When he attended school, Mohamed experienced discrimination both from his teachers and his classmates because of a lack of understanding as to what Albinism meant. They thought that if there was a problem with his skin there must also be a problem with his brain.

"I now even have a girlfriend and I am proud that I can educate her about things I have learnt at the workshops I have attended."

Through his sister, Mohamed got to know about the Tanzania Albino Association (TAS) and became a member.

Soon after joining, he attended a series of worksh... ]]>Tue, 23 Apr 2013 14:46:10 GMTMarch 8th saw a huge amount of celebration and activity around the world, marking International Women's Day (IWD).

Uganda joined the rest of the world to celebrate, under the theme, “Gender Agenda: Connecting Grassroots Women to Development.”  While there were celebrations organised at various district levels, the main celebrations in Uganda were held at Nabinyonyi grounds in Nakasongola district.

Officiated by the President of the Republic of Uganda, His Excellency Yoweri Kaguta Museveni, the celebrations attracted thousands of people including the Prime Minister and members of National Women’s Organisations and Disabled People's Organisations.

The main marching procession was led by representatives from the Uganda People's Defence Force (UPDF), and members of Uganda’s police and prison forces. 
 
Alice Muwanguzi, the mistress of ceremonies,... ]]>Wed, 27 Mar 2013 16:45:03 GMTADD SOME FUN

The answers to ADD Some Fun are below:

1. Its capital city is Ouagadougou = BURKINA FASO
2. Its internet domain is .ci = COTE D’IVOIRE
3. Its population is 150.4 million (UN, 2011) = BANGLADESH
4. Its three main exports are cotton, gold, and livestock = MALI
5. It is home to Lake Victoria =TANZANIA
6. Its capital couty is Kampala = UGANDA
7. (Above right, Mosharraf Hossain, ADD Bangladesh Country Director speaks in Monrovia) Photo: Charlotte Matthews, Sightsavers. 
   
   
   People with disabilities are speaking up at an international meeting in Monrovia, Liberia this week. A group of global leaders on development (the ‘High-level Panel’) are meeting here to discuss the replacement framework for the Millennium Development Goals, which were agreed in 2000 and expire in 2015. This framework will guide national and international efforts for development over the next few decades, so it is very important that people with disabilities’ rights, needs and aspirations are central.

   In 2000 people with disabilities were completely absent from the discussions, and the final framework did not mention disability at all, despite the fact that people with disabilities make up 15% of the global population – 1 in 7 people &nd... ]]>Thu, 31 Jan 2013 13:23:58 GMT
   ADD promotes a positive action policy to help realise our target of at least 50% disabled people in our workforce and governing body. 
   
   Currently 38% of our trustees identify themselves as disabled people.
   
   The board also includes four members from Africa and Asia and five women.ADD’s Chair of trustees, Saghir Alam, OBE said "I am very pleased to welcome the new board members. ADD International plays important role in international development working with people who are the most marginalised. The new members bring wealth of experience, skills and knowledge in international development field. I look forward working with them.
   
   With David’s knowledge of both UK and global disability policy ... ]]>Wed, 21 Nov 2012 10:24:06 GMTPhoto: Geoff SayerFriends,
   
   When the call was made for the disability movement to participate in the development of Uganda’s vision 2040, I was in the UK attending the annual conference of Bond (the UK membership body for non-governmental organizations working in international development). The theme of the conference was “Development Futures” and was attended by the Rt Hon. Justine Greening MP, Secretary of State for International Development.
   
   What I found most interesting was how many international organizations are already discussing a “post aid” agenda. With Uganda’s National Planning Authority's vision of making Uganda a middle income country by 2040, I was eager to hear what they had to say.
   
   It seems that when developing count... ]]>Tue, 06 Nov 2012 14:25:57 GMTBond launched Beyond 2015, an international campaign to kick-start and accelerate the post-2015 planning process, which now brings together organisations from over 70 countries around the world.
   
   The Beyond 2015 UK group is a cross-sector forum for sharing information, planning and coordinating action to influence the UK government to ensure the process towards a new global framework for development is participatory, inclusive and responsive to voices of those directly affected by poverty and injustice. ]]>Thu, 01 Nov 2012 09:11:20 GMTDear friend,
   
   Thanks for signing up to receive updates from ADD.

   Just so that we can confirm that this is your email address, please click here to complete your sign up.

   We’re really pleased that you want to hear about our work. We won’t bombard you with emails, we’ll just send you updates from time to time with stories of change and the latest news of our projects with disabled people across Africa and Asia.

   Remember, you can also:

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   The more friends we have, the merrier!

   
   
   Best wishes,

   
   Joe Jenkins
   ADD Fundraising Team

   
   P.S. If you have any questions or feedback about the way we communicate with you, pleas... ]]>Thu, 18 Apr 2013 16:10:46 GMTADD Uganda Country Director, Joseph Walugembe. Photo: ADD Inernational

   We are proud to have accompanied Uganda’s candidate through his campaign for election onto the CRPD committee!
   When all others doubted the possibility of this endeavour, when they thought I was not serious, you (ADD) responded positively to my call for help. The fliers, the support towards upkeep, the moral encouragement and positive attitude towards what I was pursuing, the list is endless. All that strengthened my resolve to pursue what others thought was impossible.
   Martin Mwesigwa Babu, the HIV/AIDS program coordinator of the National Union of Disabled Persons in Uganda (NUDIPU) was recently elected onto the committee of experts of the Photo: Geoff Sayer

   October 10 is World Mental Health Day, a day dedicated to raising public awareness about mental health issues.
   "The lack of visibility, voice and power of people with mental and psychosocial disabilities means that an extra effort needs to be made to reach out to and involve them more directly in development programmes." Dr Ala Alwan, Assistant Director-General for Non-Communicable Diseases and Mental Health at WHO.
   The World Health Organisation (WHO): Mental Health refers to a broad array of activities directly or indirectly related to the mental well-being component included in the WHO's definition of health: "A state of complete physical, mental and social well-being, and not merely the absence of disease". It is related to the promotion of well-being, the prevention of mental disorders, and the treatment and rehabilitation of people affected by ment... ]]>Thu, 31 Jan 2013 17:23:53 GMTPhoto: ADD InternationalKunthea is 20 and lives in a village in Svay Rieng province. In the recent past villagers and her parents only knew her as the “mad” or “stupid” girl.
   The project helped change my daugther, who I used to think was a ‘stupid’ girl, to become someone who could be productive in a short time. KRDF is good DPO and ADD’s support is much different from others that I know
   With support from ADD and the Kampongro Disabled People’s Development Federation (KRDF) a big change has happened within a short space of time.
   
   According to her mother Kunthea was sick with a high fever when she was a baby after which she grew up with an intellecual disability. When Kunthea was ten, her parents divorced and her mother was too poor to take care of her so sent Kunthea to live with an aunty.
   
   In 2008 Ku... ]]>Thu, 11 Oct 2012 11:21:31 GMTPhoto: ADD International21 year old Nan was born with an intellectual disability to her deaf mother, Miko.
   
   When Nan’s life was threatened by a group of village gangsters who had identified her as an easy target for rape, the community safety network was initiated by ADD and Borsed Disabled People’s Development Organisation (BSDO) to protect her.
    
   Nan and her mother live with her great-aunty in a village in Kampong Speu province. She told us:
   
   “I have been looking after my only neice who is deaf from birth, my husband was killed in the Pol Pot regime.  When in 1991 Miko got pregnant, we did not know who the man responsible was. And then Nan was born intellectually disabled”.
   
   In early 2011, BSDO discovered that Nan was at a real risk of sexual abuse because she often wandered off, and organised gangs looking for vulnerable people operated... ]]>Thu, 11 Oct 2012 11:22:22 GMTPhoto: ADD InternationalHoeung is married to Nath, he has two dependent children from his first wife who passed away and one daughter with Nath.
   "...we wandered from one village to another looking for labour work in exchange for food. We slept anywhere and ate anything we could find. Sometimes we had to beg for food”.
   Nath’s relatives gave them a piece of land which was unfortunately too dry to grow vegetables in. They had nothing and Hoeung’s family was one of the very poorest in the village.
   
   When ADD Cambodia staff went to visit Hoeung he was in his yard feeding his chickens where Nath was taking care of their daughter. As usual, Hoeung invited his guests to sit on the porch of his hut and rays of sun shone through the holes of the thatched roof. Our Cambodian colleagues heard how, in just one year, their situation has improved dramatical... ]]>Thu, 31 Jan 2013 18:48:28 GMTWhen they (ADD and KSDDO) started the project, they made some changes to Srey - small changes, but we’re grateful the organization helped my daughter change just within a short time.
   
   Now, she has stopped wandering and is able to help in our small grocery store; she can take control of groceries and the money.
   According to her parents Srey “could not learn” and mostly wandered in the village to play with other children. Sadly the children would tease and sometimes even beat Srey and she would run home crying for help.
   
   When she was busy farming, her mother would occasionally ask Srey to look after the grocery store, but she often let people take groceries without paying. Srey’s father says:
   
   “When Srey was... ]]>Mon, 08 Oct 2012 13:55:49 GMTPhoto: ADD International
   
   
   Cathérine Touré is fifty-seven years old and lives in Katiola city with her two children. From the age of three Cathérine has had a disability affecting her right foot.
   “I move around with the help of a large walking stick. I used to be ashamed of my disability. The manner of my way of getting around meant people made fun of me. I was very reluctant to go outside, and very reserved and mistrustful of people.
   
   I isolated myself and my children from others. I wanted to learn how to sew but I was ashamed of my disability. Despite this, I still refused to beg.”
   Cathérine has been a member of NJHK, an association of disabled people with different disabilities in Côte d'Ivoire, since 2001.
   
   Along with other members, Cathérine has received valuable ADD training in management and how to run an associa... ]]>Mon, 01 Oct 2012 11:43:06 GMTPhoto: ADD InternationalHamady Konaté is a young disabled man of thirty-seven, the eldest of nine children. Hamady has been a member of the association of disabled people in Ségou called “Soundjata Ton” since he was very young. Today, he is the assistant administrative secretary of the association.

   Not only am I successful today thanks to ADD, but I am also able to give joy to others and I am the sole support for my sisters and my two brothers, for whom I even pay the school fees.

   Disabled since the age of two, Hamady says that Soundjata Ton has become his second family. The association’s activities have enabled Hamady to make a place for himself in the world of show-business!

