The method and guidance have been developed and tested jointly within the framework of ‘Phase 3 – Leave no one behind!’ and ‘From Guidelines to Action’ projects. RAAL Labs have proven to further boost humanitarian actors’ confidence and skills to adapt their own programming tools and processes, aligning them with the IASC Guidelines on Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action. By now, around 70 tools have been adapted in RAAL-Labs organized by the two projects.
RAAL Labs in nutshell
The RAAL Labs were developed to facilitate uptake of knowledge and enhance skills and confidence among humanitarian program teams to adapt their tools, policies and processes. The RAAL Lab method provides experimental and secure spaces to learn from action - that is participants themselves are reviewing and adapting their tools and programming processes. Such spaces for learning-by-doing ultimately boost confidence on disability inclusion among newcomers to this cross-cutting topic.
In parallel, the methodology promotes the meaningful participation and engagement of persons with disabilities or their representative groups. For example, whenever possible, persons with disabilities, as staff members and/or as representatives from the affected populations and/or Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) should be included as facilitators or co-facilitators of RAAL Labs.
The learning process challenges the perception that it is difficult, cumbersome, costly and requires specialized knowledge to change programming to be more disability inclusive.
A practical guide to conduct learning sessions
The published practical guide provides information on how to complement and combine training sessions on disability-inclusive programming with interactive laboratory style learning sessions, the RAAL Labs.
Examples of tried and tested methods can be found?throughout the guide coupled with essential information that is required to plan and implement a RAAL Lab. In the annexes, you will find links and further practical resources, such as more in-depth details on topics covered and templates that can be used and adapted according to your needs and context.
The intended target group are technical and/or program staff who facilitate engaging learning opportunities for and with their teams with the objective to enhance skills, understanding and confidence around disability-inclusion in their humanitarian programming.
The guidance was developed by people with experience facilitating training sessions and the RAAL Labs. It was tested and refined as part of the project activities in South Sudan, Somalia & Somaliland, Uganda and the Syrian response contexts by HI technical teams and local OPD co-facilitators.
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