Dear reader,

Inclusion Needs Action – that is the title of this booklet.
It is also what we believe.

Caritas Germany wants equal chances for all people.
This includes people with and without disabilities.
We work for this in Germany and around the world.

Inclusion is not easy.
You cannot plan everything.
It takes time.
Sometimes it works.
Sometimes it fails.
But we try again.

We work with strong partners.
These are people with and without disabilities.
They want change.
They speak up.
They know what to do.
They are flexible.
They do not give up when things get hard.
They ask their governments to respect the rights of people with disabilities.
These rights are written in a global agreement.
The name of this agreement is: United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

This booklet is not a set of rules.
It shares personal stories.
The stories come from people in:
– El Salvador
– Peru
– Egypt
– Iraq
– Lebanon
– Cambodia
– Tajikistan
– Indonesia

They talk about questions like:
– How can children with disabilities take part in daily life?
– What helps when doctors do not know enough?
– How do young people with disabilities find jobs?
– How can partner groups learn from each other?
– What should people learn in social work schools to support inclusion?

One thing is clear:
Inclusion must start where people live.
It needs people who speak the local language.
People who know the local culture.
People who stay when things get hard.
These people must be at the center of support and funding.

Inclusion is not safe forever.
It can be lost.
This is happening in El Salvador right now.
The government there is making life harder for people with disabilities.

We must all stay alert.
Inclusion is not something we get once and keep forever.
It is something we must fight for again and again.

I hope this booklet gives you good ideas and hope.

Many people live with a disability. The World Health Organization says:
About 1.3 billion people in the world live with a disability.
That is about 1 in 6 people.
Most of them live in poor countries.

Even today, many people with disabilities are affected by:
– poverty
– exclusion
– no access to school, jobs, or doctors

But:
A lot has changed in the last few decades.
Many people and organisations are working for more inclusion.

Disability – what does it mean?

The way we talk about disability has changed a lot in the last decades.
In the past, disability was seen as a problem of the person.
Doctors tried to fix it with medicine or surgery.
The goal was to make people "normal" and able to work.
This was called the medical model of disability.

But this model ignored many other problems.
For example:
– Stairs instead of ramps
– No sign language in school
– No job chances for people with disabilities

In the 1960s, people with disabilities started to speak up.
They wanted to be seen and heard.
They said: Disability is not only in the person.
It is also in the world around them.

This new way of thinking is called the social model.
It focuses on removing barriers.
It sees people with disabilities as strong and able.
Their slogan was: "Nothing about us without us."

Today, many people use the bio-psycho-social model.
It looks at:
– the body
– the mind
– the world around the person
These three parts all work together.

No two people with disabilities are the same.
Even if they have the same diagnosis, they may need different support.

In 2006, the United Nations wrote a new agreement.
Its name is: Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).
It says: People with disabilities have the same human rights as everyone else.
It was made together with people with disabilities.

The CRPD was signed by 185 countries.
It protects the rights of children, women, and men with disabilities.

One example:
– All children should go to school together.
– The school must support children with disabilities.
– For example: with sign language or school assistants.

All countries must follow the CRPD.
But rich countries like Germany must act faster than poor countries like El Salvador.

The CRPD has one main idea: Inclusion.
Inclusion means: Everyone belongs.
Society must change so that everyone can take part.

This means:
– The school must fit the child, not the other way around.
– Participation must be a right, not a kind offer.

Inclusion is different from integration.
Integration means the person must change.
Inclusion means the system must change.

In 2015, the United Nations agreed on 17 global goals.
They are called the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
They say: No one should be left behind.
People with disabilities must be included in:
– schools
– jobs
– health care
– and more

The CRPD gives the rules.
One important tool to put the rules into action is called CBR/CBID.
This means: community-based work for and with people with disabilities.
It helps to make inclusion real.

Many people with disabilities do not get the help they need.
That is why new ideas are important. Caritas Germany and its partners help people with disabilities. They do this in the place where people live.