   He is now well known as a coordinator and producer of artistic and cultural events. He says that he benefitted enormously from participating in the association activities and that they allowed him t... ]]>Mon, 22 Oct 2012 13:33:03 GMTEsther, pictured centre, with David and Christine. Photo: ADD International4pm: Having been very keen to meet the Uganda Paralympic team for most of the year I get a call from Jameson Ssenkungu, the team coach, that my visit had been approved on the security system to meet them at the Paralympic Village and could I come right away? Absolutely! Very excited!I get to Stratford, making it successfully through security checks at the village itself and immediately I’m met with a whole new side of the Olympic park – teeming with Paralympians from all over the world going about their business. It really is like a small village complete with grocery store, hair salon, dry cleaner, 24 hour internet café, 24 hour café, lots of open green spaces and chill-out areas – you name it, it’s all there.
   
   Jameson takes me to the Uganda office – all of the country teams have one and t... ]]>Thu, 31 Jan 2013 17:24:25 GMTPhoto: ADD InternationalAgnes is 42 and became physically disabled when she was two, due to polio. Because she was disabled, Agnes was never given the opportunity to go to school like her siblings. Abandoned by her children’s father years ago, she is a single mother of three children - the eldest of which as a heart condition and a mental illness.
   
   Agnes was resigned to a life of poverty until she joined Kijura Disabled Women’s Association (KIDWA).  KIDWA started out in early 2000, running adult literacy classes to support disabled women who never went to school. Most of the KIDWA members have very poor, humble backgrounds and have faced rejection by their families, communities and husbands. As well as the literacy classes, KIDWA also provides training and funding in business start-up and runs activities to increase levels of confidence and independence.
   
   Her confidence has grown and Agnes can now look forward w... ]]>Thu, 31 Jan 2013 17:25:31 GMTPhoto: ADD InternationalSaid is 18 years old and partially blind. He will lose his sight completely in the next few years. His father has died and his mother has an intellectual disability, so Said lives with his grandmother.
   
   Before his eye condition developed he was enrolled in the local village school. But when he couldn’t see the blackboard anymore the other children made fun of him and Said stopped going to school. Said remembers weeping when he asked relatives for a school uniform and they told him ‘we can’t support you because we see you like a dead person’.
   
   ADD found Said when carrying out a survey of disabled people in his area and encouraged him to join SHIVYWATA, a national federation of disabled people’s organisations that we support. We helped by talking to government educational officers about his situation and SHIVYWATA encouraged him to continue his ... ]]>Thu, 31 Jan 2013 17:36:04 GMTPhoto: ADD InternationalInternational Literacy Day – 8 September 2012
   For over 40 years, UNESCO has celebrated International Literacy Day by reminding the international community that literacy is a human right and the foundation of all learning.   
   
   In 2000 when the eight Millennium Development Goals were established, number 2 was created to ensure that, by 2015, children everywhere would be able to complete primary school, yet according to the 2010 Education For All Global Monitoring Report disabled children remain one of the main groups widely excluded from education.
   
   This is because the needs of disabled children are neglected in many education programmes and policies. In Tanzania for instance, fewer than 5% of disabled children go to school. Even where disabled children are specifically mentioned inaccessible buildings and a shortage of teachers who know sign language ... ]]>Thu, 31 Jan 2013 17:24:54 GMT
   
   The Paralympic Games have finally kicked off in spectacular style and all eyes are on the thousands of disabled athletes taking part in an attempt to win that ultimate medal.
   
   We’ve been especially keen to talk to disabled athletes coming from developing countries where the opportunity to participate in sport itself is a challenge.
   
   How do they get to the start line?
   
   Uganda has two athletes representing their country in this year’s Paralympic Games – two stories of determination which certainly give us food for thought.
   
   David Emong: inspired by his hero
    “My plan 10 years from now is to bring out and support the upcoming athletes to be like me.”From the moment ... ]]>Thu, 31 Jan 2013 17:25:03 GMTInternational Disability and Development Consortium (IDDC) and our CEO Tim Wainwright is on the Board.
   
   IDDC and its members aim to promote inclusive development. Inclusive development means respecting the full human rights of every person, acknowledging diversity, eradicating poverty and ensuring that all people are fully included and can actively participate in development processes and activities regardless of age, gender, disability, state of health, ethnic origin or any other characteristic.
   
   ]]>Tue, 28 Aug 2012 15:04:40 GMTPhoto: Geoff Sayer

   Legal Action for Persons with Disabilities in Uganda - LAPD
   
   LAPD was established by disabled lawyers in 2005 to provide legal support for disabled people. Two of LAPD's founding members had successfully applied for internships at ADD Uganda, but instead of taking up the places decided to form their own association. Since then ADD has worked closely with LAPD, nurturing its growth.
   
   Its founding members are youthful, vigorous and focused. They exude energy, confidence and an eagerness and impatience for what they could achieve. Their determination has been bred from overcoming their own personal obstacles - not least the lectures at Makerere Law School being held up three flights of stairs. Their plans are precise and their analysis sharp. They are quietly, understatedly, jokingly radical.
   
   Something like half of the cases brought to LAPD are land disputes. But the lawyers also deal with di... ]]>Tue, 28 Aug 2012 14:59:11 GMTMoses with LAPD lawyer Laura. Photo: Geoff Sayer
   Moses lives in southern Kampala and went to LAPD after being denied access to land inherited from his father in 2002.
   
   “For six years I struggled with my four brothers and two sisters. On the day of my father's burial, the will was read. My brother was made guardian for the land but then refused to implement the will on my part. Each of my brothers and sisters took their land and built on it, but one of my brothers used my land. He just took the bigger plot.
   
   They said I was not strong enough to cultivate land, but they never talked to me about it, they just made their assumptions and excluded me. I tried my best through the family but for all those years they ignored me. I had not looked for a lawyer locally. Everyone knows you need to be rich to take a lawyer. I went to the Local Council and they gave me a letter confirming that the land... ]]>Tue, 28 Aug 2012 15:05:03 GMTPhoto: Geoff Sayer
   John lives in Mulago, in Kampala
   
   “I bought about four acres of land in 2005 for Sh7.2mn (approximately £1,800) but the ‘owner’ did not allow me to use it. Since then I found out that she sold it twice.
   
   I went to the local council but they weren't much help. I went to a lawyer, but they said it would cost me Sh500,000 (£129) just to begin. They went on to write letters to the local council, the police and the seller, but there was no response. So I was almost losing the case. It waited like that for a year. I was in despair.
   
   Then I heard from a friend about LAPD and I came to them in October 2008. By then almost three years had passed. LAPD saw all my documents and my agreement and prepared letters to invite people involved to a meeting.
   
   A letter went to Gladys Namulong, who is the head of the family and we had a meeting. They agreed that they had sold ... ]]>Tue, 28 Aug 2012 15:05:26 GMTUN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD). A statement from our Cambodian Country Director, Ratanak Kouch:
   
   Persons with disabilities in Cambodia celebrate!
   
   ADD International Cambodia congratulates all Cambodians with disabilities on the ratification, by Cambodian Parliament, of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) on 10 August 2012.
   
   ADD actively supports the Cambodian disability movement through the Cambodia Disabled People’s Organisation along with its 52 affiliate grassroots organisations of persons with disabilities. Since it was established in 1995 ADD has made a significant contribution to the disability movement in Cambodia by establishing and strengthening the skills of 16 organisations of persons with disabilities to advocate for their right... ]]>Wed, 26 Sep 2012 02:26:32 GMTThank you for your interest in volunteering for us. We currently do not have any opportunities available but we will keep your details on file and will contact you as soon as something suitable arises.
   
   Best wishes
   
   ADD International
   ]]>Tue, 14 May 2013 14:20:52 GMTPhoto: ADD InternationalIn 2000 world leaders agreed a set of eight time-bound targets called the Millennium Development Goals (MDG's) that, when achieved, would end extreme poverty by 2015.

   Even though disabled people represent a high proportion of people living in poverty, they are not explicitly mentioned in any of the eight Goals or the attendant 21 targets or 60 indicators, nor in the Millennium Declaration.

   2015 is now rapidly approaching and while progress has been made most targets have not been met.  Organisations at all levels are now engaging in debates about what should follow the MDGs. The United Nations has launched a process of elaborating the post-2015 development framework. It will organise a series ... ]]>Thu, 20 Sep 2012 23:23:28 GMT
   
   Emilienne is a qualified Sociologist and has worked at ADD since 1998 as Director of our Francophone West Africa Programme.
   

   
   Emilienne has 19 years of experience in development with exceptional programme management skills and expertise. She has experience in facilitating the capacity building of community based organisations,  in Gender and Development, Advocacy, Disability rights awareness training, economic empowerment and much more.

   ]]>Tue, 23 Apr 2013 15:16:44 GMTTrusts and foundations
   If you are from a trust or foundation and are interested in supporting our work, please contact Martin Tyreman either by email or call 01373 473064.

   Every donation we receive makes a positive change to the lives of disabled people living in Africa and Asia.
   
   Leaving a legacy
   Deciding to leave us a gift in your Will, after your family and friends, means we can continue to our life changing work supporting disabled people to achieve their equal right to basic rights.
   
   For more information about leaving us a gift please email Esther Kwaku or call on 01373 473064.
   
   Payroll giving
   Payroll Giving is a way for employees to make regular payments to us directly from their pay.... ]]>Fri, 19 Apr 2013 15:17:26 GMT
   
   
   Our 2011 annual report in pdf

   
   Our 2011 annual report in word
   
   
   Our auditors: Buzzacott LLP, 130 Wood Street, London, EC2V 6DL
   ]]>Fri, 31 Aug 2012 10:55:43 GMTPhoto: shiree, Khaled Arafat AhmedWho, according to the United Nations are “the world’s largest minority”?
   
   They are disabled people, and they make up 15% of the world’s population and a staggering 80% live in developing countries.
   
   Disabled people in developing countries have the lowest literacy and employment rates in the world and suffer stigma and violence, even from their own families.
   
   Since 1985 we have been working with disabled people, through their organisations, to challenge discrimination and access their basic human rights.
   
   We do this by offering vital training in skills that really change lives because they result in disabled people earning a living, learning to read and write, preventing abuse and gaining access to life saving healthcare. Th... ]]>Wed, 08 May 2013 05:35:16 GMTMon, 23 Jul 2012 15:03:50 GMT
   
   Volunteer translators
   ADD is currently looking for volunteer translators into English from: Khmer, Bangla and Luganda. If you are interested please contact Karen Andrae for more information.
   
   Direct approach fundraisers
   No experience is necessary, but you do need to be a good communicator and committed to human rights issues. You will be given all the support you need to effectively and resp... ]]>Thu, 18 Apr 2013 12:06:07 GMTPhoto: marathon-photos.com
   There are a number of ways you can take action and get involved with ADD from setting up a regular gift to running a 5k race, just like Simon pictured left.

