Bridging the Gap II: best practices in inclusion of persons with disabilities in development cooperation

Bridging the Gap (BtG) is the flagship initiative of the European Union for the inclusion of persons with disabilities in development cooperation. It contributes to the implementation of the UN Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Alessia Rogai, Knowledge Management and Learning Coordinator, shares the project’s achievements and best practices.

BtG is active in five countries: Burkina Faso, Ethiopia, Sudan, Ecuador and Paraguay.

Burkina Faso

BtG has helped to raise awareness on the CRPD and national laws on disability inclusion among government stakeholders. It has enabled them to develop and implement inclusive public policies with a particular focus on health.

Ethiopia

The project in Ethiopia has contributed to reinforcing social protection for persons with disabilities. This has been implemented through strategic partnerships and strong coordination mechanisms with the local authorities and organisations such as the World Food Programme (WFP) and CARE International.

Sudan

The main objective of BtG in Sudan was to identify and address the needs and priorities of persons with disabilities. This meant working with Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) and national partner authorities, plus international cooperation agencies based in the country. The project has had a particular focus on the inclusion of women with disabilities.

Ecuador

In Ecuador, BtG has created an environment for the participation of OPDs in the construction of inclusive public policies. For the first time in this country, adapted education materials were developed thanks to the effective partnership between the government and civil society, and the support of international cooperation agencies.

Paraguay

BtG has supported and strengthened the capacities of the public institution in charge of people with disabilities (SENADIS), with a special focus on the collection and use of data registration procedures. It has also contributed to the design of the governmental websites and of the tools for inclusive education in the National Educational Policy (currently under reform).

Next steps

The project will end in June 2021. Therefore, the process of collecting further lessons learnt and best practices is ongoing. These will be shared with the Capacity4dev community in due course.

Read more on the projects’ best practices:

• Updated results and good practices developed by the project. The 2019 publication
• Capitalisation study and best practices on the empowerment of women and girls with disabilities (2018-2020)
• The project infographic
• The Study on how the EU mainstreams disability in development cooperation

Credit: Photo © Bridging the Gap