Healthlink Worldwide

Overview

Why are so many disabled people poor? Why are so many poor people disabled? For decades these two questions have been posed by the international disability movement.

The Disability Knowledge and Research programme (Disability KaR) sought to examine the issue of disability and poverty, and supported opportunities for disabled people’s organisations to research issues on mainstreaming disability in development.

The main objectives of the programme were to:

• Generate research on international disability issues to influence policy and practice
• Improve access to knowledge and information
• Promote discussion between disabled people, service providers, researchers, and policy makers
• Develop and support sustainable technologies to combat the effects of disability

The two year programme (from the start of 2004 until the end of 2005) was funded by the Department of International Development and managed by Healthlink Worldwide and the Overseas Development Group. Healthlink Worldwide were responsible for the knowledge and communication aspects of the programme (including policy research, the programme website, publications, and electronic and face-to-face activities).

The programme included a number of research projects carried out by researchers in the North and South. Research took place at a policy level and in particular examined DFID's disability work in the context of its broader aims to eliminate poverty in developing countries. Research projects were also carried out by Southern based organisations based on their own clear research agenda.

The principles for how disability research should be carried out was supported and enhanced by a series of activities designed to improve knowledge and communication between those involved in disability and development issues. The three roundtable events - held in Malawi, India and Cambodia - brought together a range of participants and bridged the communication gap between disabled people, disabled people's organisations, other organisations and institutions working in disability practice on the ground, and policy makers.

Mark Harrison, the Disability KaR Programme Director said: "The challenge was to connect the practise of the programme to the principles of human rights and disability equality. We worked to open up the programme activities to disabled people from the South and the North in a new way. To begin this process the policy project consulted members of the disability movement from Europe, Africa and Asia on the agenda for research. This engagement was deepened at the Malawi roundtable.

"By collaborating with researchers in developing countries, many of whom are active in the disability and development movement, the programme aimed to provide a realistic representation of where disability and development is at present, examine the opportunities that exist for disabled people to become engaged with the development process, and to positively influence DFID’s overall research goals."

More on the Disability Knowledge and Research Programme website