This way of working is called:
Community-Based Rehabilitation – short: CBR.

This text explains:
– What is CBR?
– How did CBR change?
– What is new in CBID – Community-Based Inclusive Development?

Michael Kleutgens is a medical doctor. He has lived in El Salvador for over 35 years.
He helped start the organisation Los Angelitos. It is a group of parents with children who have disabilities. For many years, he led the group’s work in therapy and rehabilitation.

Michael, why are you critical of some disability projects?
Many projects only help with daily needs. That is good, but not enough.
Real change needs more. We must change society. We must remove barriers.

What kind of barriers?
Social barriers. For example: people with disabilities are often not seen, not heard, not included.
Some projects think only families and local helpers must fix this. But they have little money and little support.
This cannot work.

You say: Without human rights, everything is nothing. What do you mean?
Some things cannot be changed locally. For example:
– If buses are not accessible, the government must change that.
– If a child with Down syndrome goes to school, the Ministry of Education decides how they learn.
– Therapy needs money. Local groups cannot pay for everything.

People with disabilities have rights. The government must respect these rights.

NGOs help. But sometimes money runs out. Volunteers stop. Then people with disabilities lose support again.
That is not fair.

We must do both:

1. Help individuals.
2. Fight the big problems in society.

And we must tell the government again and again: You are responsible.

“Community” means more than the village or town.
It means many people working together – locally, regionally, nationally.

We must ask:
– How do we build strong communities when people with disabilities are not seen?
– How do we include families?
– How do we talk to mayors and ministers so they support inclusion?

People with disabilities must speak for themselves.
They know best what they need.

This must start locally – and grow.
They must take part in all decisions.

We must use all ways to include people – special ones and general ones.
In our work, we made sure: therapy rooms are free.

How do you convince politicians?
We use human rights.

El Salvador signed the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
This means:
– Equal health care (Article 25)
– Training for helpers (Article 26)
– No more barriers (Article 9)

In Cambodia, many children need help.
They have:
– learning problems
– mental health problems
– disabilities in the brain or nerves

There is only one big centre for them: CCAMH.
Dr Bhoomikumar Jegannathan leads the centre.

He says:
Medicine is not enough.
Children need many people to help them.
– parents
– teachers
– therapists
– health staff
– the community

Only together can children grow well.

Cambodia had a terrible time 50 years ago.
A group called the Khmer Rouge destroyed schools and hospitals.
Many doctors and teachers were killed.

Even today, there are not enough:
– doctors
– therapists
– trained teachers

Many children in the countryside do not get help.
Some are disabled because:
– their birth was not safe
– they had infections
– they did not get enough food or medicine

The team at CCAMH goes to the villages.
They check children’s health.
They give medicine or vitamins.
They talk to the family.
They explain what kind of help is possible.

Parents need support

Parents know their child best.
Doctors must listen to them.
But many parents are tired and under pressure.
They also feel shame because of hurtful words.
For example, in Cambodian, epilepsy is called "pig madness".

That is why Parent Support Groups are so important.
In the group, parents talk to each other.
They help each other.
They feel: I am not alone.

Helpers in the village

Each village has Volunteers for Child Development.
They get training.
They visit families.
They help with:
– feeding
– playing
– learning small skills like getting dressed

They also organise playgroups.
Disabled and non-disabled children play together.
They help connect families with local health centres.

Some brothers and sisters of disabled children become Child Health Messengers.
They learn how to help at home.
They also find other children with problems and tell families:
You can get help!

Helping each other

In the north of Cambodia, Caritas supports self-help groups.
People with and without disabilities meet.
They:
– help each other
– save money
– learn how to speak up
– meet with local leaders
They work for equal rights and better lives.

Cambodia needs more:
– doctors
– nurses
– therapists
– social workers

That is why CCAMH also trains people.
They teach in hospitals and clinics.
They work with partners in India, Germany, Norway, Singapore, Sweden, the UK and USA.