   So whatever takes your fancy – run, walk, trek or volunteer for us to raise much-needed funds for disabled people facing the everyday challenges of discrimination and exclusion.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

   Donate now

   Events

   Our champions

   Fri, 17 Aug 2012 11:23:31 GMTViolence against women and girls is a problem of pandemic proportions with as many as 70 per cent experiencing physical or sexual violence from men at some point in their lives – usually by their husband, partner or someone they know.
   
   This unacceptable situation is even worse for disabled girls and women who, according to the UN, are 1.5 to ten times as likely to be physically or sexually abused as a non-disabled woman and that disabled children are 4 to 5 times more likely to experience violence and sexual abuse than non-disabled children.
   
   Only 1% of disabled women are literate (UNDP)
   A study of violence against women in 2007 found that 50% of disabled women worldwide experience abuse (UN)
   A 2004 survey in Orissa, India, found that virtually all of the disabled women and girls were beaten at home, 25% of women with intellectual disabilities had been raped and 6% of disabled women had been f... ]]>Sat, 22 Sep 2012 19:08:36 GMTMost of us are aware that an astounding 67 million children are not attending school. But did you know that nearly 22.5 million are disabled children?
   
   Ignorance and discrimination means that many disabled children living in poor countries are hidden away and neither accounted for or counted. So even though there are many organisations doing fantastic work getting more children into school, disabled children are missing out because no-one knows they are there!
   
   Disabled children have the same dreams and aspirations as their non-disabled peers, and those dreams start with an education. Without it they don’t just miss out on an education, but the opportunity to reach their full potential in life and pursue their dreams.
   
   More than 90% of disabled children in developing countries do not attend school (UNESCO)
   For every child killed in warfare, three are injured and permanently disabled (UN)<... ]]>Fri, 21 Sep 2012 01:55:18 GMTFor the billion plus people living in poverty, the daily fight to survive is tough enough.  The situation is worse for disabled people who struggle with the additional challenges of discrimination, ignorance and social exclusion from their families and communities.  
   
   Living on the very outskirts of life, disabled people face an almost overwhelming lack of access to an education, health care, employment, political participation, social and family life, to name a few. This makes disabled people the poorest, most excluded and neglected people in the developing world today.  
   
   ]]>Thu, 27 Sep 2012 06:56:12 GMTPhoto: Geoff SayerKijura Disabled Women's Association (KIDWA) is based at Kijura market in Masindi, Uganda. KIDWA is a long-established group that played an important part in the founding and development of the Masindi District Union (MADDIPU).
   
   "In Masindi ADD has done a lot. They have brought trainings and the attitude of persons with disabilities has changed. Now we try to work to provide for ourselves. Best of all, we are together. If one has a problem, two or three others are always there to help."" Mwajuma Kyamisire "We have learned to fight for our rights. They are written but they have always been violated. My shop is opposite the police station and now they know me! I am often there. The last time was to help two deaf people.  People with disabilities often find themselves arrested – not because they are wrongdoers but ... ]]>Fri, 10 Aug 2012 09:04:59 GMTOrokia, her husband's family tried to convince him to take a "proper" wife. Photo: ADD InternationalThere is sadness, and a fair amount of anger, in Orokia’s eyes when she talks about her childhood.
   “I was not sent to school because my parents thought it was not worth it” is the first thing she says when we sit down to hear her story."
   For some time, her father, a farmer, would take her to school and pick her up on his bicycle. But eventually he couldn’t do it anymore. She says he still regrets that she didn’t receive an education. He thinks she may have become someone different.

    
   35 year old Orokia was often sad as a child watching other girls learning to help their mothers do chores like fetching water.
   
   Orokia became ill with poliomyelitis around the time she learned to walk and could only watch what others d... ]]>Wed, 22 Aug 2012 13:01:22 GMTPhoto: Emma HinesAt first Margaret thought she had malaria, but after hearing someone talking about HIV on the radio, began to wonder if it really was just malaria and went for a blood test. Margaret tested positive and was referred to The Aids Support Organisation (TASO) who prescribed antiretrovirals. Just two weeks later Margaret began experiencing some severe side effects and eventually went into a coma.
   
   When Margaret recovered, she had lost her sight – her husband’s said that she “should just die”, he also refused to give her food.Three days later her husband suddenly died and Margaret, who was already struggling to come to terms with her status and her disability felt even more isloated.  Margaret says that she seriously considered suicide.
   
   What changed her mind was hearing the radio that is played on the t... ]]>Fri, 01 Feb 2013 13:19:49 GMT
   Mokim‘s father had moved his family to Dhaka, for a better life, in 1965. Mokim did not go to school because they were too poor. In 1968, his father died and his mother looked after the three children with the income she earned growing and selling vegetables. Tragically Mokim’s mother died just two years later – leaving the three children alone.
   
   Following the death of their mother his elder brother and sister left for Chittagong district while Mokim got a job as a house as servant in Dhaka where he stayed for five years.  Mokim said:
   
   “I started the profession of rickshaw puller aged 19 and stayed for two years. Then I learned how to drive a taxi. In 1984 I got mar... ]]>Thu, 09 Aug 2012 11:05:20 GMTPhoto: ADD InternationalChaina is 22 and has a speech and hearing impairment. She married in 2006, her husband also has a speech and hearing impairment, and they have two children; one son and one daughter.  Chaina’s husband earns very little so her father, who works as a rickshaw puller looks after Chaina’s family. Chaina sometimes works as housemaid, but people do not keep her as on a permanent employee because of her disability. Apart from going to work, Chaina never left the house.
   
   ADD started a project targetting disabled people living below the poverty line (monthly family income of up to £27) at the beginning of 2011 in Dhaka City Corporation. Under the project disabled women were assisted to get employment in the garment industries and disabled people were supported to create small business opportunities for themselves.
   
   So Chaina received 24 days training on sewing operation and garment manufacture... ]]>Thu, 09 Aug 2012 11:17:30 GMTPhoto: ADD International"My name is Mariam Traoré and I am a young disabled person of seventeen. I am a student in a Year 6 ability class. I am the youngest member of a family which includes three children, and I have an older brother and sister.
   
   My disability occurred after I suffered from polio when I was younger. To tell the truth my parents really had to look after me a lot. I lived with my family but I was very ashamed of my situation and my disability, especially at school. Each day, on the way to school I used to pass the headquarters of an organisation which looks after disabled people: the Association of Physically Disabled People. I joined the organisation in 2010.   
   
   From the moment I joined I discovered that the organisation provided many useful training courses. It was there that I participated in classes which were led or financed by ADD. "Classes were held on community lif... ]]>Thu, 31 Jan 2013 18:46:52 GMTPhoto: ADD InternationalFrom Kampong Speu province, 22 year old Chan Thida has a congenital disability.
   
   “It’s true for my disabled peers and myself that when we were born with a disability or became disabled, life was hopeless; we felt discouraged, useless and that we were burdens to our family.""We mainly hid ourselves at home and did not want to meet other people because we felt shy or fear of others. I heard people say that we were born with disability because we had sinned in our past life. I never heard encouragement from anyone, including my family.
   
   Traditional perceptions and the negative attitude of villagers and families buried persons with disabilities in deep a pit of ignorance which created a life of dependency.  Some of my peers were so discouraged they attempted suicide.   
   
   When I was growing up and realised that I c... ]]>Tue, 25 Sep 2012 10:23:13 GMTPhoto: ADD International“I feel sorry and hate myself when I see a disabled person. I leave the road to avoid looking at or greeting them."
   “In my early childhood, disability affected my movement and people looked at me with sorrow. I have a nice voice and sing whenever I can. My peers like me because of my voice and even the teachers and I used to lead the school choir.
   
   My life was rigid, hopeless. I left school when I was 14 because I had been sick for a long time and worked as an apprentice in a carpentry workshop. My performance was excellent and my boss always gave me big assignments. But because he was exploiting, giving me very little reward for my hard work, I felt frustrated and decided to give up.”
    
   Hamid returned to living in fear and depression until 1997 when his neighbour, a blind man, took him to the disabled people’s organisation (Union). To begin w... ]]>Thu, 09 Aug 2012 11:19:59 GMTAbdulla in his workshop. Photo: ADD InternationalAbdulla joined the Tanzania League of the Blind (TLB) when he became blind in 1978. He said he was really glad to meet other people with visual impairments because: “As a group, we can be heard.”
   
   Abdulla is married with eight children.
   
   “I have oriented myself so that my family doesn’t find my blindness a problem.  I interact with the community and I am now a leader of at the local level (which means, he heads a group of ten families).”
   
   Abdulla was a tailor before he became blind but took part in ADD training in 1989 to re-establish himself as a tailor. TLB spread the word about his profession and advertised his skills which helped increase his customer numbers.
   
   Abdualla says the most significant change for him was his election as chairperson of the district branch of ... ]]>Mon, 06 Aug 2012 15:49:03 GMT"I am no longer ashamed of myself, I no longer feel disabled."
   
   "Now , thanks to ADD, I will be able to live self-sufficiently, have enough money to look after myself, and eventually marry."

   “My name is Wabowaman Touré and I am nineteen. I have a spinal curvature and have been physically disabled since the age of five. Because of my disability, my parents refused to send me to school.

   I was invited to a meeting for disabled people from the city of Katiola by “Auntie” Cathérine, the vice-president of the Disabled Women’s Association (NGJHK). It was the first time that I had been with disabled brothers and sisters and that I was able to talk with them. I was very happy at the meeting and on that day I decided to join the association. I have been a member of the NGJHK since February 2011.   The association holds a meeting each month to discuss the problems of... ]]>Fri, 22 Feb 2013 20:54:50 GMTPhoto: ADD InternationalAbdin's mother: “Abdin was an aggressive lonely person and he made our life very difficult when he suddenly become blind. He was 10 and I found myself caring for a destroyed very sensitive child. For five years did not meet anyone else other than his own small family.”
   
   Abdin is 31 and lives 30 Kms from Gadrif town.  When Abdin first joined the Union he thought that they would give him money and felt frustrated when they didn’t. “I was jobless when I heard the Union gave hope to disabled people I went expecting to have employment or money.”
   
