How to Identify Persons with Disabilities (PWD) for Inclusive WASH Programs

Case study: How to Identify Persons with Disabilities (PWD)

for Inclusive WASH Programs

Photo credit: WaterAid Cambodia/Rhiannhon

1. Introduction

In August 2015, WaterAid supported the Disability Development Service Program

(DDSP), a local NGO based in Pursat, to improve the quality of lives of persons
with disabilities through inclusive water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) activities.
WaterAid provided both technical and financial support to DDSP who conducted
household assessments to identify persons with disabilities. The assessment tool
was developed by DDSP and WaterAid. Local authorities (village chiefs and
commune councils), persons with disabilities and their family members and
additional relevant stakeholders provided information and coordination for the
assessment. This case study explains the process of identification and lessons
learned from these experiences.

2. Process of identifying persons with disabilities for this study

é There were several steps to take in order to identify persons with disabilities to
be involved in the DDSP project.

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 How to Identify Persons with Disabilities (PWD) for Inclusive WASH Programs

LStep 1: Explore disability information and introduce the project

DDSP first found information regarding persons with disabilities from secondary
data sources of the Department of Planning (DoP) and the Department of Social
Affairs, Veterans and Youth Rehabilitation (DoSVY) in target areas where DDSP
was working. Then, DDSP organised a meeting with local authorities to introduce a
new project on inclusive WASH and to inform the team about finding persons with
disabilities to be involved in the project. Those in attendance were: village chiefs
and commune councils, NGOs, Disabled People Organisation (DPOs) and relevant
government departments such as DoSVY, DoP and the Provincial Department of
Rural Development (PDRD).

Photo credit: WaterAid Cambodia

” Step 2: Organise village meeting

After the introduction meeting, DDSP conducted a face-to-face meeting with village
chiefs and commune councils to inform them about the study purpose, venue
choice and to set the date of the meeting with villagers. DDSP wanted to ensure
persons with disabilities and the poorest villagers were included in the meeting.

In collaboration with local authorities, DDSP organised a meeting with villagers to

provide an overview to the project, highlight benefits of joining the project, share

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 How to Identify Persons with Disabilities (PWD) for Inclusive WASH Programs

information on the law regarding the protection and promotion on the Rights of
Persons with Disabilities and to schedule dates for data collection.

Photo credit: WaterAid Cambodia

@ Step 3: Develop tools and provide training on the tools to staff

Once agreement was reached with the villages, a Household Assessment Tool was
developed to gather information on disabilities, water, sanitation and hygiene
(WASH) and access to other services (See annex: Household Assessment Tool).
To obtain information regarding disabilities, DDSP asked questions from the
National Guidelines on WASH for Persons with Disability and Older People, 20161,
such as:

1. Do you have difficulty seeing, even if wearing glasses?

2. Do you have difficulty hearing, even if using hearing aid?

3. Do you have difficulty walking or climbing steps?

4. Do you have difficulty remembering or concentrating?

5. Do you have difficulty with self-care such as washing all over or dressing?

6. Do you have difficulty using your usual language or communicating, for

example understanding or being understood?

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2016 MRD: National Guidelines on WASH for Persons with Disabilities and Older People

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 How to Identify Persons with Disabilities (PWD) for Inclusive WASH Programs

In addition, DDSP leaders and WaterAid conducted a half-day training to seven
DDSP staff at the DDSP office on how to use the tool. The training was conducted
to ensure the DDSP team was clear on each question to be asked and for the tool
authors to clarify any questions. After testing the tool with villagers and persons
with disabilities, the tool was revised with participation of all DDSP staff who were
involved in data collection.

Photo credit: WaterAid Cambodia

. Step 4: Data collection at village level

Data collection at household level was carried out by DDSP staff in fifty-nine
villages in eight communes and three districts with more than 500 households who
volunteered during the village meeting described above. (See annex: Household
Assessment Tool).

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 How to Identify Persons with Disabilities (PWD) for Inclusive WASH Programs

Photo credit: WaterAid Cambodia/Philong

R Step 5: Household selection

After data collection from the Household Assessment Tool, there were two
processes for selection of households; a) semi-selection by DDSP and b) final
participatory selection by the community in collaboration with the local authorities.

DDSP team collated all data collected from the field and made a summary in order
to semi-select households. The criteria for semi-selection of households were
those households that:

• had at least one person with disability,

• was categorized as ID poor,
• lacked a toilet,
• did not have a water source, and
• household members had a lack of hygiene knowledge.

There were more households that met the DDSP criteria than could be supported
by the project. Therefore, participatory meetings with villagers and local authority
were conducted for final-selection based on the community’s criteria. The criteria
were similar to DDSP but also considered the household size, current access to
WASH facilities and/or contribution from a household in term of money, labour
and/or materials. The community prioritised and decided who should be provided

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 How to Identify Persons with Disabilities (PWD) for Inclusive WASH Programs

with WASH facilities (wells, toilets and water filters) first. During the process, the
local authorities were engaged.

Photo credit: WaterAid Cambodia/Rhiannhon

3. Challenges

L There were some obstacles during identification of persons with disabilities as

some persons with disabilities were busy and others had migrated to work outside
of the province or country and were therefore missing them from the interview
process.

Furthermore, it was difficult to travel to interviews due to challenging terrain such as

bumpy roads as well the far distance from one household to another.

Another difficulty was that there are a large number of persons with disabilities to be
interviewed and only a small number of DDSP staff interviewers.

4. Lessons Learned

J DDSP believes that involving local authorities, including commune councils

and village chiefs in the processes of interviewing is beneficial to raise awareness of
issues and needs of persons with disabilities within the community.

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 How to Identify Persons with Disabilities (PWD) for Inclusive WASH Programs

This assessment focused primarily on disabilities and some new DDSP staff had not
yet understood about different types of disability. Disability awareness training should
be provided as part of new staff orientation to the DDSP team.

In addition, the contribution of households to a toilet and a water supply were difficult
to assess because of different contributions from each household or group of
households. Clearer guidance around contributions needs to be set up in future.

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