scholarly journals Are the rights of people with disabilities included in international guidance on WASH during the COVID-19 pandemic? Content analysis using EquiFrame

BMJ Open ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (7) ◽  
pp. e046112
Author(s):  
Nathaniel Scherer ◽  
Islay Mactaggart ◽  
Chelsea Huggett ◽  
Pharozin Pheng ◽  
Mahfuj-ur Rahman ◽  
...  

PurposePeople with disabilities are at increased risk from COVID-19. Access to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) services and facilities is a fundamental right for all, and is vital in stopping the transmission of COVID-19. However, people with disabilities often face difficulties accessing WASH. Various international organisations have published guidance and recommendations on WASH service provision during the COVID-19 pandemic, and this must include information of relevance to people with disabilities. This study aimed to investigate the inclusion of core concepts of rights for people with disabilities in guidance on WASH during the COVID-19 pandemic.MethodWe used the EquiFrame content analysis tool to analyse the inclusion of 21 core concepts of rights for people with disabilities in international guidance documents on WASH during the pandemic. 29 documents were included from multilateral entities, international consortiums and non-governmental organisations. Key information from the included guidance documents was extracted for each of the 21 core concepts.ResultsOne-third of the WASH guidance did not include any reference to the rights of people with disabilities, and the majority of information was provided by just one guidance document. Most commonly referenced across all was access to WASH, including details on accessible infrastructure (eg, handwashing stations) and communication strategies. Information on many important rights and considerations, such as the affordability of services and caregiver support, was rarely included.ConclusionAlthough some information is provided in international WASH guidance, this often has a narrow focus on access, rather than the full array of rights and considerations that are important for people with disabilities. International guidance should continue to be reviewed and updated to include further information of relevance to people with disabilities, informing a disability-inclusive approach to WASH during the remainder of the COVID-19 pandemic and future crises.

Author(s):  
Nathaniel Scherer ◽  
Islay Mactaggart ◽  
Chelsea Huggett ◽  
Pharozin Pheng ◽  
Mahfuj-ur Rahman ◽  
...  

People with disabilities and as women and girls face barriers to accessing water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) services and facilities that fully meet their needs, especially in low- and middle-income countries. Women and girls with disabilities experience double discrimination. WASH policies should support and uphold the concepts of disability and gender inclusion, and they should also act as a guide to inform WASH programs and service delivery. Using a modified version of the EquiFrame content analysis tool, this study investigated the inclusion of 21 core concepts of human rights of people with disabilities and women and girls in 16 WASH policy documents and seven end-line program reports from Bangladesh and Cambodia. Included documents typically focused on issues of accessibility and neglected wider issues, including empowerment and support for caregivers. The rights of children and women with disabilities were scarcely focused on specifically, despite their individual needs, and there was a disconnect in the translation of certain rights from policy to practice. Qualitative research is needed with stakeholders in Bangladesh and Cambodia to investigate the inclusion and omission of core rights of people with disabilities, and women and girls, as well as the factors contributing to the translation of rights from policy to practice.


2021 ◽  
Vol 20 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Jane Wilbur ◽  
Nathaniel Scherer ◽  
Islay Mactaggart ◽  
Govind Shrestha ◽  
Thérèse Mahon ◽  
...  

Abstract Purpose This study assesses the inclusion of disability in Nepal’s policy and guidance relevant to water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH), and menstrual hygiene management (MHM) in comparison to gender. We investigated both policy formulation and implementation, using the Kavrepalanchok district as a case study. Materials and methods We used the EquiFrame framework, adapted for disability and gender, and focusing on WASH and MHM. Ten Nepali policies and guidance documents were reviewed and scored for quality against the framework, which included 21 core concepts of human rights. We also interviewed key informants to consider the inclusion of disability in the implementation of MHM interventions. We applied stratified purpose sampling to 12 government officials and service providers working in Kathmandu and the Kavrepalanchock district; conducted in-depth interviews and analysed data thematically using Nvivo 11. Results Disability was inadequately covered within the policy documents, and MHM policy commitments for disability were almost non-existent. Participation of people with disabilities in policy development was limited; within Kavrepalanchok, policy commitments were not implemented as intended and disability service providers were unable to allocate government resources. Inadequate data on disability and MHM resulted in limited professional understanding of the issues, as service providers had no training. A narrow WASH infrastructure approach to improving MHM for people with disabilities was prioritised. MHM interventions were delivered in schools; these failed to reach children with disabilities who are often out of school. Finally, there were indications that some caregivers seek sterilisation for people with disabilities who are unable to manage menstruation independently. Conclusion Though the Constitution of Nepal enshrines gender equality and disability inclusion, there are consistent gaps in attention to disability and MHM in policies and practice. These omit and exclude people with disabilities from MHM interventions. Investment is required to generate evidence on the MHM barriers faced by people with disabilities, which would then be drawn on to develop training on these issues for professionals to improve understanding. Subsequently, policy makers could include more concepts of human rights against disability in relevant policies and service providers could implement policy commitments as intended.