   But gradually he became aware that other blind and disabled people there were full of energy and hope and he began taking part in activities the Union organised himself. Abdin took training in traditional bed making and as he started to earn an income, came to realise that learning new skills that last forever is much... ]]>Mon, 06 Aug 2012 15:54:53 GMTPhoto: ADD InternationalADD is delighted that one of our trustees, Sebenzile Matsebula, and the Programme Manager of the National Union of Disabled Persons of Uganda (NUDIPU), Martin Mwesigwa Babu, have both been nominated to represent South African and Uganda respectively on the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD).
   
   Sebe has been a trustee of ADD since 2000 and we have worked in close partnership with NUDIPU since it was established in 1987.
   
   The CRPD is a body of 18 independent experts who monitor the implementation of the rights provided for under the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), by its States parties. Election fo... ]]>Sat, 22 Sep 2012 17:13:15 GMTWe work in collaboration with and through disabled people themselves, represented by their organisations.   To ensure that our work is a true reflection of the real needs of disabled people, our country directors and their teams work directly with disabled people's organisations (DPO’s) and their democratically elected leaders. 
   
   DPO leaders hold meetings with their members throughout the year to discuss their plans and aims and attend annual meetings with ADD to plan and agree the next 12 months’ work and enter into formal partnerships.   
   
   Our staff in-country the support DPO's with information, training, mentoring and funding. To encourage independence they help DPO’s identify and access other sources of funding.
   
   By supporting DPOs in Africa and Asia to become effective, sustaining, representative organisations, they are able to bring about positive changes in their own countries.&nbs... ]]>Wed, 25 Jul 2012 09:20:14 GMTWe work in collaboration with and through disabled people themselves, represented by their organisations.  To ensure that our work is a true reflection of the real needs of disabled people, our country directors and their teams work directly with disabled people's organisations (DPO’s) and their democratically elected leaders.
   
   DPO leaders hold meetings with their members throughout the year to discuss their plans and aims and attend annual meetings with ADD to plan and agree the next 12 months’ work and enter into formal partnerships.  By supporting DPOs in Africa and Asia to become effective, sustaining, representative organisations, they are able to bring about positive changes in their own countries.  In Sudan we support the following organisations:
   
   National Union of the Deaf
   National Union of the Disabled
   Kassala Un... ]]>Wed, 25 Jul 2012 09:20:38 GMTWe work in collaboration with and through disabled people themselves, represented by their organisations.  To ensure that our work is a true reflection of the real needs of disabled people, our country directors and their teams work directly with disabled people's organisations (DPO’s) and their democratically elected leaders.
   
   DPO leaders hold meetings with their members throughout the year to discuss their plans and aims and attend annual meetings with ADD to plan and agree the next 12 months’ work and enter into formal partnerships.  By supporting DPOs in Africa and Asia to become effective, sustaining, representative organisations, they are able to bring about positive changes in their own countries.  In Francophone West Africa we support the following organisations:
   
   Association des Femmes Handicapees de Orodara (AFHO)
   Coordination Provinciale des Personnes Handica... ]]>Wed, 25 Jul 2012 09:20:57 GMTWe work in collaboration with and through disabled people themselves, represented by their organisations.  To ensure that our work is a true reflection of the real needs of disabled people, our country directors and their teams work directly with disabled people's organisations (DPO’s) and their democratically elected leaders.
   
   DPO leaders hold meetings with their members throughout the year to discuss their plans and aims and attend annual meetings with ADD to plan and agree the next 12 months’ work and enter into formal partnerships.  By supporting DPOs in Africa and Asia to become effective, sustaining, representative organisations, they are able to bring about positive changes in their own countries.  In Bangladesh we support the following organisations:
   
   Protibondhi Narider Jatio Parisad
   Nondon Natore Zila protibondhi Federation
   ... ]]>Wed, 25 Jul 2012 09:21:18 GMTWe work in collaboration with and through disabled people themselves, represented by their organisations.  To ensure that our work is a true reflection of the real needs of disabled people, our country directors and their teams work directly with disabled people's organisations (DPO’s) and their democratically elected leaders.
   
   DPO leaders hold meetings with their members throughout the year to discuss their plans and aims and attend annual meetings with ADD to plan and agree the next 12 months’ work and enter into formal partnerships.  By supporting DPOs in Africa and Asia to become effective, sustaining, representative organisations, they are able to bring about positive changes in their own countries.  In Cambodia we support the following organisations:
   
   Cambodia Disabled People’s Organisation
   Kampong Ro Disabled People’s Development FederationWed, 25 Jul 2012 09:21:52 GMTDisabled people in Sudan experience huge difficulties accessing healthcare and rehabilitation. The lack of wheelchairs, walking sticks and other mobility appliances has been a significant challenge in eastern Sudan as landmines, poverty and endemic disease have all been causes of disability.
   
   How ADD helps
   ADD carried out a project (completed October 2011) with the Kasala Union of Physically Disabled restoring and expanding a workshop in Kasala State, to produce tricycle wheelchairs, walking sticks and frames. 
               
   The workshop was fully refurbished, a roof and ceiling, wiring, windows and toilets were installed, and the equipment needed to make the mobility appliances was acquired.  We supported Kasala Union of Physically Disabled to train 15 disabled people to operate the workshop, take measurements, source materials and... ]]>Wed, 25 Jul 2012 09:23:15 GMT
   Action on Disability and Development reserves the right to seek legal remedies for any violation of these Terms and Conditions. The information provided on this website is for general and educational purposes only and accepts no responsibility or liability for the completeness, accuracy or reliability of any information contained on or downloaded from the website. You are advised to verify the accuracy of any information on the website before relying on it, any reliance you place on it is done so at your own risk.  
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   Long term ‘permanent’ cookies are used to remember your country of origin as specified by your browser settings or cho... ]]>Tue, 24 Jul 2012 14:05:00 GMTPrivacy Policy
   
   Action on Disability and Development will not use any personal data collected on this site for any purpose other than that specifically stated. Action on Disability and Development will not use personal contact details unless you agree to the data protection opt in supplied. If you agree to receive, or sign up for, further information from Action on Disability and Development you will be offered an opportunity to unsubscribe from that communication at all points of contact. Action on Disability and Development subscribes fully to the Data Protection Act (1998) and the E-communications Act (2003). Action on Disability and Development also subscribes to the best practice guidelines of the DMA Email Marketing Council. Action on Disability and Development will never intentionally misuse or allow others to misuse any personal data it collects or holds.
   
   Action on Disability and Development will not sell or ... ]]>Fri, 03 Aug 2012 11:31:44 GMT
   With experience stretching over ten years, Joseph has worked with disability agencies both at national and international level.  He sits on boards of several national and international organisations and has authored papers and delivered training about disability rights and development in several countries.
   
   Joseph is an active advocate for disability inclusion and mainstreaming in Uganda; working within the disability fraternity to advocate for policy formulation and implementation in favour of people with disabilities. His passion is for social protection, access to health, and education and employment services for people with disabilities. ]]>Thu, 27 Sep 2012 15:31:56 GMTADD's goodwill ambassador Anne Waful Strike speaking at a parliamentary event about inclusive education in November 2011. Photo: Results UKThe International Development Select Committee has launched an inquiry on the post-2015 agenda and have invited organisations and interested individuals to submit written evidence on Post-2015 Development Goals.  The deadline for submissions is Friday 5 October 2012.  ]]>Fri, 21 Sep 2012 15:12:16 GMT
   Sixbert has been Country Director for ADD Tanzania since May 2010.  Before joining ADD Sixbert Completed an Msc. in Community Economic Development from Southern New Hampshire University, USA.
   
   Sixbert is a skilled and experienced community development practitioner with over 17 years hands-on experience ranging from the delivery of development activities at community level to strategic management at a national level.
   
   His experience of working with international NGOs in Tanzania include five years with CARE International, four years with HelpAge International, three years with Oxfam GB and three years with Sightsavers. The first five years were spent delivering development initiatives at community level, while the remaining 12 years Sixbe... ]]>Thu, 27 Sep 2012 15:30:17 GMTPhoto: ADD InternationalThe United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) and its Optional Protocol was adopted on 13 December 2006 at the United Nations in New York, and was opened for signature on 30 March 2007. The first human rights treaty of the 21st century entered into force in the countries that have ratified it on 3 May 2008.
   
   The Convention follows decades of work by the United Nations to change attitudes and approaches to persons with disabilities and is intended as a human rights instrument with an explicit, social development dimension.
   
   All the countries where we have offices have signed the Convention and only Cambodia have yet to ratify it
   
   The complete text of the Convention on ... ]]>Fri, 17 Aug 2012 10:43:05 GMTPhoto: Emma HinesDisabled people are a tiny minority
   Currently the world population is around 7 billion. The World Report on Disability (WHO/World Bank, 2011) estimates that 15% of us are disabled, that’s just over a billion people. This number is constantly increasing due to the ageing population and the global increase in chronic health conditions associated with disability, such as diabetes, cardiovascular disease, and mental illness.  80% of disabled people live in developing countries.  
   
   The majority of us become disabled at some stage in our lives and none of us would like to lose our basic rights as a result.
   
   Disabled people already benefit from development work and emerge... ]]>Tue, 28 Aug 2012 15:00:49 GMT
   Ratanak brings more than ten years’ experience of working with local and international organisations.
   He has a deep understanding of disability and the social model and rights based approach of disability.
   Ratanak is passionate about seeing and supporting the formation of a strong disability movement in Cambodia.
   
   He believes that the disability movement should be recognised and contributed to by their members with disabilities in order to engage with government agencies, local authorities, development partners and communities for the inclusion of people with disabilities. ]]>Tue, 25 Sep 2012 22:04:58 GMTMosharraf has been Country Director for ADD Bangladesh since 1995. Before joining he completed an MSS in Economics at Dhaka University and more recently a Masters degree in Public Administration from Harvard University.
   
   Organising disabled people at grassroots level is in his heart and Mosharraf has been instrumental in promoting the grassroots disability movement in Bangladesh. Under his leadership, ADD has supported the formation of nearly 200 disabled people’s organsations in rural areas and urban slums of 27 districts of Bangladesh as well as the strengthening two national umbrella organisations: the National Grassroots Disability Organisations and the National Council of Disabled Women.  
   
   Mosharraf's particular areas of expertise include the economic empowerment of disabled people, the f... ]]>Thu, 27 Sep 2012 18:21:44 GMTPhoto: ADD International“My name is Nassanga Jamila and I was born in 1970 in Kitanda Sub County Bukomansimbi District. I the fifth of nine children and was born sighted. However, as I narrate my story, I am visually impaired - a condition I acquired in August 2007. I grew up like most children and acquired education until 1986.
   
   I am currently the Woman Councilor representing women with disabilities from Bukomansibi on Local Council V.
   
