Access for All: Evaluating AIPJs Disability Inclusion work

The AIPJ partnership has brought disability and mainstream civil society organisations, and government together to promote the inclusion and improved access to services by people with disability. During 2015 an impact and learning evaluation of AIPJ’s work on promoting and supporting disability inclusion was completed. Colleagues from the Disabled People’s Organisations (DPOs), the courts, LBHs and our other civil society partners contributed to the evaluation, and through a series of case studies shared their experiences of promoting disability inclusion. The partners shared examples of positive results of how people with disability have gained improved access to different services. The examples shard include women and girls with disability who are victims of sexual violence having their cases heard in the courts and perpetrators convicted; children with disability obtaining birth certificates; and discriminatory regulations that may prevent students with disability enrolling in school and universities being challenged and overturned. 
 
The partners identified key strategies that the AIPJ partnership has supported that have contributed to these positive results: increasing the voice of people with disability by capacity strengthening of DPOs and disability leaders; creating opportunities for leaders from the DPOs to participate and contribute in different forums with mainstream government and civil society actors; facilitating alliances and supporting joint initiatives between different the disability movement, and with civil society organisations and government; supporting innovative practice by providing dedicated resources for developing and testing new initiatives and supporting learning.
 
Some examples of the results that partners shared in the evaluation are:
 
Yuyun a leader in the DPOs ---  “ I now have more courage and was really proud to be part of the small working group for the ICCPR report related to dignity and rights of disabled people”
 
Komnas Perempuan “we have a wider network on disability  - when we want to discuss violence against women with disabilities we not only discuss with the DPOS but with other NGOs” 
 
Staff of AIPJ’s anti corruption team “We had been asked to include disability before – but when heard an example coming from people with real experience it creates empathy and a whole different dynamic - we understood the issue. We introduced the DPOs to the Corruption Eradication Commission (KPK) and the women against corruption  - Saya Perempuan Anti Korupsi (SPAK) movement. Within a year, people with disabilities are actively involved in the SPAK movement, and they have successfully strengthened the network with the KPK, and other anti-corruption activists and organisations”.