Brief Introduction of Project: National Federation of the Disabled Nepal, in partnership with HI, is implementing ‘Rehabilitation’ project for the period October 2019 to September 2022 with the objective of increasing access to rehabilitation services for persons with disabilities across all impairment types in seven provinces of Nepal. Recognizing that there is no systematic detection and referral of people needing rehabilitation as well as no institutional referral linkages between government, PTU and Physical Rehabilitation Centre, there is need for establishment of a sustainable integrated rehabilitation for person with disability in Nepal. This project will establish a sustainable, integrated, public-private partnership (PPP) system for the rehabilitation of person with disabilities in order to improve the mobility and functional independence of rehabilitation services.

Overall Objective: Promoting access of persons with disabilities to comprehensive rehabilitation services in Nepal

Expected Results:

Result 1: The issues of rehabilitation highlighted in public forum, media, civil society and government level

Result 2: Rehabilitation related provisions implemented in line with ARPD – 2074

Result 3: New provisions of rehabilitation included in the public policy of government in a comprehensive way

Result 4: Increased awareness, knowledge and information about comprehensive rehabilitation among the community, DPOs and other stakeholders

Key Activities:

1. Carry out policy brief
2. Produce and disseminate Rehabilitation Awareness materials
3. Produce visual awareness material and disseminate
4. Prepare comprehensive rehabilitation advocacy paper
5. Conduct Interaction and policy dialogues on comprehensive rehabilitation policy, programs, budget in federal and province level
6. Annual review, planning, capacity building, advocacy meeting at federal & province level
7. Celebration of International Day of Persons with Disability (IDPD) in collaboration with Ministry of Health and Population at federal & Social Development Ministries at province level to promote Rehabilitation services

Conduct Capacity Building Programme to Disabled Persons’ Organizations (DPOs) and caregivers to carry Advocacy on rehabilitation services

Brief Introduction of the Project

National Federation of the Disabled Nepal, in partnership with CBM, is implementing a multi-year (2019-2024) advocacy project, “Include Us”, for inclusion of persons with disabilities. The major components of the project are; i/strengthening capacity of DPOs and government stakeholders; ii/generating evidence on disability inequality in light of SDG 2030/UNCRPD, maintaining spirit of LEAVE NO ONE BEHIND. It is built on existing joint advocacy work of NFDN and its more than 300-member organizations.

The project intends to operate at; I) Federal; II) Provincial (Province 1, Gandaki and Karnali) and III) selected 9 municipalities comprising 3 municipalities in each of the target provinces. At federal level, NFDN aims to lobby and advocacy on key policies in collaboration with key government stakeholders on accessibility, access to justice and CRPD harmonisation. At province level, operation will be focused on implementation of activities on access to justice, accessibility and CRPD harmonisation through mobilisation of provincial advocacy teams (led by DPOs across all impairment types, gender and ethnicity). At selected municipality level, the justice/accessibility advocacy teams will follow up the findings of accessibility audits carried within the project pertaining to access to justices and other public places. There will be one federal project taskforce and 3 provincial project taskforces for regular monitoring and support. Additionally, it has provisions for gender balanced approach in implementation, monitoring and evaluation of the project activities.

Overall objective: To strengthen policy and legislative frameworks in Nepal that promote and realise equality, non-discrimination and justice for all persons with disabilities regardless of impairment, age, gender, caste and ethnicity in Nepal.

Specific objective: To support the DPO cross disability movement in Nepal to effectively advocate and lobby for the rights of all people with disabilities and assist the Government to uphold its commitment to implement the CRPD at federal and provincial level, with a particular focus on province 1, Gandaki and Karnali province.

Expected Results:

Result 1: Improved accessibility practices and national standards in line with CRPD.

Result 2: Enhanced access to justice for women, men, girls and boys with disabilities across all impairment types in province 1, Gandaki, and Karnali.

Result 3: A number of legislation and policies primarily relating to justice and accessibility in Province 1, Gandaki, Karnali and at Federal level are harmonised with CRPD.

Result 4: Reliable disaggregated data on disability generated to inform and influence policies, programmes and budgets.