   I was married off in 1987 in Kampala to a rich husband; we had six children. I was the second wife in a polygamous marriage.  My co-wife died after a long illness in 1999 and our husband followed in 2003. It was at this particular time that I became afraid of dying too, so my sister took me to Kyamillibwa Medical Research Centre for HIV/AIDS testing and the results were positive.
   
   I recall spending all days crying and mourning for... ]]>Mon, 13 Aug 2012 13:28:09 GMTPhoto: Penny Tweedie“My name is Henry and I am 49. I was born with Nystagmus (a condition that affects eye sight) but this did not hinder me from attending primary education in an ordinary school. In 1969 when I was in primary six, my visual impairment gradually intensified until I lost it completely and I dropped out of school. Being a talented guitarist, I teamed up with friends and we started entertaining people and earning money through music.
   
   This was a turning point in my life because I learnt that I was not the only person with disability who was living positively with HIV/AIDS - that was the beginning of my new transparent life.In 1999 I married and we are blessed with six children. I live peasantry life with subsistence farming as my only source of livelihood
   
   In 2003, doctor researchers from Entebbe came to our village and encouraged couples to test f... ]]>Mon, 13 Aug 2012 13:52:05 GMTPhoto: Emma Hines
   
   “We are ready to pass on the message of living with HIV/AIDS especially among people with disabilities in Uganda."“This is my story of how I contracted the HIV/AIDS virus and the stages I have gone through to reach positive living.
    
   I am Dick Bugembe, a male Ugandan, born in January 1960 in Masaka. I was born with just a thumb on each hand, one finger on my right hand and without any toes on my two lower limbs.
   
   Despite this my parents taught me how to walk independently and do all sorts of things just like any non-disabled child. I started primary education when I was six, but shortly after my enrollment my mother lost her sight to a condition that she battled until her death. It was a big setback to our entire family.  Being the only child to my mother in a polygamous family, it was entirely on me to s... ]]>Fri, 10 Aug 2012 16:46:29 GMTPhoto: ADD International13 year old Seng lives in Chulkiri District Kampong Chhnang Province and is the second of five children. Seng has an intellectual disability caused by a fever when she was a small child.
   
   Seng couldn’t walk because her legs were “exhausted” and had to crawl everywhere, which meant that she was always dirty. The villagers never spoke to her. Seng's mother drank and used to beat her. It was only her father who took care of her, but he worked away from home, so he couldn’t look after her all the time.In 2011 ADD began a new project supporting people with intellectual disabilities, in partnership with the Chulkiri Disabled People’s Development Organisation (CHDDO).
   
   Project staff worked with the whole community to identify people who would benefit from the project and then plan how to best support them. They ... ]]>Thu, 09 Aug 2012 17:20:06 GMTJane and her children. Photo: Emma Hines
   As a child her father wanted her dead and as an adult she was called “pig”.All her life Jane has experienced prejudice and discrimination. Rejected by her father at birth; at school no one wanted to play with her and her teachers didn’t support her education.
   
   Disillusioned, Jane left school in Year 5. Even as an adult she was called “pig” and other demeaning names. Joining the Elgon Foundation of Persons with Albinism (EFPA) in 2010 put Jane in contact with many people with albinism and other disabilities. At EFPA, the practical help and the resolute peer support Jane received taught her she was not a “pig” but a valuable human being.  
   
   One day she was tilling the little parcel of land that her late husband had inherited from his parents when suddenly her brother-in-law turn... ]]>Thu, 11 Oct 2012 14:47:17 GMT

   
   Esther studied business admin and marketing at university. Her very first job was working with a charity and she hasn’t looked back since. She has now worked in the sector for 12 years developing her skills in direct marketing fundraising and copywriting. Having worked at a number of development NGOs such as Children in Crisis and Concern Worldwide, she came to ADD as Head of Public Fundraising and Communications in September 2011.

   Esther has a penchant for salsa dancing and photography, and is mildly obsessed with cloud formations. Dislikes junk mail and unsolicited emails.

   ]]>Thu, 18 Apr 2013 19:39:43 GMT
   Mark joined ADD late in 2005.  Mark started his career in the private sector working as an Account Manager in a leading advertising agency. After several years he became disenchanted with the sector and left to study for a degree in International Development spending a year in Latin America in the process. A PG Dip. in Health Promotion followed whilst carrying out research for a South Wales health agency.
   Several years working in UK development followed both at the grassroots level as a development worker, as a Director for a resident-led, regeneration CBO and then as a consultant for a large urban regeneration consultancy overseeing large capital and revenue projects.
   
   ]]>Thu, 18 Apr 2013 19:41:32 GMTAndy joined ADD from VSO, where, following a stint of volunteering, he worked as a Regional Finance Officer supporting the finance teams across 8 countries in Asia. Based in their office in Nepal, he was a regular visitor to China, Mongolia, Tajikistan, Bangladesh, Pakistan, India & Sri Lanka
   
   Prior to this, Andy worked as a senior partner in a multi-office accountancy practice in the UK.
   
   With such a broad background, Andy brings a highly valued set of skills to ADD International.
   
   
   
   ]]>Thu, 18 Apr 2013 19:40:38 GMT
   Karen was appointed Head of International Development in September 2011. She combines senior business management skills acquired in the private sector with extensive international development experience, both at grassroots level working as a development worker, capacity building disabled people’s organisations as in senior management roles.
   
   Karen lived in Francophone West-Africa and South-East Asia for some 10 years. Before joining ADD, she worked with Handicap International Belgium in Cambodia.
   
   ]]>Thu, 18 Apr 2013 19:39:07 GMT
   Tim has been CEO of ADD International since 2010. Prior to this, he had a broad experience in international development, including six years in senior roles with Oxfam and VSO, running programmes in East Asia. Earlier, he worked as a fundraising manager with Oxfam, and he began his career with eight years in various headquarters roles with British Airways. He has degrees in Maths from Cambridge and a masters from Lancaster. His recent two years in a director level role in a public sector regulator gives him experience of all three sectors.
   
   In addition to his CEO role, Tim also sits on the board of the International Disability and Development Consortium (a global alliance of like-min... ]]>Wed, 17 Apr 2013 08:55:01 GMTIain McAndrew MInstF
   
   Ian is a professional senior fundraising leader with significant experience in driving and managing business change across a range of UK charities and cross-sector consortia. He has extensive experience in providing direction across multiple fundraising streams, marketing & communications strategies in large, complex or diverse organisations.
   
   Ian has a proven track record in delivering change and creating sustainable fundraising growth.
   
   

   Ian has an astonishing amount of experience within the charity sector and has worked for a number of high-profile charities including Save the Children, Guide Dogs for the Blind and RNIB.

   Iain is incredibly highly thought of within the sector and we are lucky that he has shown such interest in ADD.
   
   N.B. Iain's appointment is subject to ratification at the May 2013 board meetingWed, 17 Apr 2013 12:28:44 GMTWorking both internationally and in the UK, Sally has extensive experience in qualitative research and participatory evaluation as well as policy and strategy development. Much of her work has focused on promoting the rights of disabled people underpinned by the social model to disability. This has included work with Disabled People's Organisations in Africa and the UK, for example she is currently leading a three-year study on the impact of adult social care on the lives of older and disabled people.
   
   ......
   
   Sally has worked internationally in the field of inclusive education for the past 15 years, with a focus on Autism Spectrum Disorder.
   
   ]]>Wed, 17 Apr 2013 12:16:50 GMT
   John Tierney is a consultant focusing on leadership, change management and board room development to enable groups of senior professionals to create transformational change, and turning new insights into concrete gains on the ground.  
   
   Most recently John has worked with several inter-governmental agencies, large social housing organisations, international development NGOs, faith-based organisations and pan-EU umbrella organisations promoting human rights and equal trea ]]>Mon, 26 Nov 2012 10:42:10 GMT
   David Ruebain is currently Chief Executive of the Equality Challenge Unit. Prior to this he was a practicing solicitor, working as the Director of Legal Policy at the Equality and Human Rights Commission, a Partner and founder of the Department of Education, Equality and Disability Law at Levenes Solicitors in the UK.  
   
   David has also published widely and taught nationally and internationally on education, disability and equality law and has been involved in numerous voluntary organisations, drafting Private Members Bills and in making oral representations to Committees of Parliament. ]]>Mon, 26 Nov 2012 10:40:23 GMT
   Sarah Dyer has worked in international disability inclusive development for 17 years, during this time she helped to establish ADD’s programme in Zambia was Deputy International Director of Leonard Cheshire Disability and Programme Manager for UNDP in Afghanistan.
   
   Now living in Melbourne, Australia, Sarah operates a small consultancy group providing services to NGOs and the Australian government. Sarah supported the consultation and drafting of AusAID’s strategy on disability inclusive development - Development for All and now provides input on its implementation in a range of programmes in the Africa, Asia and Pacific regions. ]]>Mon, 26 Nov 2012 10:39:39 GMT
   Andrew Kudakwashe (AK) Dube, Chief Executive Officer of the Secretariat of the Africa Decade of Persons with Disabilities, brings 30 years' experience of designing, managing, evaluating and monitoring development and disability programmes with international and grassroots community organisations.
   
   His previous roles include working as an independent consultant with governments and Regional Programmes Director of Southern Africa Federation of the Disabled (SAFOD). AK has worked on provincial, national and inter-sectoral disability strategies, and was also involved in the implementation and evaluation of development programmes in the region of Southern Africa, Swaziland, Botswana, South Africa, Lesotho, Angola, Mozambique, Malawi, Zambia, Zimbabwe and Namibia; playing a key role in the establis... ]]>Mon, 26 Nov 2012 10:39:05 GMT
   Bob has been an ADD trustee since 2009. He was previously Director of Equal Opportunities Legislation and Policy in the GB civil service from 1995-1999 and then Chief Executive of the Disability Rights Commission for eight years.  He has also been a trustee at other BB and international equality and human rights voluntary bodies.  From two years to February 2012, supported by the European Union he lived in Israel to build the capacity and impact of the Equal Opportunities Commission in Israel.  He is currently an adviser to a new national Arab Employment Initiative there. ]]>Thu, 27 Sep 2012 05:58:55 GMT
   Stuart is the Director of Finance at Bradford Council, in England.  His previous roles include senior posts in the UK's welfare benefit system, including Finance Director at the Pension, Disability and Carers Service, management consultant with Deloitte, and Finance Director of a further education college in Leeds.  
   