In one province, Kampong Cham, CCAMH helped change the health system.
Now, all health centres there support children’s mental health.

The plan is:
Every health centre in Cambodia should do this.
There are 1,220 centres.

Each one should:
– check babies for early signs of disability
– talk to families
– send them to more help if needed

The government should pay for this.
That is the only way to make it last.

Some children have seizures or other health problems.
Medicine helps.
But that is not enough.

Children should:
– go to school
– make friends
– play
– learn to live independently

That is what inclusion means.
That is the goal of CCAMH.

In Cambodia, many children with disabilities get no help.
This is worse for children with brain or learning problems.
Dr Bhoomikumar from Caritas CCAMH says:
“Families are poor.
They live far away.
The roads are bad.
It’s hard to get to a doctor.”

Also, many health workers don’t know how to help.
They need more training. But many people now have a smartphone.
That gives us a new way to help.
The app RehApp was made for that.

RehApp is a free app for mobile phones.
It helps parents, volunteers and health workers.
Many of them do not have special training.
RehApp gives them the knowledge they need.

The app explains:
– what different disabilities are
– how to support children at home
– when to go to a clinic

RehApp has 15 chapters.
Each chapter is about one type of disability.
The app uses clear language and pictures.

People learn:
– how to feed a child safely
– how to help a child dress or go to the toilet
– how to care for a child after surgery

It also gives ideas:
– how to make homes more accessible
– how to include children in school and play
– how to talk about disability without shame

RehApp shows real stories.
It shows what people with disabilities can do.

RehApp works without the internet after it is downloaded.
It is available in 10 languages.
More translations are coming.

The app is already used in:
– 11 countries in Africa
– 8 countries in Asia
– 1 country in Europe (Tajikistan)

More countries want to use it.

The Caritas centre CCAMH tested RehApp for 11 months.
They trained 23 local workers.

The results were very good:
– The workers understood more about disabilities.
– They could support families better.
– They knew when to send children to clinics.
– They talked more with village leaders about inclusion.
– They worked better with doctors and therapists.

Inclusion in schools is a big topic around the world.
In Peru, a special project shows how it can work.
Sonja Hanco from Caritas Arequipa and Margarita Taco, a mother of a child with Down syndrome, tell their story.

Sonja Hanco
She is a social worker at Caritas Arequipa in Peru.
She has worked for 12 years to support inclusion.

Margarita Taco
She sells food in a small shop.
She is a mother of two children.
She also speaks up for the rights of people with disabilities.

Many children with disabilities do not go to school.
But all children have the right to learn together.
This is written in the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

In Peru, only 58 out of 100 children with disabilities go to regular schools.
Many schools do not feel ready to support them.
Teachers are afraid. They have no training.

Sonja Hanco works for Caritas in Arequipa.
Caritas Peru helps schools become more inclusive.

Caritas checks each school:
– Do teachers know about inclusion?
– Are they open to learning?
– What support is needed?

Then Caritas trains teachers.
They learn:
– what different disabilities are
– how to change their teaching
– how to write a plan for each student

Most children in the programme have learning disabilities or autism.

Margarita Taco is the mother of Yesenia.
Yesenia has Down syndrome.
She goes to a regular school.

Caritas helped Margarita find a good school.
Yesenia is now in 5th grade.
She reads, writes, dances, plays basketball, and helps at home.

Margarita supports her every day.
She also runs a shop and helps other parents.

Yesenia also gets support in the afternoons.
This is called alternative education.

She trains her memory and reading skills.
She also learns daily tasks – like going shopping.
A volunteer helps her every day.

In Peru, some special schools send support teams to regular schools.
These teams are called SAANEE.
They include therapists and psychologists.

But there are only around 230 SAANEE workers in all of Peru.
Few schools get this help.

Caritas works to bring the SAANEE programme to more schools.

