2022 Global Disability Summit

In inclusive education, HI commits to working with local education actors to train teachers to include students with disabilities. The work will include a focus on supporting children and young people with a range of diverse and complex needs, such as intellectual disabilities, communication impairments and psychosocial disabilities. HI commits to developing a guidebook and toolkits within the next 2 years, to developing research on the itinerant teacher and support mechanism model, and to applying these innovations in at least five new flagship projects over the next 2 years. Amongst other actions, HI also commits to advocating for financing efforts, to strengthen inclusive education systems and increase investments, in international platforms and networks.

For the health sector, HI is focusing on sexual and reproductive health and rights (SRHR). Among other items, the organisation is committing to develop at least four new inclusive SRHR projects over the next four years, through meaningful participation of organisations of persons with disabilities. In addition, through continued and renewed advocacy with key partners, HI commits to influence at least four policies, strategic planning or budgeting processes in the USA, Canada, UK and EU in the next 4 years.

Persons with disabilities are routinely ignored during disaster preparedness and often left behind when disaster strikes. More climate-induced disasters will increase the vulnerability of persons with disabilities. To fight against that, amongst others, HI is committing to support persons with disabilities to meaningfully participate in humanitarian responses. By the end of 2025, the organisation will develop, pilot and share two sets of tools for field professionals and three lessons learned from case studies.

HI has also created a commitment on meaningful engagement and sustained partnerships with OPDs across all of its projects. Throughout livelihood and education initiatives, HI will implement capacity building on advocacy and inclusive policies in five countries by the end of 2026. The organisation has also made a commitment on acknowledging disability, gender and age as cross cutting components and critical vulnerability factors for populations affected by sudden onset or long-term crisis or poverty. Recognizing the diversity of the disability community, HI is committing to implement its disability, gender and age framework within all its projects by the end of 2023, to ensure that further marginalized groups, such as persons with psychosocial and intellectual disabilities, receive equal opportunities and representation in all initiatives.