   Before joining the finance world, Stuart was a translator and taught English in Germany.  Stuart's interest in disability issues stems from personal experiences. ]]>Thu, 27 Sep 2012 14:28:11 GMT
   Venky joined the development sector in 1980, having worked in the corporate sector for seven years and in academia for one year and founded Action on Disability and Development India (ADD India) in 1989 managed by Indians with disabilities and is the current chair. At the core of its values are self determination, self advocacy and inclusion. He pioneered mainstreaming disability into existing rural development initiatives in South India way back in 1987. ADD India developed a methodology of equipping NGOs to work with disabled people based on its core principles. To date, ADD India has partnered with about 180 NGOs to work with disabled people impacting the lives of over 100 thousa... ]]>Sun, 23 Sep 2012 12:46:10 GMT
   Jane came to the UK in 2006 to do a PhD exploring the social and logistical barriers to accessing primary education for children with disabilities in Ghana. More recently, Jane collaborated on the development of a WHO led initiative addressi... ]]>Thu, 20 Sep 2012 16:54:02 GMTPhoto: ADD International"All the villagers came to see the new born albino and my mother was happy despite all relatives feeling sorry because I would be shunned by other children and the community. I am now 27 and I grew up in Alhawata a small poor village. It’s very hot except in autumn when it becomes green and cold. “Since 2006 my life has changed completely. Now I feel confident, I am a responsible person in the community - an educated lady.”
   
   I can’t see anything. When I entered school I just listened and my friends helped me with reading things to me. Despite having a few friends, I felt the shame of my eyelashes that cannot stop moving – it made the children laugh of me and I become complex.”
   
   One day Gadrif Union of the Blind (GUB) came to Hawata village to tell people about their mission and activities. Sa... ]]>Mon, 13 Aug 2012 11:51:53 GMT“I come from very far – I have always lived in poverty you can’t imagine and I often sleep without eating. Sometimes I find things to eat at the rubbish dump”.Shayla became partially blind around the age of 10 and remembers lots of hospital visits but concludes “there was no help for me so I just stayed at home”. In her early 20’s she was married to a non-disabled man of 70; together they had three children but when Shayla lost her residual sight and became totally blind, he divorced her. Shayla went back to live with her parents until her children grew up and then went to live with one of her sons.
   Shayla shakes her head sadly at this point and says “he supported me but he wa... ]]>Fri, 26 Oct 2012 11:31:49 GMTPhoto: ADD International22 year old Asma has night blindness, cannot see in sunlight and is allergic to paper. This meant school was really tough for Asma, who says she was a listener at school and had to depend on school friends to fill in her exam papers.  She left school after completing class eight of primary school. “GUB mobilizes blind persons. Uniting them and developing their abilities”
   
   Asma’s blindness is hereditary and her two older sisters are also blind. One sister was already a member of Gadrif Union of Blind (GUB) in Sudan and encouraged Asma to join. In the beginning she refused, but one day relented and went along to a GUB event with her sister. She enjoyed herself and began to attend more events and celebrations. When she was ten, she registered as a member of the group.
   
   “GUB mobilizes blind persons. Uniting them and developing... ]]>Thu, 09 Aug 2012 15:35:17 GMTPhoto: ADD International“My name is Kabore Suzanne. I was born in February 1987 and I live with my spouse, who is also hard of hearing. It was at the Institute for Young Deaf People of Burkina Faso, where my parents sent me to school, that we met.
   
   "I was able to pay all my healthcare bills in 2011 myself, where before I had to rely on my father to pay them. In the past six months, with the profits from my sewing I have bought a bicycle, a bottle of gas and a bag of rice. Best of all, in October, I was able to pay my daughter’s school fees."We live with my spouse’s family and our daughter. My disability arose unexpectedly when I was seven and nothing could change my condition. I could no longer express myself nor could I hear properly. After having attended the Institute, I completed a training course in sewing at the CEFISE (the educative centre and training o... ]]>Wed, 08 Aug 2012 12:05:52 GMTPhoto: ADD InternationalSdaeng is from a family of six people who live in a small typical Khmer house built of wood, zinc, brick planks and palm leaves n Cambodia.
   
   When we spoke to Sdaeng in December 2011 she had just returned from a six-month sewing skills training course in Phnom Penh. We asked Sdaeng to share her story, and she did not hesitate:
   
   “I remember that was sent to a local primary school when I was nine years old; and I enjoyed my study very much. Unfortunately, I never returned to school when I became disabled age 13."“Why I become disabled? One day when I came home from school I saw my uncle who was heavily drunk walking along the path badly limping. I went to catch him up, but he was so mad that he held me with his both hands and threw me onto the ground roughly. I was knocked out, and when I woke, I realized I was in a hospit... ]]>Sat, 16 Mar 2013 13:07:22 GMTPhoto: ADD InternationalNabil Shamsadin is the Secretary General of the National Union of Physically Disabled from Gadarif state.
   “My journey with disability started a long time ago. People used to call me the donkey of Elkaj (because there was a crippled donkey belonging to someone called Elkaj). I suffered a lot from the stigma and did not participate in many family matters because of my disability.
   
   The Union helps develop the abilities of people with disabilities and unites them to demand their rights.”
   “My journey with disability started a long time ago. People used to call me the donkey of Elkaj (because there was a crippled donkey belonging to someone called Elkaj). I suffered a lot from the stigma and did not participate in many family matters because of my disability.
   
   The Union helps develop the abilities of people w... ]]>Mon, 13 Aug 2012 14:02:53 GMTPhoto: ADD InternationalSelf-help group members from eleven villages received a Priority Access Card (for poor households) from the government following advocacy efforts made by Bakan Disabled People’s Development Organisation (BDDO), Rumlech, Bakan district, Pusat province
   I realised that ADD’s work is absolutely different from other NGOs because it helps develop disability movement, and our ability to help ourselves, which is the only way we can sustain our own future.
   ADD started work in the Bakan district of Pusat province in 2006 and began a close collaboration with the commune council of Rumlech. ADD worked together with commune council to recruit three disabled volunteers, thereafter called Counterparts, to begin working with disabled people.
   
   In 2011 one of the counterparts, Koeng Sokha, a 40 year old visually impaired man became director of the ne... ]]>Mon, 13 Aug 2012 14:18:55 GMTPhoto: ADD International“I became blind when I was almost 30 years old. I was really desperate - I thought that was the end of my life. Fortunately I was convinced by other members of the Tanzania League of the Blind (TLB) to join the DPO (disabled people's organisation).”Through TLB Mr Salum gradually became more confident and accepted his condition and is now secretary of TLB Kibaha district branch.
   
   Through an ADD project on inclusive education Mr Salum found it hard to believe that some parents hid their disabled children away and decided to find out for himself.  He began by looking for information about disabled children in the area and with financial support from TLB, for a guide and transport costs, he visited the families.  
   
   By December 2011, he had found seven blind children aged between e... ]]>Thu, 09 Aug 2012 17:32:03 GMTPhoto: ADD InternationalIvan is a 17 year old member of Jinja District Association of the Blind (JIDAB) he became visually impaired three years ago. Despite two operations doctors have been unable to restore his sight, something eye specialists attribute to eye pressure.
   
   Just when Ivan thought that all hope of an education was lost, he met Fazira Kauma, coordinator of JIDAB. With her support Ivan enrolled in Spire Road Primary School which has a unit for blind students, with the sole purpose of learning Braille.
   
   This is a major undertaking that changed his life because it made it possible for Ivan to enroll in Iganga Secondary School in Eastern Uganda; reportedly the best high school for students with visual impairments.
   
   Spurred on by his own experiences with rural schools who do not accommodate children with visual impairments, and minimal intervention from the governmen... ]]>Mon, 13 Aug 2012 12:07:10 GMTPhoto: ADD InternationalRabiaa Tayara is 35 and has been deaf since she was three years old.
   
   As the Women’s Secretariat of the Kassala Union of the Deaf (KUD) in Sudan, Rabiaa’s role is to increase the number of disabled women members and develop their skills.
   
   She says that since the majority of the women are desperately poor the union supports them to build their ability to earn a living by providing skills training and literacy classes. Through the union deaf girls and women have the opportunity to improve their lives.
   
   "This has resulted in a marked improvement in the way women are viewed by society in general. Where before we were not allow to participate in any public activities, we have now started to. We should utilize this chance for the benefit of disabled women.
   
   For me personally, in September 2011,  I joined the Women's A... ]]>Mon, 13 Aug 2012 14:05:20 GMTPhoto: Geoff Sayer

   
   “I am so excited to start my secondary education; it has been my dream. My name is Saidi Saleh, I am 16 years old and I have very low vision, almost blind. I recently passed my standard seven examinations and got admitted to Old Moshi Secondary School in February 2010."Saidi’s blindness was caused when his mother attempted to end her pregnancy because she was still in school and she was afraid that the man who made her pregnant would be jailed.  When she discovered that the child was visually impaired she dumped the baby on her mother and left the village.
   
   “I remember people coming to my village where I was totally desperate, living in one small room with my grandmother without any hope and support.  I was going to a primary school in our village but I was at a very big risk as the school was locat... ]]>Mon, 13 Aug 2012 12:18:42 GMTPhoto: ADD International14 year old Matha is in grade five at a primary school, her mother Ms Hong Song tells Matha’s story:
   
   “Matha, the last among four siblings and was born with an abnormal size skull. We did not believe she would live this long. My husband was a school teacher and we also did some farming because we could not depend on a teacher’s low salary (less than $50 per month). Matha became paralysed as she grew.
   
   Despite the school was not far from home we never thought about sending her because we thought Matha could not learn. No one could convince me that Matha could learn so we mainly left her at home alone when we were busy with our farm and at school.”
   
   In 2008, Udong Disabled People’s Development Federation (UDDF) introduced Matha to ADD. Ms Hong Song continues…
   
   Thu, 18 Oct 2012 10:58:53 GMTPhoto: ADD InternationalArafat is an eight year old boy with multiple disabilities (physically and speech impaired). Arafat joined in Mukto Bangla self help group under Durjoy disabled people's organisation in 2008. His father is a mason and mother works in the Dhaka office of ADD as office assistant.
   
   When asked about the most significant change for him in the last year, Arafat smiled and said without any hesitation that he played a role in TV drama which aired on ATN Bangla in August 2011.
   
   “One day Akash, Personal Secretary of renowned Director Mr Salahuddin Lablu, came to observe four disabled children and finally selected me as an Actor of his drama.
   
   When I heard I had been selected for a role in the drama which would be on TV I was very much happy and delighted. During the filming all the artists and other people were very nice to me.
   