Parents of children with disabilities often feel alone and tired.
They do not know how to help their child.
They also need to care for other children and earn money.

Caritas Peru supports these families.
They send volunteers.
They help parents get:
– health care
– early support
– equipment
– help with school

There are parent groups where families talk and help each other.

The parent groups also fight for their children’s rights.
When the government wanted to stop a programme, they protested.
The programme stayed.
But more work is needed.
Inclusion must be protected – even when money is short.

Caritas Peru works with the CBID model.
This means: inclusion in all parts of life.

Caritas supports:
– early help for small children
– school inclusion
– training for jobs
– access to the labour market

Margarita says:
“I want all children with disabilities to go to school.
Inclusion must be paid for and protected.
Learning is more than reading and writing.
Children also need music, sports, and art.
They need to be supported from the beginning –
so they can live independent lives.”

How can people with learning disabilities get a job in Egypt? This is a big question in Egypt.
There is a law that says: Big companies must hire people with disabilities.
But many people with cognitive disabilities still do not get real jobs.

Dr Madlin Sabry Azmy Ghobrial and Eglal Chenouda work at the SETI Centre at Caritas Egypt.
They help young people with disabilities find good jobs.

Dr Madlin Sabry Azmy Ghobrial
She is the Director of the SETI Centre at Caritas Egypt.
She is a doctor for children and people with disabilities.
She also studied how to support people with disabilities in the community.

Eglal Chenouda
She is the Executive Director of the SETI Centre at Caritas Egypt.
She has studied disability and inclusion.
She has worked in this field for more than 30 years.

Companies with more than 20 workers must hire people with disabilities.
But the law is not followed well.

Some companies give people with disabilities a job on paper.
They get a contract and money – but they do not go to work.
Companies do this to avoid fines.
Some people think this is okay. But it is not.
People with disabilities want real jobs and real chances.

Many people in Egypt have cognitive disabilities (like autism or Down syndrome).
But they are the ones who are hired the least.

Many employers believe false things like:
“They will break machines.”
That is not true – it is a harmful stereotype.

Caritas Egypt runs a centre called SETI.
It helps young people with disabilities learn work skills.

They teach:
– how to be on time
– how to get to work
– how to behave at work
– how to talk to colleagues and bosses

They also help young people know their rights and stay safe.
For example, they learn how to protect themselves from sexual harassment.

Some families are afraid to send their children to work – especially daughters.
They worry about safety at work and on the way.

Caritas works with families to build trust.
Sometimes they walk with the family to the workplace to show it is safe.

Caritas talks to companies and asks:
– What jobs do you have?
– What kind of help do you need?

Caritas tells them:
Inclusion is not charity. It is about good work and respect.
Then they match the right person to the right job.

Before starting, every worker has a probation time.
A job coach helps during this time.

The coach:
– visits the company
– talks to the worker
– talks to the manager
– helps if there is a problem

One young man with Down syndrome started working in a kitchen.
He was shy but very friendly.
One day, he worked as a waiter.
The customers loved him.
Now he works with people – and the company is proud of him.

Sometimes a job is not right.
Then the person comes back to the centre.
Caritas finds a better match.
For example, if a kitchen job is too loud, maybe a quiet job is better.

So far, 2,000 people with disabilities have found real jobs through Caritas.
This is possible because Caritas:
– knows what training is needed
– knows what jobs exist
– helps plan transport
– stays in touch with companies

This helps people with disabilities live more freely.
And it makes companies better places to work.

Many children with disabilities in Tajikistan are not officially registered.
Many families hide their children because they feel ashamed.
They are afraid of being left out by others.

But some people are working hard for inclusion.
Like Umeda Munavvarova, who leads the Caritas programme in Tajikistan.
And Mehriniso Nasretdinova, who is a mother and CBR/CBID expert.

This is the story of how they help children with disabilities to get support,
and how families grow stronger together.

