Issue
People with disabilities in Bangladesh often face barriers during disasters, such as inaccessible shelters, limited representation in planning, and lack of support. Women and girls with disabilities can face even greater risks, such as exclusion and gender-based violence.
Project partners
How we are helping
This project aims to improve access to services and resources during disasters by training and empowering people with disabilities to actively participate in disaster risk reduction programmes, and facilitating engagement with government agencies.
About the project
In Bangladesh, people with disabilities are adversely affected during disasters, with unequal access to services and resources. This project aligns with Bangladesh’s National Climate Change Adaptation Plan (2023–2050) and other key policies by seeking to support the government’s implementation of these foundational policy frameworks to ensure fair and inclusive disaster planning.
Project partners, Access Bangladesh Foundation, will equip people with disabilities and their organisations with new skills to advocate for their rights.
Access Bangladesh Foundation will collaborate with three local partners to enrich the project with local community knowledge and foster support from key local stakeholders. These organisations are: Joyita Protibondhi Nari Unnayan Sangstha, Paddopukur Union Protibondi Kollan Sangstha, and Friends Kollan Somiti.
The project uses a participatory approach, focusing on training, advocacy, and community involvement. It brings together local organisations, government agencies, and community members to create lasting change in the design and delivery of disaster plans and services.
This will be achieved by:
- Creating advocacy groups comprising people with disabilities.
- Training these groups on disability laws, advocacy techniques and disaster planning.
- Developing a database to collect and share information.
- Producing easy-to-read booklets and multimedia tools on disaster management and disability rights.
- Conducting training sessions for people with disabilities on disaster preparedness and management.
- Supporting the advocacy groups to conduct social audits to assess the quality of disability inclusive disaster risk reduction services provided by local authorities.
- Facilitating meetings between the advocacy groups and government departments to advocate for improvements in disaster management.
- Preparing and disseminating policy briefs and guidelines on inclusive disaster risk reduction.
As a result of the project, it is hoped that disaster planning in Bangladesh will be more inclusive and people with disabilities will be empowered to hold service providers accountable. People with disabilities will have a greater understanding of their rights, and be equipped to advocate for inclusive disaster and climate change related plans and programmes. This will reduce risks for vulnerable groups, especially women and girls with disabilities, and help communities become stronger and better prepared for emergencies.
Project Partners
Access Bangladesh Foundation has spent the past 15 years advancing equity for persons with disabilities through a dual approach: rights-based advocacy and direct service provision. Guided by the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the Sustainable Development Goals, and domestic policies, the organisation promotes inclusion across various areas, including education, training, employment, disability-inclusive disaster risk reduction and climate change adaptation, arts and culture, legal support, healthcare, and information and communication technology.
Joyeeta Protibondhi Nari Unnayan Sangstha is a women-led organisation that conducts local-level advocacy for establishing rights of persons with disabilities. Operating for the past four years in the coastal region of Satkhira District, Shyamnagar sub-district, the organisation is affiliated with the Women and Children Affairs Department of the Government. It focuses on empowering women and girls with disabilities while advocating at the local level to advance the rights of persons with disabilities.
Paddopukur Union Protibondi Kollan Sangstha is an organisation of persons with disabilities, currently engaged in the project, ‘Establishing Disaster Resilient Communities in Satkhira (EDRCS)’, implemented by Access Bangladesh Foundation. For the past nine years, the organisation has been dedicated to improving the lives of vulnerable individuals, particularly persons with disabilities, in the coastal region of Shyamnagar sub-district in Satkhira district. The organisation plays a key role in addressing the needs of persons with disabilities and other at-risk populations during disasters.
Friends Kollan Somiti, a youth-led organisation of persons with disabilities, has been active since 2001. As a partner of Access Bangladesh Foundation, it operates in Shyamnagar sub-district of Satkhira district. The organisation is dedicated to promoting the rights of persons with disabilities through various activities. It has made significant contributions to mobilising youth with disabilities and building their capacities, empowering them to become self-reliant.
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