Guidance on Disability Inclusion for GBV Partners in Lebanon:
Outreach, Safe Identification, and Referral of Women, Children and Youth with Disabilities
Other resources developed in the project include:
Approximately 15 per cent of any community may be persons with disabilities. 1 There may be even higher rates of disability in communities affected by crisis or conflict, 2 as people acquire new impairments from injuries and/or have reduced access to health care. In Lebanon, it is estimated that 900,000 persons are living with disabilities. 3 Persons with disabilities are one of the most vulnerable and socially excluded groups in any crisis-affected community. They may be in hidden in homes, overlooked during needs assessments and not consulted in the design of programs. 4 While gender-based violence (GBV) affects women, girls, men and boys, the vast majority of survivors globally are women and girls. 5 Persons with disabilities have difficulty accessing GBV programs, due to a variety of societal, environmental and communication barriers, increasing their risk of violence, abuse and exploitation. 6
The Lebanon Crisis Response Plan (LCRP) 2017 – 2020 recognizes that children with disabilities are at a higher risk of violence, abuse and exploitation, both inside the home and in the wider community, with women and girls with disabilities being among the most vulnerable to GBV. Both the LCRP and the Ministry of Social Affairs National Plan to Safeguard Children and Women in Lebanon 2014 – 2015 highlight commitments to strengthening national protection, child protection (CP) and GBV systems ensuring that women, girls and boys at risk and survivors of violence, exploitation and abuse have access to improved and equitable prevention and response services. 7 8
Despite these increased risks, women, children and youth with disabilities report a lack of information and awareness on GBV-related activities and how to access case management services, due to both physical and attitudinal barriers to accessing such services. 10
6The definition of disability continues to evolve over time. It is important to remember that persons with disabilities are not a homogenous group; they have different capacities and needs and contribute in different ways to their communities. 11
The national Lebanese Law 220/2000 defines a person with a disability as “a person whose capacity to perform one or more vital functions, independently secure his personal existential needs, participate in social activities on an equal basis with others, and live a personal life that is normal by existing social standards, is reduced or non-existent because of partial or complete, permanent or temporary, bodily, sensory or intellectual functional loss or incapacity, that is the outcome of a congenital or acquired illness or from a pathological condition that has been prolonged beyond normal medical expectations.” 12
7Article 1 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) states:
“Persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which in interaction with various barriers may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others.” 13
An impairment is a problem in the body's structure or function. 14 Impairments may be physical, intellectual, psychosocial and sensory.
Previous needs assessments in Lebanon have highlighted that family members, communities and service providers often view persons with disabilities through medical or charitable models, failing to recognize social factors, such as age and gender, that may increase their vulnerability to gender-based violence, requiring inclusion in prevention and empowerment efforts, and / or referral to case management agencies for appropriate follow-up. 16
The move towards a rights-based approach for working with persons with disabilities has gained significant international momentum over the past decade with adoption of the United Nations Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). Persons with disabilities have a right to protection in situations of risk or in humanitarian crisis and should be able to both access services and participate in GBV programs and activities on an equal basis with others. 17 Persons with disabilities have a long history of discrimination and disempowerment by family members, caregivers, partners, and even service providers. GBV actors can play a central role in supporting women, children and youth with disabilities to make their own decisions and addressing the barriers they experience in their relationships, households and communities. GBV actors must use a rights-based approach when working with persons with disabilities, ensuring women, children and youth, with or without disabilities, have the same access to their programs, services and support.
9Women, children and youth with disabilities are not more vulnerable to violence because of their impairment, but rather because they are perceived as different, have less power and status, are marginalized and are even directly targeted for violence. 18 There are many factors that increase the vulnerability of persons with disabilities. However, the root causes of violence against persons with disabilities are the same as for other people:
While GBV affects women, girls, boys and men, the vast majority of survivors of GBV are women and girls. 19 For women and girls with disabilities, the intersection of gender and disability increases their vulnerability to violence.
Global statistics and estimates
Age, gender, type of disability, displacement status, and other factors that are unique to each context and community, will contribute to increased risk of GBV for women, children and youth with disabilities. The following factors related to disability may increase vulnerability to GBV: 25
Frontline workers can plan an important role in encouraging persons with disabilities to develop their skills and make meaningful contributions to their communities. Frontline workers should remember that persons with disabilities are not a homogenous group; they have different capacities and needs, and contribute in different ways to their families, households and communities. 29
Some general principles that will help you to identify the skills, capacities and communication preferences of individuals with disabilities include: 30
See Tool 6: Inclusive Outreach Messages for sample messages addressing each of these points.