Result 5: Strengthen NFDN’s capacity and systems to enhance its advocacy work and effectively implement the project at federal and province levels

Key activities:

• Lobby for review and improvement to national standards on accessibility
• Training to targeted stakeholders on accessibility and conducting accessibility audits
• Research on barriers persons with disabilities face on accessing the justice system & training/orientations
• Support to people with disabilities at risk of being excluded in the justice system
• Support to NHRC to strengthen their complaints mechanism to be more accessible.
• Training for DPOs members on legal/budget/ policy analysis and provide support to their continuous advocacy initiatives accordingly
• Capacity mapping of DPO and organizing Core capacity development programme
• Dispersion of small grant to DPOs for their capacity building and advocacy initiatives.
• Piloting of Core Worker Model to NFDN
• Lobbying for improving data collection tools & methods used by government of Nepal.

Advocacy for the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Nepal with Special Focus to Sudur Pachim Province

Brief Introduction of the project:

National Federation of the Disabled Nepal, in partnership with UNDP Nepal, is leading a one-year advocacy project with the aim of effective policy advocacy on disability rights in federal level and Sudurpaschim province carried through mobilization of the DPOs, disability rights activists. The main objective of this project is to contribute for strengthening policy foundations for the inclusion of persons with disabilities and their agendas in mainstream development process and province and federal level. The project includes various types of activities such as evidence collection, capacity building, orientation/sensitization, interactive dialogues, meetings and discussion with government authorities, ministers, parliamentarians, political parties and other relevant stakeholders. The project also includes media advocacy to highlight the issues in public and create pressure over the government for the disability inclusion.

Overall objective

The overall objective of the project is to mainstream disability agendas in the policy and practice of federal and provincial government

Specific objective

Mobilize local DPOs for policy advocacy in the leadership of NFDN province office to establish the issues and rights of persons with disabilities in the province and municipality level policy and laws and come up with policy/strategy with action plan for persons with disabilities for Sudurpachim

Expected Results

Result 1: Strengthened capacity of NFDN’s Sudurpaschim Province structure and local DPOs on evidence-based advocacy and capacity to represent the disability issues in decision making process.

Result 2: Highlighted the agendas related to the rights of persons with disabilities to be incorporated in the policy and laws in Sudur Paschim Province and Dhangadi Municipality.

Result 3: Increased government’s positive action and initiation towards the inclusion of disability issues in policy and program in province and federal level in the close consultation and participation of persons with disabilities.

Result 4: Increased new policies and laws on disability in municipality, province and federal level and disability are incorporated in line with CRPD and Disability Rights Act.

Result 5: Province level/municipality level policy/strategy with action plan on persons with disabilities initiated in line with international instruments particularly international convention on the rights of persons with disabilities.

Result 6: National Policy and Plan of Action on Disability and Disability Rights Bylaws will be passed in federal level

Key activities

• Generate Evidences
• Problem Identification and Prioritizing Advocacy Issues
• Advocacy Initiatives
• Orientation/sensitization, meeting, discussions, capacity building, interactive dialogues with government authorities, ministers, parliamentarians, political parties and other relevant stakeholders

in Partnership with: CBM Nepal

Currently, NFDN, in partnership with CBM Nepal, has been implementing a multi-years project focusing on accessibility entitling “Accessibility for Inclusion” to the end of inclusion of persons with disabilities for the period of 2016-18.

In the run up to the project, NFDN will closely work with the Kathmandu Metropolitan City, Reconstruction Authorities, Ministry of Women Children and Social Welfare, Ministry of Urban Development and its Department, Department of Road, Universities and other relevant authorities to promote accessibility standards in the public physical infrastructures in the course of addressing post disaster reconstruction activities.

This project is mainly focused on the promotion of accessibility for persons with disabilities in the public physical environment. This project has been developed particularly focusing to the challenges and problems faced by persons with disabilities, children, elderly people and other diverse group in having their equal access to the public places due to many barriers. The project is built around in three different components or result areas: awareness raising and sensitization, capacity development and implementation of accessibility and universal design principles.