   I fe... ]]>Tue, 07 Aug 2012 10:29:31 GMTPhoto: Jan Knight/IntracLao is 24 and lives in a small village in Kampot Province. She is the eldest of four children. Before ADD’s intervention, she did not do anything in the house and was beaten by her father who thought she was disobedient.
   
   Nobody supported Lao or did anything for her because they believed that she was useless.
   
   After we explained about intellectual disabilities to her family and villagers they suddenly saw some hope of improvement in Lao’s life. Family and neighbours have patiently helped teach Lao some daily living skills and we also supported her with a livelihood sub-project raising chickens.
   
   Now, Lao can help her family with housework such as cooking and washing clothes and can take care of her chickens. She doesn’t wander away from home anymore because she needs to take care of her chickens. Lao al... ]]>Wed, 08 Aug 2012 15:17:55 GMTPhoto: ADD InternationalNil is the head of a family where three people have an intellectual disability. He was very upset when we first spoke to him and told us that R (his daughter) could not do anything, R (his son) kept wandering off, drank alcohol and never listened and N (his sister) moved very slowly and did not know what to do with herself; she had a baby to look after that had been born as a result of a rape.
   
   With three members of the same family living with intellectual disabilities, life was exceptionally tough and Nil’s family lived in extreme poverty.
   
   First we talked with the family to understand their specific needs and agreed to support them by building a family toilet and bathroom, to reduce the danger they faced going out alone in the dark to wash and defecate away from the home, and training in how to raise chickens and weave mats to earn an income.
   
   Mon, 13 Aug 2012 11:57:18 GMTPhoto: ADD International13 year old Pech has an intellectual disability and lives in Kampot province, Cambodia.

   The first time we met Pech, she looked sad and neglected; dressed in grey, dirty clothes. Villagers told us that she wandered from one home to another looking for children playing, but on-one welcomed her. She always avoided looking directly at adults and never, ever smiled.
   
   All that began to change in 2011 when Pech benefited from a project supporting people with intellectual disabilities. Now, her parents treat her better. Pech has confidence because she knows how to wash and dress herself and she has stopped wandering off, preferring to stay at home to look after her chickens and help her mother with housework. 
   
   Ms Uy Savoeun, Pech’s mother tells Pech’s story of change: 

   “People in the village said that my child wa... ]]>Mon, 13 Aug 2012 11:59:25 GMTPhoto: ADD InternationalYebouet Konan Pacomé was born in December 1978 in Abidjan in the Ivory Coast. After a severe fever aged five he lost the use of his legs. People believed it was the work of witchcraft and even his father abandoned him.

   Despite this, Yebouet was able to go to school for a while, thanks to a local teacher who took it upon himself to teach him. Sadly this was to end abruptly when the teacher relocated.

   Yebouet went to stay with his aunt in Daloa where he learnt how to make shoes. Yebouet said: “My disability stops me from working in the field and doing military service. Because of my disability I cannot get married. Even when a girl is interested in me, the insults from her friends mean that she ends up rejecting me. But I continue to look for love because one day fortune is going to smile on me”.

   Yebouet says he feels happy because the money he ea... ]]>Fri, 10 Aug 2012 16:42:40 GMTA disabled people's organisation in Bangladesh. Photo: ADD InternationalThe impact of our work with organisations of determined, dedicated disabled people is felt by many more disabled people in Africa and Asia than we directly support.  
   
   From a remote village where we supported disabled people’s organisations to take part in discussions to make sure their new village well was physically accessible to the passing of landmark disability laws, our work creates real positive change that benefits all disabled people.
   
   The challenges
   
   Our projects
   
   Information and resources

   
   Sebe is Deputy Vice President of Rehabilitation International, Africa.  She played a leading role and was instrumental in the development of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities which was adopted in 2006.

    
   Sebe is a Paul Harris Fellow, an award presented by Rotary International Award in recognitionof her contribution to the emancipation of disabled people.
   ]]>Thu, 27 Sep 2012 05:42:23 GMT
   
   Charlie, who joined our board of trustees in 2004, is the Director General for External Relations at the Department of Health.
   
   Before arriving in the Department of Health, Charlie was the Ageing Society and State Pensions Director at the Department for Work and Pensions where he led policy work on ageing across government and reform of state pensions.  Prior to that, Charlie has worked in a number of roles across government in No 10, HM Treasury, and the Department of Social Security and as an Executive Director at the Pensions Regulator where he led work on policy, strategy and communications.
   ]]>Fri, 21 Sep 2012 03:49:16 GMTEveryone has the right to choose how to describe their own identity and experiences, some prefer to use ‘people with disabilities’ others prefer to use ‘disabled people’.
   
   The UK disability movement uses 'disabled people', based on the idea that disability stems from the barriers disabled people face on a daily basis: prejudice, negative stereotyping, lack of accessible transport, housing and information and a lack of understanding of the needs and rights of disabled people.
   
   The countries we work in use ‘people (or persons) with disabilities’. This way, placing the noun ‘people (or persons)’ before ‘disabilities’ emphasises the fact that individuals who are disabled by society are people first.
    
   In the main, this website uses the term ‘disabled people’ except when what you are reading has come from our country offices wh... ]]>Fri, 21 Sep 2012 01:56:26 GMTSocial inclusion is not an act of charity but a human right. As the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities clearly states, participation and equality of access for all persons are not by-products of effective development cooperation they are its preconditions.
   
   By removing the barriers faced by disabled people, society as a whole is more accessible – the benefits of inclusion are not limited to people with disabilities. They make life easier for many other people too.
   
   ]]>Sat, 25 Aug 2012 12:48:21 GMTIn most cases, disabled people are simply not reached by traditional development cooperation measures. This is partly due to the fact that they are the poorest of the poor, a group that is invariably hard to reach because they are hidden away, not spoken about or counted.
   
   Also, because of stigma and discrimination, disabled people are often excluded from participating in development projects. At best they are the last people to benefit – at worse they miss out completely.
   
   AusAID estimate that only 3 to 4 per cent of disabled people benefit from international development assistance in their Development for All: Towards a disability-inclusive Australian aid program 2009–2014 report.
   
   ]]>Fri, 21 Sep 2012 02:12:53 GMTNo, and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities deliberately avoided definition, instead recognising disability as an evolving concept.
   
   ]]>Thu, 27 Sep 2012 05:40:50 GMTPhoto: ADD InternationalDisabled people in Sudan experience huge difficulties accessing healthcare and rehabilitation. The lack of wheelchairs, walking sticks and other mobility appliances has been a significant challenge in eastern Sudan as landmines, poverty and endemic disease have all been causes of disability.How ADD helps
   Ending in 2011, ADD carried out a year long project with the Kasala Union of Physically Disabled restoring and expanding a workshop in Kasala State, to produce tricycle wheelchairs, walking sticks and frames.
               
   The workshop was fully refurbished, a roof and ceiling, wiring, windows and toilets were installed, and the equipment needed to make the mobility appliances was acquired.  We supported Kasala Union of Physically Disabled to train 15 d... ]]>Fri, 17 Aug 2012 10:59:31 GMT
   Liz brings over 20 years experience as a consultant and facilitator in organisational development, capacity-building, learning and change, primarily in the international NGO sector. Her background includes rights-based community development work in West Africa, strengthening NGO Support Organisations in East Africa and Asia through her work with INTRAC (International NGO Training and Research Centre) and running a Masters-level leadership programme for donor agencies in Central and Eastern Europe. 
   
   Currently Liz works as a fellow with the Office for Public Management (OPM); an employee-owned consultancy, specialising in organisation and leadership development, policy resear... ]]>Fri, 21 Sep 2012 03:40:04 GMTCredit Disability Rights CommissionSaghir became Chair of ADD in June 2010, the position previously held by Chris Gillies. Saghir is a leading expert in Human Rights issues, advising a number of government departments.  Saghir is a lawyer and Commissioner of the Disability Rights Commission leading on partnership and capacity building.  In 2007 Saghir was appointed Independent Governor of the Westminster Foundation for Democracy by the Foreign and Commonwealth Secretary. 
   
   Saghir is the Patron of Include Me Too, a national Black and Minority Ethnic families and children organisation and works with the Ethnic Disabled Children Society.Thu, 27 Sep 2012 14:33:31 GMTCate and her children in Uganda. Photo: Emma HinesSince 1985 we have been working in partnership with disabled people and their organisations in some of the poorest countries in Africa and Asia.  We do this by encouraging disabled people to come together to channel their voices and campaign for their own rights.
   
   During 2011 we supported 316 disabled people’s organisations with a total membership of 121,267.As well as the challenges to surviving each day that face the millions of people living in poverty, disabled people have to cope with the additional barriers caused by discrimination, stigma and social exclusion.
   
   The almost overwhelming lack of inclusion in education, health care, employment, political participation, social and family life, to name a few, makes disabled people some of the poorest, most marginalised and neglected people in the dev... ]]>Fri, 17 Aug 2012 11:26:07 GMTTrustees
   We are committed to inclusion and diversity not just as a principle but as practice.  At trustee level this is demonstrated by having a target of at least 50% of trustees being disabled people and 50% women. Currently, four of ADD’s eleven trustees are disabled people, and four are women and the staff and trustees comprise people representing a community voice from Africa and Asia.
   
   
   Haji Saghir Alam OBE (Chair)
   
   
   
   
   Read more
   
   
   
   
   Saghir became Chair of ADD in June 2010, the position previously held by Chris Gill... ]]>Tue, 16 Apr 2013 18:40:54 GMTCurrently the world population is around 7,000,000,000. The World report on disability (WHO/World Bank, 2011) estimates that 15% of us are disabled people, that’s 1,050,000,000 people. This number is constantly increasing due to ageing population and the global increase in chronic health conditions associated with disability, such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases, and mental illness.
   
   Of those 80% live in developing countries. ]]>Wed, 17 Apr 2013 13:51:47 GMTRates of disability tend to be higher among people living in poverty due to lower education and income levels which means they cannot afford adequate healthcare or a nutritious diet. A lack of healthcare and nutrition means that a disabled child is more likely be born to a poor woman, or that she will be left with an impairment following birth.
   
   Generally anyone living in poverty is exposed to risks which often result in becoming disabled and individuals, as well as families with a disabled family member, are usually poorer.
   
   ]]>Sat, 22 Sep 2012 12:46:26 GMTFind out about and be a part of fundraising, challenge and social events.
   
   To keep up to date with any events we are involved in sign up to receive news updates by email.
   
   Challenge events
   
   ]]>Wed, 17 Apr 2013 12:49:05 GMTPhoto: Geoff SayerThe long-term change we wish to see for disabled people is challenging work. It requires ongoing and persistent effort. With regular gifts we can help disabled people fight legal cases, challenge dicrimination, earn an income, and play an increasingly bigger role in society.  
   