Frontline workers can play a critical role in increasing access to GBV programs by working in collaboration with persons with disabilities to identify and remove as many barriers as possible. The following are some suggested steps that frontline workers to can take to help identify and remove barriers to community-based GBV activities. These steps should be undertaken after you have built trust with the community through initial outreach and are planning the GBV activities that you will run with the community. They should also be undertaken while GBV activities are being implemented in the 21 community, so that you can monitor access and inclusion of persons with disabilities and respond to any new barriers that may arise.
Frontline workers are key to ensuring that community members are well informed about important services in their area and that referral pathways work for all persons in need of services. According the Inter-Agency Standard Operating Procedures for SGBV Prevention and Response in Lebanon, frontline workers should “inform and train persons with disabilities as well as their families and caregivers on how to recognize, avoid and report acts of SGBV.” 31 The information provided in this section complements existing standard operating procedures, and should not be used in isolation of these. In the unlikely event that a frontline worker is having difficulty implementing the standard operating procedures with a survivor and / or someone at-risk, they should immediately contact their supervisor for additional support.
According the Inter-Agency Standard Operating Procedures for SGBV Prevention and Response in Lebanon, “while frontline workers may come across survivors of SGBV and/or disclosure they should not carry out proactive identification activities (i.e. looking for SGBV survivors, asking about past abuse, pushing to disclosure), and only limit their functions to safe and ethical referral to services for survivors who approach them and seek help.”This principle should be upheld by frontline workers at all times, and the following guidance is provided solely to assist frontline workers to identify persons with 25 disabilities in their communities who may be at higher risk of GBV than others, in order to target them for participation in prevention activities.
Please see the example below of an Easy-To-Read description of case management:
They can get free support with things like health, the law and a safe place to live.
They know about the support people can get.
In the event that a caregiver discloses that their child with a disability has experienced an incident of GBV, or a child self-discloses, all standard steps from the Inter-Agency SOPs for SGBV Prevention and Response in Lebanon; the Standard Operating Procedures for the Protection of Juveniles in Lebanon (and the annexed guidance on working with children with disabilities); and Law 422 should be followed 27 at all times. No exceptions to these SOPs should be made in the case of children with disabilities. If a frontline worker is unclear of how to proceed with a specific case they should immediately contact their supervisor for assistance (ideally, without disclosing any confidential information on the case).
In most cases, persons with disabilities can communicate directly with staff with no adaptions, or relatively small adaptions. In other cases, it may be more difficult to determine the best way to communicate with the individual, and additional steps may be required. It is important when working with persons with disabilities that you take time to watch and listen. Each time you meet the person you will learn something new about them and understand better how they communicate and what they mean. 32
Below are some tips for frontline workers on ways to adapt verbal and non-verbal communication when interacting with persons with disabilities. 33
Different language is used in different contexts to describe disability and to refer to persons with disabilities. Some words and terms may carry negative, disrespectful or discriminatory connotations and should be avoided in our communications. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilitiesis translated into many languages, including Arabic, and can be a useful guide to correct interpretation of different disability terms. 34
29The table below also has some suggestions on tips for ensuring respectful language:
AVOID... | CONSIDER USING... |
Referring to other people as “normal” or “healthy” | Try using “persons without disabilities” |
1 World Health Organization & World Bank (2011) World Report on Disability. http://www.who.int/disabilities/world_report/2011/en/
2 Handicap International & HelpAge International (2014) Hidden Victims of the Syrian Crisis: Disabled, Injured and Older Refugees. http://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/handicapinternational/pages/454/attachments/original/1397045203/Hidden_Victims_of_the_Syrian_Crisis—disabled__injured_and_older_refugees.pdf?1397045203
3 This estimate is determined using a global estimate that 15% of any population will be persons with disabilities (WHO & World Bank, 2011), and that the population of Lebanon is approximately 6 million people (World Bank, 2016, https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/SP.POP.TOTL?locations=LB).
4 Women's Refugee Commission (2014) Disability inclusion: Translating policy into practice in humanitarian action. http://wrc.ms/disability-inclusion-translating-policy-into-practice
5 International Rescue Committee (2014) GBV emergency response and preparedness: Participant handbook, page 7. http://gbvresponders.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/GBV-ERP-Participant-Handbook-REVISED.pdf
6 Women's Refugee Commission & International Rescue Committee (2015) “I see that it is possible”: Building capacity for disability inclusion in gender-based violence programming in humanitarian settings. http://wrc.ms/i-see-that-it-is-possible
7 Government of Lebanon & the United Nations (2017) Lebanon Crisis Response Plan 2017-2020. http://www.3rpsyriacrisis.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/01/Lebanon-Crisis-Response-Plan-2017-2020.pdf
8 Building Resilience and Development Programme: The MoSA National Plan to Safeguard Children and Women in Lebanon 2014-2015.