The key geographical area to implement this project is Kathmandu Metropolitan City and some activities will goes to Bhaktapur and Lalitpur, the adjoining district of Kathmandu. Similarly few activities will goes to some other disaster affected district’s head quarters.

Although Kathmandu is the most developed area of Nepal, most of the public places such as road, sidewalks, parks, market, airport, open spaces, religious and touristic places, educational institutions, bus parks, and government buildings are not accessible for all including persons with disabilities. Following the principles of universal design and ensuring the accessibility standards are the new things for Nepal. On the top of that, the earthquake of April 2015 has caused a big loss of human life and physical properties. Many public places, private buildings and historical monuments are destroyed.

In this scenario the government is in the process of reconstruction with the priority to “Build Back Better”.  This project has been developed particularly to contribute on the reconstruction process and new construction as well for ensuring the accessibility standards in the process of build back better.

The direct beneficiaries of the proposed project are persons with disabilities who are facing different types of barriers for getting access to basic services, human rights and opportunities due to the inaccessible public physical infrastructures. Beside, this project will also benefit to the elderly people, children and pregnant women. Through this project the capacity of government and other stakeholders for making accessible public place will be enhanced. So the indirect beneficiary of this project is staff of KMC, NFDN’s staff and executive members, engineers, architects, local DPOs and local government agencies.

The first and foremost step of this project is to conduct the official Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) between National Federation of the Disabled, Nepal (NFDN) and Kathmandu metropolitan city (government authority). Both interred into the official agreement to jointly work for the construction of the public infra-structures that are accessible for all kinds of people including persons with all forms of disability, aging people, children, pregnant women and others. The roles and responsibilities of both parties has clearly been mentioned in the agreement paper. Both KMC and NFDN officially agree to:

• Conduct the orientations and technical trainings to engineers, architects, builders and other persons from KMC and other stakeholders on accessibility, universal design and other essential subject matters.
• Plan and carry out the access audit to some of the places within the Kathmandu metropolitan city and some adjacent municipalities and the public places will continuously be made accessible for all kinds of people in line with the recommendations of the published report of the access audit.
• Some of the major public places will be made accessible for all people including persons with disability within the project period.
• Organize some awareness-building activities for the construction of accessible public infra-structures and places including historical and cultural places that have been reconstructed after the destruction of the last year devastating earthquake.
• Some adjacent municipalities and districts will highly be encouraged to replicate the acquired knowledge and skills of KMC and other stakeholders.

Project in brief:

Project name:

Accessibility for Inclusion.

Partnership with:

CBM Nepal.

Collaboration with:

Kathmandu Metropolitan City.

Project Area:

Kathmandu valley and some other adjacent district head-quarters.

Project duration:

First June, 2016 to Last December, 2018.

Overall objective:

Contribute to the national goal of developing Inclusive Society by promoting accessible environment for all.

Specific objective:

Access for all promoted through building capacity and models of universal design for (re) construction in the Kathmandu Valley.

Results of the project:

Result 1:

KMC and other key stakeholders(I/NGOs, Gos, DPOs, Private Sectors, Universities) involved in (re) construction activities and engaged in sensitizing about accessibility and universal design. (Awarness Raising and Sesitization).

Result 2:

Enhanced the knowledge and skills of constructional professionals/technical person and relevant stakeholders(GoN, DPOs, Universities, Private Institutions) on accessibility and universal design and the technical expertises groups available (Capacity Building).

Result 3:

Implemented the Accessibility and Universal Design Principles in (re)construction activity.

NFDN has partnership with FFO-Norway since 1998. The partnership has aim to strengthen NFDN’s regional outreach and local advocacy by mobilizing the regional network of NFDN. This project has supported five regional coordinators in the five regional office of NFDN and some budget to mobilize the members of regional committee for local advocacy and lobby works. In the support of this project NFDN’s regional offices has been mobilizing other resources form INGOs and GOs in local level.
The regional coordinators and committee’s members are mobilized for the following

1. Strengthen the capacity of local member organization in leadership and good governance.
2. Enhance unity of disabled people in district under the umbrella of member organizations
3. Enhance the advocacy skills and capacity of local member organizations in advocacy, lobby and resource mobilization.
4. Work as the effective channel of NFDN’s central office to share and exchange information from center to district.
5. Facilitate to get fund and supporting partners to work with member organizations.
6. Provide essential counseling and referral service to the persons with disabilities, their parents, family members who visit the regional office.