2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 2646
Author(s):  
Saeid Abbasian

The following study is the first Swedish study on Halal tourism in Sweden. The purpose of this exploratory research is to get insight into the perception of Halal tourism in Sweden among representatives of tourism stakeholders. The overall methodology approach in this research is qualitative, consisting of 25 qualitative questionnaires, 21 short letters, four follow-up interviews, and a web observation, and content analysis was employed. The results indicate that there is a low knowledge of Halal tourism in Sweden including Swedish tourism industry. The concept is very challenging, and profits are low. It might result in problem scenarios such as detrimental effects on non-Halal tourism, cultural difficulties and increased risk of xenophobia, anti-Islamism, and tension in the society. There is low interest for Sweden among Muslim tourists as the interest and priority for Halal tourism is rather low from Swedish tourism industry. Despite Halal tourism’s importance internationally, these representatives are rather cautious and doubtful about promotion of Sweden towards this niche. Still, a majority seems to be positive to a lighter version of Muslim-friendly tourism with secular/moderate Muslims as a target group.


Author(s):  
Eric Emerson ◽  
Allison Milner ◽  
Zoe Aitken ◽  
Lauren Krnjacki ◽  
Cathy Vaughan ◽  
...  

Abstract Background Exposure to discrimination can have a negative impact on health. There is little robust evidence on the prevalence of exposure of people with disabilities to discrimination, the sources and nature of discrimination they face, and the personal and contextual factors associated with increased risk of exposure. Methods Secondary analysis of de-identified cross-sectional data from the three waves of the UK’s ‘Life Opportunities Survey’. Results In the UK (i) adults with disabilities were over three times more likely than their peers to be exposed to discrimination, (ii) the two most common sources of discrimination were strangers in the street and health staff and (iii) discrimination was more likely to be reported by participants who were younger, more highly educated, who were unemployed or economically inactive, who reported financial stress or material hardship and who had impairments associated with hearing, memory/speaking, dexterity, behavioural/mental health, intellectual/learning difficulties and breathing. Conclusions Discrimination faced by people with disabilities is an under-recognised public health problem that is likely to contribute to disability-based health inequities. Public health policy, research and practice needs to concentrate efforts on developing programs that reduce discrimination experienced by people with disabilities.


2006 ◽  
Vol 52 (3) ◽  
pp. 870-878 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jungong Han ◽  
D. Farin ◽  
P.H.N. de With ◽  
Weilun Lao

2020 ◽  
Vol 29 (2) ◽  
pp. 141-150 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Z. Akhmetova ◽  
T. S. Artyukhina ◽  
M. R. Bikbayeva ◽  
I. A. Sakhnova ◽  
M. A. Suchkov ◽  
...  

The article addresses the issues related to digitalization in education and in this context – using of its achievements in the inclusive education.The authors analyze the implementation of digital technologies in the educational system, the benefits and risks of digitalization. The most important advantage of digitalization is its applicability in the system of inclusive education. The common ground between the inclusive approach and the use of digital technologies in the education of people with disabilities is studied. Digitalization in the modern world also influences on the civic engagement. In addition, digital citizenship makes it possible to develop professional competencies, ethical standards of culture among the young generation, in particular, among people with disabilities.In this article, the authors study the development of psychological, pedagogical, and communicative competencies of pedagogues required in inclusive education. The approaches to the organization of advanced training for teachers in professional educational institutions are shown.Digital educational technologies have undoubted benefits. If these technologies are used correctly in educational activities, they can help pedagogues to exempt from routine work, and to facilitate the fulfillment of educational tasks for children with disabilities. In order to do this, the entire process of digitalization and the use of artificial intelligence must be mastered. The main thing is to remember that “person” should be in the center of attention during the process of digitalization of socio-political processes.


2017 ◽  
Vol 28 (4) ