Devex: Opinion: People with disabilities are the experts in disability-inclusive development
Alexandra Kay, disability inclusion adviser at Scope Global

“With the right levels of support, people with disabilities make highly effective development workers. … Here are five lessons we’ve learned about including people with disabilities in development programs. 1. Catalyze ways for people with disabilities to be agents of their own change … 2. Set up reasonable adjustments … 3. Evaluate and respond to risk … 4. Factor disability inclusion into your budget from inception … 5. Use positive role modeling to change ingrained cultural attitudes … Development organizations must be inclusive of people with disabilities if they are to enable positive social change that benefits all members of the community and fulfill the Sustainable Development Goals. We see a great opportunity to link the disability sector and people with disabilities in Australia with our programs and networks in the Asia-Pacific region as a capacity development mechanism, a way to reduce and remove societal barriers, and as a way to promote access and inclusion in other organizations” (1/15).

Devex: Opinion: The private sector’s role in supporting a disability-inclusive world
Kovin Naidoo, senior vice president of inclusive business, philanthropy, and social impact at Essilor International

“When we think of disability and its impact on individuals and the world, it’s easy to think of it in isolation. … This is despite the development of an inclusive society being front and center of the Sustainable Development Goals, and that by creating a wholly inclusive society we improve the lives of everyone, not just those directly affected by disability. The scale of this challenge means that no one — NGOs, governments, or businesses — can achieve any lasting change on their own. … The need to address the challenge of disability and inclusivity is not going away any time soon and more can always be done to address the challenge. … [I]t is time for the private sector to step up as an instigator of change. Currently, … the reality is that the lack of resources often means large scale success is not possible. The private sector can address this issue head-on by looking to fund at scale, bringing more NGOs together to work toward a shared goal…” (1/10).