Umeda Munavvarova
She has studied medicine, social work, and early childhood education.
She has worked for 10 years with Caritas Germany in Tajikistan.
She leads projects for people with disabilities in the CBR/CBID programme.

Mehriniso Nasretdinova
She leads the local organisation ‘Dasti Khair’.
She has worked in the CBR/CBID programme for 10 years.
She helps young children and older people who need care.

In Tajikistan, many children with disabilities are not registered.
Only 1.5% of people have an official disability status.
But the real number is much higher – maybe 10 times more.

Why?
– The health system is old.
– Many doctors are not trained.
– Families are afraid of shame.
– People still believe false things, like: “Disability is contagious.”

Because of this, many children stay hidden.
They do not go to school.
They do not learn a job.
They do not take part in life.

Caritas Germany opened an office in 2007 in Dushanbe.
Since then, Caritas has worked in many regions.
The goal:
– find children with disabilities early
– give them support
– teach parents how to help
– include the whole community

Caritas trained doctors and nurses.
They learned how to find problems early.
They use:
– play
– questions
– simple tests
They talk with parents and watch the child closely.

If a child needs help, Caritas makes a support plan.
Caritas gives:
– therapy
– equipment
– visits at home
– help from specialists

Some families did not want help.
They were afraid:
– “Will they judge me?”
– “Will they take my child away?”

So Caritas teams went to the villages.
They visited people in their homes.
They invited them to friendly meetings with tea and snacks.

Local people were very important.
They know the families and the area.
They helped build trust.

One woman, Mehriniso Nasretdinova, has a daughter with cerebral palsy.
At first, she stayed home and felt sad.
Then, Caritas told her about a parent group.
She joined. She felt understood. She got stronger.

Later, she led the group herself.
She trained as a social worker.
Now she runs her own organisation for inclusion.

In the groups, parents:
– talk about their problems
– learn about disabilities
– try fun games and exercises
– get emotional support
– learn how to help at home

Many fathers leave. So the mothers often care alone.
The group gives them hope and help.

Siblings often help a lot.
Girls may stop school to care for their brother or sister.
They feel sad, left out, or stressed.

Caritas helps them too:
– They join the parent-child groups.
– They get time to play.
– They talk with a social worker.
– They join summer camps.

They meet other kids in the same situation.
They feel stronger and less alone.
Some discover talents and new hobbies.

One girl, Raykhona, has a disability.
Her sister helps her.

Caritas gave them a beading course.
Now one sister makes dresses.
Raykhona adds the beadwork.
Together they make beautiful clothes.
This gives them pride and confidence.

Caritas also plans fun events:
– hikes
– visits to museums
– concerts
– art shows
– theatre plays
– sports days with the Special Olympics

Children with and without disabilities take part together.
This builds joy, friendship and respect.

Mehriniso says:

People with disabilities must speak for themselves.
They must work together with their families.
This is how real inclusion can begin. But in El Salvador, it is not easy.
Many people are afraid. The government has a lot of control. We at Los Angelitos want to change that. We work for better lives and equal rights – every day.

This is a text written by Michael Kleutgens and María Deyssi Pineda from Los Angelitos.

María Deyssi Pineda
She is a leader at Los Angelitos.
She is a political activist and the mother of a child with cerebral palsy.

Michael Kleutgens
He is a medical doctor and co-founder of Los Angelitos.
He has led the group’s rehabilitation work for many years.

Los Angelitos is a group of parents and children with disabilities.
Many parents come to us after trying everything to help their child:
– finding therapy
– asking for money or equipment
– feeling alone and tired

We help with these things.
But we also ask families to get involved.

After 3 months, parents can join as members.
They:
– choose a person to support the child at home
– join meetings and training
– help at public events

Only members get therapy.
Because therapy and rights go together.

We teach parents and young people to speak up.
They learn how to talk to local leaders and explain their rights.
They learn how to plan campaigns and work as a group.

Many helpers in our team have children with disabilities.
They visit families at home.
They give advice and support.
They are trained and get paid.

We also offer therapy with:
– physiotherapists
– occupational therapists
– social workers
– educators

People need real support now, not just promises for the future.
We use therapy to start conversations about rights.
We teach families:
You can change things – together.

We also join public events like youth councils and city meetings.
There, we talk about problems like barriers in transport.

Together with others, we helped write the Inclusion Law.
It started in 2016 and became law in 2021.

The law says:
– people with disabilities have full legal rights
– the government must give money for inclusion
– people with disabilities must be in the National Inclusion Council
– the law must be followed – or there are penalties

But things got harder.
First came the pandemic.
Then, in 2022, the president banned protests.
Many people were arrested without reason.
Now, many are afraid to speak out.

In 2023, the president changed the rules.
He made parliament and cities smaller.
This removed many of our local contacts.
Even the Inclusion Council was shut down.
Now, the Inclusion Law is under review.
We are worried it will be weakened.

Some parents feel tired.
They want to leave the group.
But we talk to them and say:
Now is not the time to give up.
We look back at what we have achieved together.
And we look forward.

We still take part in events.
In December 2024, we joined the Day of Persons with Disabilities.
We also meet with other organisations in a roundtable.
We work with the media.
And we look for help from outside El Salvador—
from embassies and aid groups.

We are writing a shadow report.
This report will show:
– what is missing
– where help is needed
– what the government does not tell

We will not give up.
Together, we stay strong.
We fight for our children.
We fight for inclusion – every day.

In Tajikistan, social work is still new.
In the past, people with disabilities were kept in institutions.
Only doctors were seen as experts.

Now, things are changing.
Umeda Munavvarova works for Caritas Germany.
She helps build a better system – based on inclusion.

Umeda Munavvarova
She has three university degrees:
– in medicine
– in social work
– in early childhood education

She has worked with Caritas Germany in Tajikistan for 10 years.
She leads projects that support people with disabilities.

Step by step

After the civil war ended in 1997, change started slowly.
A project with UNICEF helped create the first teachers for social work.
Later, the first university programme in social work opened in 2012.

But many people still don’t understand what social workers do.
Many families still ask neighbours for help – not professionals.
But because of migration and divorce, family help is no longer enough.
So, more people now need social workers.

Without good social work, people with disabilities are left out.
They cannot go to school, get healthcare, or find work.

For example:
– There are no social workers in schools
– Teachers are not trained to teach children with disabilities
– Materials are not adapted
– Children face bullying and low self-esteem

Caritas worked with ministries to create a training plan.
They made new rules for how to train and hire social workers.
They included the CBR/CBID approach – to bring help directly to families.

Caritas helped define:
– what social workers do
– how to train them
– how they can grow in their job

CBR/CBID in education

CBR/CBID is now part of social work studies at Tajik National University.
It is included in courses like “Social Work with People with Disabilities”.
Teachers got special training.
Students do internships and work on real-life cases.

The training is practical:
– playgroups
– home visits
– early childhood support
– inclusion in daily life

People with disabilities help shape the system

People with disabilities are involved in the training.
They help with:
– choosing topics
– writing glossaries
– making training videos

This helps reduce fear and builds respect.
Some young people with disabilities now work in NGOs or in government.
This is what “Nothing About Us Without Us” means.

Caritas helped create a network of schools in:
– Tajikistan
– Kazakhstan
– Kyrgyzstan
– Uzbekistan

Together, they formed the Central Asian Alliance of Schools of Social Work.
They share ideas and support each other.

What is still needed?

Stable funding and clear laws are important.
The government and private sector should both help.
Then more people can learn social work.
And more people with disabilities will get support.

The goal

Umeda says:

“CBR/CBID is the fastest way to build an inclusive society.
No one should be left behind – not because of disability, age, gender or background.”

Learning from Each Other: Caritas Iraq and Caritas Egypt

People with disabilities want to live a good life.
They want to go to school, work, and be part of the community.
But in many places, this is still difficult.

Caritas Iraq and Caritas Egypt work together.
They help people with disabilities.
They also speak with governments to make laws better.

In this text, two women talk about their work:

• Ahlam Danial Yokhanna works at Caritas Iraq.
  She knows a lot about mental health and has worked there for 20 years.
• Dr Madlin Azmy is the head of the SETI Centre in Egypt.
  She is a doctor and knows a lot about children and disability.

They share their ideas and stories here.

Dr. Madlin Azmy works at the SETI Centre in Egypt.
She says:

• We listen to families.
• We help them speak for their children.
• We show them how to talk to important people.
• We have fun events where children can show what they can do.
• We tell stories online so more people learn about disability.

Ms. Ahlam Danial works at Caritas Iraq.
She says:

• Many people in Iraq don’t understand disability.
  Some think it is a punishment.
• The laws in Iraq are old and not very helpful.
• We want better laws.
• We visited Egypt to learn more.
• We learned how to make good campaigns and talk to the media.

• They meet in person or online.
• They train each other.
• They talk about problems and ideas.
• They learn from each other.
• They help each other to be strong.

• Iraq made a small change in the law.
• Now some families get more money to care for children with disabilities.
• This is a good first step.

What happens next?

• The teams want to meet with important people.
• They want to say: “These laws are still not good enough.”
• Some people will talk on TV and radio.
• They want more people to understand disability.
• They want more respect and support for people with disabilities.

People with disabilities want the same rights as everyone.
They want to go to school, find work, and be part of society.
But many things still make life difficult for them – especially in times of crisis.

Kassem Sabbah is a man with a disability.
He uses a wheelchair and works for the rights of people with disabilities.
He started the local organisation Mousawat in Lebanon.
He also helped start two other groups for people with disabilities in Palestine.
Kassem Sabbah has a Master’s degree in Health Management.

This is his story.

A Life in a Wheelchair

When I was 19 years old, I was injured by a grenade.
I had a spinal cord injury and now I use a wheelchair.
That was over 40 years ago.

At first, I didn’t know what to do. But then I joined the disability movement.
I worked for Norwegian People’s Aid for 25 years.
I learned a lot and got training in health and disability.

I know the problems that people with disabilities face in Lebanon:
– It’s hard to move around.
– Many buildings are not accessible.
– Some people think we are not able to work or study.

In 2008, we started Mousawat.
Before that, I worked for a big international NGO.
But then we decided to become a local organisation.

Now Mousawat is much bigger:
– We have almost 180 staff.
– We support 13 centres in Lebanon.
– 20% of our staff are people with disabilities.
– We work with doctors, therapists, social workers and psychologists.

We changed our slogan. It used to be:
"Removing Barriers and Creating Opportunities"
Now it is:
"Towards an Inclusive Society"

We want all people to be part of society – in school, work, and social life.

The Situation in Lebanon

There are laws in Lebanon for people with disabilities.
But these laws are often not followed.

For example:
– Public transport should be accessible – but it is not.
– Children with disabilities should go to school – but many are not allowed.

This is why we do advocacy.
We help people with disabilities know their rights.
We train officials, talk to ministers, and write reports.
We also work with other groups in the Disability Hub.
We helped write a new strategy for the government (2024–2026).
But because of political problems, the government has not approved it yet.

We have 4 main programmes:

1. Rehabilitation
   – We offer physiotherapy, speech therapy, and mental health support.
   – We help many Palestinian and Syrian refugees.
2. Community-Based Rehabilitation
   – We go into communities, not only centres.
   – We teach people how to include persons with disabilities.
   – We support them to join activities and take space.
3. Inclusive Education
   – We train kindergarten and preschool staff.
   – We help them adapt classes for children with disabilities.
   – We provide transport and assistants (shadow teachers) in schools.
4. Emergency Response
   – In crises, we support people with disabilities.
   – We give medical items, food, and mattresses.
   – We have two mobile clinics.
   – We help people who are forced to leave their homes.

