Collaborating with organisations of persons with disabilities

Climate-related and human-induced disasters are rising dramatically, but too often, persons with disabilities are left behind. Nogning Armelle Aimerique is the Board Chair of the Coordinating Unit of Associations of Persons with Disabilities in the Northwest Region of Cameroon, which works with our partner, Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Services (CBCHS) on a range of CBID projects. She explains why persons with disabilities need to be involved from the beginning.  

There is a motto in the disability rights movement: “Nothing about us without us”. Our motto in the Coordinating Unit is “nothing without us”. We say this because we are part of the community and part of society, and we do not limit ourselves to specific issues that concern persons with disabilities. When we talk about the rights of persons with disabilities, we are talking about human rights. The rights that everybody shares.  

There is a saying that he who wears the shoe knows where it hurts. Persons with disabilities should be involved in decision making because they know better than anyone what challenges they face and are more likely to find the right solutions.  

Like other countries around the world, Cameroon is affected by climate change. Some areas of the country are experiencing severe droughts and floods, which are affecting the most vulnerable groups. Persons with disabilities are often badly affected because there is little or no access to information. Often, inclusive early warning systems are written down in policy, but we don’t see any action. So, persons with disabilities lose their lives or become more vulnerable.  

Disability encompasses a wide range of experiences and characteristics. A truly disability-inclusive approach should be comprehensive and holistic, ensuring that all individuals with disabilities are considered and their needs are adequately met.  

The Coordinating Unit has worked with CBM and CBCHS to deliver stakeholder workshops on disability-inclusive disaster risk reduction (DIDRR) in Cameroon. We are part of a group developing an African Network for DIDRR, which met last year at a workshop in Niger sponsored by CBM, the International Disability Alliance and the African Disability Forum. We want to represent African OPDs in regional and international DRR networks and share information with the grassroots. We want to ensure our voices are heard, to establish inclusive early warning systems in Africa and make sure that persons with disabilities are involved.  

When you involve persons with disabilities from the beginning, there is more potential for long-term sustainability. Because from the onset they can give their own opinion on how things should be done. They will feel ownership of the project and committed to its success.  

This article is taken from CBM’s CBID Report 2024. Read the report in full here.