4.1 Meaningful Participation

Meaningful participation occurs when persons with disabilities can participate in humanitarian decisions that affect them (IASC, 2019, p.19). Three actions are key: 1) enable the participation of persons with disabilities in all phases and levels of the response; 2) recruit persons with disabilities as staff at all levels of the humanitarian organizations; and 3) seek advice and collaborate with OPDs (IASC, 2019, p.20).

The previous chapter has shown that stigma and discrimination, the lack of OPD presence outside Juba, as well as environmental and institutional barriers, impede the meaningful participation of persons with disabilities. Either consultations and community discussions take place in locations that are hard to reach or the required information is not available in multiple formats, thus excluding persons with visual, hearing, psychosocial and other types of disabilities. Humanitarian organizations pursue two main strategies to increase the participation of persons with disabilities. First, they work with community leaders to raise awareness of the rights of persons with disabilities and their inclusion, and second, they establish and cooperate with community groups inside and outside the IDP camps.12