The equality watchdog is examining claims that the government has discriminated against UK disabled people’s organisations (DPOs) by excluding them from the delivery of a new £29 million international development programme. Read the full story here. Below is DWA’s response.
A statement from Disability in Wales and Africa in response to the article – ‘Government discriminated against DPOs in awarding £29m development programme’
Disability in Wales and Africa (DWA) is an organisation which has developed from the Wales Africa initiative. DWA wishes to encourage the greater inclusion of the UK Disability Movement, both as organisations and individuals, within the Disability and Development Sector. To this end, it has worked with Disability Wales and Hub Cymru Africa to start a research programme to look at how and why disabled people are not more prominent within Wales Africa activities.
DWA has a strap-line of ‘Disabled People’s Participation Should Be Expected, Not Just Accepted’. It is concerned and disappointed to read about the debate highlighted in John Pring’s Disability News Service feature ‘Government discriminated against DPOs in awarding £29m development programme’. The 6 year programme is from the UK Government’s Department for International Development (DfID) and its purpose is to support disabled people in some of the poorest countries of the world. However, in not encouraging UK Disabled People Organisations (DPOs) to be part of the consortium DWA believes the UK Government and the Disability and Development Sector are missing out on the skills and experiences that UK disabled people can bring to the table. For example DWA wishes promote and demonstrate the importance of global solidarity amongst disabled people. Disabled people around the world have a common interest in monitoring the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities as well as the achievement of the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
DWA wishes to promote a culture, specifically here within the Wales Africa sector, the global community, and the international development movement which does not stop at saying to disabled people “you are very welcome” if they turn up. We want people to ask, when disabled people are not present, “where are they” and how can we increase their participation?
Paul Lindoewood
Co-ordinator
Disability in Wales and Africa