   Simply put, if the funding stops, so does our ability to get the inclusin of disabled people higher up the global agenda where it belongs.
   
   Please support us with a regular gift today.
   
   £8.50 a month could ensure that seven children with cerebral palsy can attend physiotherapy training sessions which would in turn allow them to go to school and interact with other children in their community.

   Photo: ADD InternationalIn many countries, there is still huge stigma and discrimination around people with intellectual disabilities and they are often ignored by their families making them vulnerable to abuse.
   
   Poor communities are more likely to support and include people with intellectual disabilities when they are able generate an income. How ADD helps
   In March 2011 we embarked on a project with 161 people with intellectual disabilities in five provinces of Cambodia. Members of local disabled people’s organisations (DPOs) were trained to gain the support of families, neighbours, other villagers and local authorities to provide long-term sustainable assistance to the beneficiaries and to treat them as part of the community.
   
   Everything we do is based on an individual’s needs. We identify the opportunities and... ]]>Fri, 17 Aug 2012 11:01:39 GMTPhoto: ADD InternationalFewer than 5% of disabled children in Tanzania go to school. Even if they can get there, sustaining that vital education isn’t easy: inaccessible buildings, a lack of suitable teaching materials, and a shortage of teachers make for a very difficult learning environment. They especially need teachers who know sign language and understand Braille.  All of this is compounded by the negative attitudes of education authorities and society in general. The needs and rights of disabled children are neglected in education programmes. Which means poor enrolment rates, high drop-out rates, and children and parents who are left feeling disheartened.
   
   Disabled children should be able to learn in regular schools, just like others: the special education system only meets the needs of a few. Special schools are expensive to establish and run, and by segregating disabled c... ]]>Fri, 17 Aug 2012 11:02:32 GMTPhoto: shiree, Khaled Arafat AhmedEmployment is key for the empowerment and inclusion of the more than 15 million disabled people living in Bangladesh. But the reality is that, despite their desire to contribute to the workforce, the majority of disabled adults are unemployed. This is because of discrimination from employers and co-workers and the lack of educational opportunities available to them as disabled children.How ADD helps
   In order to change such a long history of marginalisation and segregation, innovative approaches and actions are needed.  

   Through a three year project (January 2011 – December 2013) ADD is providing vocational training for disabled people and linking them with factories that will offer employment, and the ability to earn a living for the first time in their lives.

   The project ... ]]>Fri, 17 Aug 2012 11:21:47 GMTPhoto: ADD InternationalADD International was founded as Action on Disability and Development in 1985 by Chris Underhill. During a trip to Zimbabwe Chris met and was inspired by the achievements of disabled people’s organisations who were successfully changing people’s attitudes and government policy.
   
   Although, at the time, other charities were working with disabled people in Africa they viewed disabled people from a medical perspective, and provided treatment their disability (or impairment).
   
   There was a clear need for an organisation that supported disabled people to come together, identify and prioritise their own needs and demand equal opportunities in order to reduce the poverty in which they lived, through their own initiatives. It is this collaborative approach that remains at the very core of all our work.
   
   The disabled people’s organisations that ... ]]>Wed, 08 Aug 2012 11:01:42 GMTPhoto: Snigdha ZamanDespite the challenges of working in countries with their own unique and sometimes complex environment, we’re excited and optimistic about the opportunities to increase the strength and impact of our work.
   
   Currently, we’re working with other international development organisations, debating, challenging decision-makers and getting actively involved in discussions about what will replace the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) when they end in 2015.
   
   Even though disabled people are some of the poorest people in the world the MDGs – created to reduce poverty - don't mention disabled people. So we’re doing all we can to make sure they are included in whatever replaces the MDG’s after 2015.
   
   Without taking into account the needs of disabled people millions will ... ]]>Fri, 17 Aug 2012 11:29:06 GMTBertha, member of SWAUTA in Tanzania signing "Thank you". Photo: Geoff SayerOur projects
   
   Stories of change
   
   Our finances
   
   Our thanks go to the following donors, as well as our thousands of loyal individual supporters.
   
   AusAID
   Bread for the World
   

   The Breadsticks Foundation
   CAFOD
   Commission for the European Communities
   Cordaid
   The Department for International Developme... ]]>Tue, 14 Aug 2012 09:27:29 GMTRanks 161 of 187 countries in the Human Development Index
   
   Population: 34,509,000
   
   Life expectancy at birth: 54
   
   ADD established: 1987
   
   Country Director:  Joseph Walugembe
   
   Number of disabled people’s organisations ADD works with: 16
   
   Number of DPO members: 6,359Disability Law
   The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) was signed on 30.03.07 and ratified on 25.09.08. National Policy on Disability and the Persons with Disabilities Act was passed in 2006.

   History
   ADD was established in Uganda with the single aim of ending the exclusion, poverty and discrimination faced by people with disabilities.
   
   ADD started work by identifying people with disabilities within communities and encouraging them to form groups - one voice calling fo... ]]>Tue, 02 Oct 2012 10:50:36 GMTRanks 152 of 187 countries in the Human Development Index
   
   Population: 42,746,620
   
   Life expectancy at birth: 58 years
   
   ADD established: 1998
   
   Country Director: Sixbert Mzee
   
   Number of disabled people’s organisations ADD works with: 9
   
   Number of DPO members: 91,512

   Disability Law
   The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) was signed on 30.03.07 and ratified on 29.09.08. The Persons with Disabilities ACT, 2010.

   History
   As in many other countries, disability was viewed as a misfortune requiring sympathy for the person affected. Prior to its independence in 1961, the only active organisation in Tanzania was the Society for the Blind which was supported by the colonial government and church based organisations.
   
   In 1969 the Tanzan... ]]>Tue, 02 Oct 2012 10:51:38 GMTRanks 154 of 187 countries in the Human Development Index
   
   Population: 33, 419,625
   
   Life expectancy at birth: 55 years
   
   ADD established: 1989
   
   Country Director: Osman Abdelrahim
   
   Number of disabled people’s organisations ADD works with: 31
   
   Number of DPO members: 54,024

   Disability Law
   The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) was signed on 30.03.07 and ratified on 24.04.09. The National Disability Act, 2009. National Disability Council established in 2011.

   History
   In Sudan people with disabilities were neglected, excluded from community life, had no access to social services and were often hidden away by families who considered them a “stigma”. With no rights to either an education or employment, most peop... ]]>Tue, 02 Oct 2012 10:56:30 GMT Burkina Faso
   Ranks 181 of 187 countries in the Human Development Index
   
   Population: 16,968,000
   
   Life expectancy at birth: 55 years
   
   ADD established: 1990 Number of disabled people’s organisations ADD works with: 23
   
   Number of DPO members: 3,603
   Disability Law
   In Burkina Faso the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) was signed and ratified on 23.05.07. Law on the protection and promotion of people with disabilities adopted on 1.04.10.
   
   In Côte d’Ivoire the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) was signed on 07.06.07.
   
   In Mali the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) was signed and ratified on 15.05.07.
   
   Côte d’Ivoire
   
   Ranks 170... ]]>Tue, 02 Oct 2012 10:57:49 GMTRanks 139 of 187 countries in the Human Development Index
   
   Population: 14,305,000
   
   Life expectancy at birth: 63 years
   
   ADD established: 1995
   
   Country Director: Kouch Ratanak
   
   Number of disabled people’s organisations ADD works with: 18
   
   Number of DPO members: 10,904Disability Law
   The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) was signed on 01.10.07 and ratified on 10.08.12. The National Assembly passed the Disability Bill in May 2009
   
   History
   Before ADD, the rights of persons with disabilities was rarely talked about and to most people, the word ‘disability’ either meant a disadvantaged person or a war amputee.   
   
   ADD was established in Cambodia at the same time the Cambodian Disabled People’s Organisation (... ]]>Mon, 08 Oct 2012 09:47:23 GMTRanks 146 of 187 countries in the Human Development Index
   
   Population: 150,494,000 Life expectancy at birth: 69 years
   
   ADD established: 1994
   
   Country Director: Mosharraf Hossain
   
   Number of disabled people’s organisations ADD works with: 133
   
   Number of DPO members: 17,474
   Disability Law
   The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD) was signed on 09.05.07 and ratified on 30.11.07.
   
   History
   Prior to the formation of an organised disability movement people with disabilities were subject to neglect, oppression, violence and discrimination. Children and women were the worst affected – shunned by their own families because of cultural taboos and superstition. For disabled children education was a rarity.
   
   In 1995 ADD’s work began with 73 people with ... ]]>Tue, 05 Feb 2013 10:17:12 GMT
   Images should be 1024px x 269px. ]]>Thu, 18 Oct 2012 13:45:08 GMTPhoto: Snigdha ZamanFor too long, disabled people in Bangladesh have been fighting a long-standing government rule which prohibits the recruitment of disabled people in civil service jobs.
   Mosharraf Hossain, Country Director of ADD Bangladesh was himself denied the opportunity take the BCS examination back in 1987 because of his disability.
   This changed on March 20 2012, when a landmark ruling by the High Court in Bangladesh finally allowed disabled people to sit the 33rd Bangladesh Civil Service (BCS) examination.
   
   Five applicants: ADD Bangladesh, Shapan Chowkider, a visually impaired lawyer, Ain O Shalish Kendro, Bangladesh Legal Aid and Services Trust and the National Council of Disabled Women, argued that such institutionalised discrimination violates fundamental rights. They called for the right to equal opp... ]]>Wed, 26 Sep 2012 06:34:59 GMTPhoto: Geoff SayerAn international study by HelpAge International and Handicap International shows less than 1% of humanitarian aid targets older people or disabled people.
   
   Tim Wainwright, ADD's CEO said: "This report from two leading actors in the field simply but effectively illustrates the fact that the vast majority of humanitarian aid does not include disabled people. ADD calls on all humanitarian actors to take immediate steps to include disabled people in the design and implementation of their work, and on humanitarian donors to insist this is done".
   
   The study found significant disparity between the needs of older people and disabled people and the level of humanitarian assistance delivered to meet their needs. Analysis of over 6,000 projects from 14 UN Consolidated Appeal Pr... ]]>Thu, 20 Sep 2012 23:32:51 GMTPhoto: ADD InternationalThe first ever World report on disability, produced jointly by the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the World Bank was launched on 9 June 2011 and suggests that more than a billion people in the world today experience disability.
   
   Download the full report. ]]>Tue, 28 Aug 2012 15:02:15 GMT