Many say they support localisation – helping local groups lead the work.
But in truth, most donors prefer big international organisations.
Governments listen more to them.

This makes it hard for local NGOs like Mousawat.
We don’t get enough money for our long-term work.
Still, we continue.

Local organisations are part of the community.
– People know and trust us.
– We stay during crises.
– We understand what people really need.

For example, during the recent war with Israel,
many foreign workers left. But we stayed.
We helped people in 13 shelters get food, blankets, and medical care.
We also helped evacuate people with disabilities and their families.

Lioni-Beatrik Tobing and Dewi Kurniawati work for Caritas Germany in Indonesia.
Lioni has worked on disaster protection projects for 8 years. She studied politics and sustainable development. Dewi has 20 years of experience with inclusion. She studied English and took many trainings about disabilities and inclusion.

Together, they want to make sure that people with disabilities, older people, children, and everyone else are safe when disasters happen – like earthquakes or floods.

This is their story.

Why This Work Matters

Indonesia has many natural disasters – like earthquakes, floods and tsunamis.
After the big tsunami in 2004, the government started to prepare better for disasters.

But:
Good plans are not enough if people in small villages are not included.
There are 17,000 islands and over 70,000 villages in Indonesia. That is a big challenge.

Caritas Germany started to help in 2021. They now work together with the Indonesian Disaster Management Office (BNPB).
They want to make disaster protection better for all people, especially people with disabilities.

Lioni and Dewi say: Inclusion is not only about people with disabilities.
Inclusion means: No one should be left behind.

This includes:
– People with disabilities
– Older people
– Children
– People of all genders

Inclusion means:
Everyone has the same right to be safe, to get help, and to take part in planning and recovery.

Why Good Data Is Important

To protect people in a disaster, we need to know:
– Who lives in the area?
– Who needs a wheelchair?
– How many deaf people are there?
– Can all people reach the meeting place during a flood?

Lioni and Dewi worked on a simple questionnaire to collect this information in the villages.
This helps plan better evacuation routes, and emergency help.

In some areas of Indonesia, people still believe that disability is a punishment from God.
Dewi says: We cannot come in and change everything right away.
First, we create positive experiences between people with and without disabilities.

For example:
In some villages, women with disabilities collect the data.
This helps break stigma – villagers see a person with a disability in an important role for the first time.

Caritas works closely with a group called HWDI – a national organisation of women with disabilities.

In each village, there are now Resilient Village Groups.
These groups include people with and without disabilities.
They get training from partner organisations.

The groups ask important questions:
– Is the meeting point safe for all?
– Are there ramps where people need them?
– Who will help older people during a flood?

Caritas partner SEHATI shows how people with disabilities can help in disasters.
They don’t only need help – they can also lead.

Examples:
– A person in a wheelchair becomes the Disability Contact Person.
– They give advice: Are shelters and information accessible?
– They train others: How can we help people with disabilities in an emergency?

Older people are also important.
They have a lot of knowledge from past disasters.
They are not a burden – they are part of the solution.

The Indonesian government wants to create local service centres for people with disabilities.
That’s a good idea – but things move slowly.

The local Resilient Village Groups can help:
– They raise awareness.
– They support training for leaders and helpers.
– They speak up for what people really need.

Caritas works in pilot villages – to test new ideas.
They also talk to the government to improve national rules.

They ask:
– What is working well already?
– What needs to be better?
– How can small villages and big national plans work together?

Caritas works with three partner groups – all with strong experience in disability inclusion.
One partner is HWDI, the group of women with disabilities.

Learning from Experience and Sharing It

Caritas made training videos.
The videos show how to help people with disabilities in a disaster.
They are now shared on the Indonesian government’s website.
This helps many more people learn how to be inclusive.

Lioni says:
“Caritas alone could never reach this many people.”
But with the right partners and the right plan, we can do much more.