Implementation Areas

1. Eastern regional Office – Biratnagar, Morang . It covers 16 district of eastern region.
2. Central Regional Office – Hetauda, Makwanpur. It covers 19 districts of central region
3. Western Regional Office – Butwal, Rupendehi. It covers 15 districts of western region
4. Mid-West Regional Office – Nepalgunj, Banke. It covers 16 districts of mid-west region
5. Far-West Regional Office – Mahendranagar, Kanchanpur. It covers 9 district of far-west region.

This project is supported by Disabled Peoples’ Organization Denmark (DPOD). NFDN has been working in partnership with DPOD since 2001. NFDN is implementing the current project titled “Towards Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities in Nepal – Phase II” since 2013. This has three years terms which starts form 2013 and ends in the December of 2015. The main intervention areas of this project are Good Governance, Policy Advocacy and Disability Inclusive Disaster Risk Management.

Implementation Areas

Basically two types of programs and activities are implemented in this project – Center focused Programs and Activities and District Focused Programs and Activities.  The center focused activities are implemented at Kathmandu and they are related to the orientation/workshops/interactions with central board members and staff, policy advocacy with government stakeholders, developing disability related publications, making guidelines and policies for NFDN etc. The district focused programs implemented in project districts through district working committee of NFDN (also called district chapter) which are related to the capacity building of district chapters, self-help groups, Mapping and Monitoring of local Disaster Risk Management Related program in disability perspective and awareness raising on disability issues. In district level 10 district chapters and 103 self-group are engaged directly in this project.

Name of Project district

1)      Jhapa – Eastern Region
2)      Ilam – Eastern Region
3)      Sindhupalchowk – Central Region
4)      Nuwakot – Central Region
5)      Kaski – Western Region
6)      Kapilbastu – Western Region
7)      Jumla – Mid-West Region
8)      Surkhet – Mid-West Region
9)      Baitadi – Far West Region
10)   Kailali – Far West Region

Brief about Intervention Area and programs

1.    Good Governance :

This component of the project includes the following:

• Develop Comprehensive Good Governance Policy of NFDN
• Develop Communication Guidelines of NFDN
• Orientation and training to the mechanisms of NFDN on the policies, rules, regulations, workflows, system of NFDN
• Provide Training to the District Chapters and Self-Help Groups on Local Resource Mobilization

2.    Policy Advocacy

• Revision of National Policy and Plan of Action on Disability in line with UNCRPD
• Lobby and advocacy for the inclusion disability issues in the new constitution of Nepal.
• Develop Simplified Version of UNCRPD in Nepali
• Massive orientation to DPOs, community stakeholders, self-help group on the National Policy and Plan of Action.
• Awareness campaign on National Policy and Plan of Action on Disability

3.    Inclusive Disaster Risk Management (iDRM)

• • Review of National DRM related Policies, laws and acts from disability and CRPD viewpoints.
  • Review and monitoring of local DRM related programs of project districts from disability view points.
  • Develop disability inclusive disaster risk management advocacy tools and strategy of NFDN
  • Orientation on the disability inclusive disaster risk management and advocacy tools and strategy of NFDN to the district members of district chapters.

Partner: Disability Right Promotion International (DRPI), York University, Canada

Project Coordinator: Sagar Prasai

According to World Health Organization projections (2011), there are 208 million people with disabilities living in Bangladesh, India and Nepal, the vast majority of whom live in conditions of poverty and isolation. This profound poverty can be explained in part because women and men with disabilities experience significantly lower employment rates than women and men without disabilities. Promoting the employment of people with disabilities increases the economic well-being of their households and communities, as well as the performance of labour markets.

