4. Towards inclusive humanitarian practices:

4.1 Change theme: Mainstream inclusion within your

4.2 Change theme: Collect, analyse and use sex, age

4.3 Change theme: Integrate inclusion within

4.4 Change theme: Address intersections between

4.5 Change theme: Develop an institutional pool of

4.6 Change theme: Challenge wider cultural and

4.7 Change theme: Overcome internal barriers to age

4.8 Change theme: Develop inclusion competency of

4.9 Change theme: Engage older people and people

Appendix 1: ADCAP organisational age and disability

Appendix 2: Age and disability organisational action plan 132

Appendix 3: Technical Competency Framework 136

Appendix 4: List of ADCAP resources developed 144

Left: © CBM/John Javellana

This guide shares good practices and challenges that have

1.1 Context of age and disability in

These frameworks include:

• The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with

The Inter-Agency Standing Committee operational

Left: © Concern Worldwide Pakistan

The Age and Disability Capacity Programme (ADCAP)

ADCAP was an initiative of the Age and Disability

turn led to the signing of formal partnerships between the

Following this training programme, inclusion advisers

Specifically, inclusion advisers:

• Carried out organisational assessments of their

• Used the coaching and mentoring support provided

Left: © Age International/Simon Rawles

As research partner in the ADCAP consortium,

The nine change themes identified are explored in-depth

1. Mainstream inclusion within your organisational

Good practice recommendations at a glance

Change theme 3.2: Collect, analyse and use sex, age

• Collect disaggregated data on disability by use of the

Change theme 3.3: Integrate inclusion within

Change theme 3.4: Address intersections between

Change theme 3.5: Develop an institutional pool of

agendas and events, such as “leave no one behind”