9 Women's Refugee Commission & UNICEF (2017) Disability Inclusion in Child Protection and Gender-Based Violence Programs. Training Needs Assessment Report: Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Programs, November 2017.
10 Women's Refugee Commission & UNICEF (2017) Disability Inclusion in Child Protection and Gender-Based Violence Programs. Training Needs Assessment Report: Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Programs, November 2017.
11 UNHCR. (2011). Working with persons with disabilities in forced displacement. http://www.unhcr.org/publications/manuals/4ec3c81c9/working-persons-disabilities-forced-displacement.html
12 UNESCO (2013) Social Inclusion of Young Persons with Disabilities (PWD) in Lebanon. http://www.unesco.org/new/fileadmin/MULTIMEDIA/FIELD/Beirut/images/SHS/Social_Inclusion_Young_Persons_with_Disabilities_Lebanon.pdf
13 The United Nations (2006) Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities.html
14 World Health Organization (n.d.) Health Topic: Disabilities. http://www.who.int/topics/disabilities/en/
15 Interagency Gender-Based Violence Case Management Guidelines: Providing Care and Case Management Services to Gender-Based Violence Survivors in Humanitarian Settings. (2017) https://reliefweb.int/sites/reliefweb.int/files/resources/interagency-gbv-case-management-guidelines_final_2017_low-res.pdf
16 WRC (2013). Disability Inclusion in the Syrian Refugee Response in Lebanon. http://wrc.ms/disability-inclusion-syrian-refugees
17 The United Nations (2006) Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities.html
18 Andrea Hollomotz, “Disability, oppression and violence: Towards a sociological explanation,” Sociology,vol. 47 (2013): pp. 477-493. Originally published online 23 November 2012. 32 http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0038038512448561
19 International Rescue Committee (2014) GBV emergency response and preparedness: Participant handbook, page 7. http://gbvresponders.org/wp-content/uploads/2014/04/GBV-ERP-Participant-Handbook-REVISED.pdf
20 World Health Organization & World Bank (2011) World Report on Disability. http://www.who.int/disabilities/world_report/2011/en/
21 Handicap International & HelpAge International (2014) Hidden Victims of the Syrian Crisis: Disabled, Injured and Older Refugees. http://d3n8a8pro7vhmx.cloudfront.net/handicapinternational/pages/454/attachments/original/1397045203/Hidden_Victims_of_the_Syrian_Crisis—disabled__injured_and_older_refugees.pdf?1397045203
22 World Health Organization & World Bank (2011) World Report on Disability. http://www.who.int/disabilities/world_report/2011/en/
23 Jones et al. (2012) Prevalence and risk of violence against children with disabilities: A systematic review and meta-analysis of observational studies, The Lancet, 380 (9845), pp. 899-907. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/S0140-6736(12)60692-8
24 Women's Refugee Commission & UNICEF (2017) Disability Inclusion in Child Protection and Gender-Based Violence Programs. Training Needs Assessment Report: Gender-Based Violence (GBV) Programs, November 2017.
25 Women's Refugee Commission & International Rescue Committee (2015) Building Capacity for Disability Inclusion in GBV Programming in Humanitarian Settings: A Toolkit for GBV Practitioners. http://wrc.ms/iseethatitispossible-gbv-toolkit
26 World Health Organization & World Bank (2011) World Report on Disability. http://www.who.int/disabilities/world_report/2011/en/
27 The United Nations (2006) Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities.html
28 World Health Organization & World Bank (2011) World Report on Disability. http://www.who.int/disabilities/world_report/2011/en/
29 UNHCR. (2011). Working with persons with disabilities in forced displacement. http://www.unhcr.org/publications/manuals/4ec3c81c9/working-persons-disabilities-forced-displacement.html
30 Women's Refugee Commission & International Rescue Committee (2015) Building Capacity for Disability Inclusion in GBV Programming in Humanitarian Settings: A Toolkit for GBV Practitioners http://wrc.ms/iseethatitispossible-gbv-toolkit
31 Inter-Agency Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) for SGBV Prevention and Response in Lebanon (2014)
32 Women's Refugee Commission & International Rescue Committee (2015) Building Capacity for Disability Inclusion in GBV Programming in Humanitarian Settings: A Toolkit for GBV Practitioners. http://wrc.ms/iseethatitispossible-gbv-toolkit