AWARE uses a multi-pronged strategy to improve labour-market participation of people with disabilities:

1. 1. Documenting best practices and systemic labour market, socio-cultural and sector-specific barriers, so as to better understand the economic opportunities of working age women and men with various types of disabilities.
2. 2. Improving the effectiveness of labour markets by impacting the decision-making of small and medium enterprises in the hiring and promotion of people with disabilities.
3. 3. Providing labour market skills for women and men with disabilities to maximize their capacity to make economic contributions.

Partner: Australian Embassy, Kathmandu (Under Direct Aid Program 2014-15)

Project Coordinator: Sagar Prasai

The main objective of this project is to promote the accessibility & employment of persons with disabilities in Nepal. To obtain the main objective, this project has some specific objectives as mentioned below:

1. Refurbish the office building of NFDN in Bhikutimandap Kathmandu,
2. Prepare the employer handbook on hiring the persons with disabilities,
3. Establish the peer to peer employment counseling center in NFDN

Activities to be carried out under Project/Program

1. Hiring of Architect to plan and design the accessibility of NFDN building.
2. Renovation of office building from the prospective of standard rules of accessibility guideline,
3. Build the male & female bathrooms inside the office building that will be accessible for persons with & without disabilities,
4. Prepare & share the blue prints, pictures and videos of our accessible offices and toilets so that it will stand as a model for others those who want to replicate them in their business and organization.
5. Preparation of the Employers Handbook on hiring persons with disabilities by covering some issues on it such as reasonable accommodations, inclusive work setting, equal pay, person’s first language, Discuss the business case of disability employment and differentiate it from the charity model of disability & so on.
6. To establish a peer to peer employment counselling centre at NFDn where:
7. People with different kind of disability can come in and get counselling on searching jobs, building CVs and giving interviews.
8. People with disabilities can get post job assistance like negotiating with the employer about reasonable accommodations and other accessibility factors.
9. Get different skills development trainings occasionally needed for getting jobs.
10. A Program will be organized to publish the employer’s guideline book.
11. Media demonstration of accessibility of NFDN office.

The Expected Outcomes of the projects are:

1. Our existing office building will be refurbished in the line of accessibility guidelines formulated by government of Nepal,
2. Our refurbished office building will be established as a good model of accessibility to be replicated on different business houses, institutions & so on,
3. A handbook for employers on hiring persons with disabilities will be in place that will help employers to give more jobs to people with disabilities with proper knowledge about them.
4. People with disabilities will be benefitted from monthly employment related skills that will boost up their confidence in searching and preparing for jobs.
5. Monthly peer to peer counselling will be help people with disabilities to discuss the problems and challenges of getting jobs with people like them and help to formulate a document that will eventually go to various stakeholders in Government and non-government and help in policy making.

in Partnership with:  CBM Nepal

NFDN is currently working on the project entitled “Mainstream age and disability in relief, early recovery and reconstruction process in worst earthquake affected districts of Nepal” together with its partner organization.

The project aims to include older people and person with disabilities from 10 VDCs of 3 districts (Kavrepalanchok, Makwanpur, Sindhupalchok) in the specific program of mainstream organization who are working in humanitarian response after massive earthquake of April 25th, 2015. In emergencies, older people and persons with disabilities are among the most at risk because of they experience increased difficulties due to separation from family, loss of assistive and mobility devices, and difficulties with accessing information and humanitarian relief. The situation is compounded by pre-existing cultural and social discrimination. Humanitarian organizations are categorized as the cluster system of United Nations.

NFDN, being a local coordinating partner, has been implementing the research project entitled “National survey on living condition among individuals with disabilities in Nepal” since first May, 2014 with partnership of Sintef/FFO Norway. This survey is being conducted in the joint ownership and involvement of Government, Disabled Peoples’ Organizations and other relevant stakeholders. Covering 100 clusters within 59 districts throughout the country, 4000 households: 2000 households with disabilities & 2000 households without disabilities, for comparative study, will be visited for data collection. By 31th December 2015, Not only a perfect report on this survey will be placed but also with the support of information about actual status of the persons with disabilities, governmental as well as nongovernmental agencies shall get certain clear cut & governing guidelines/direction on the different issues of people with disabilities which may support those who are in decision making level too.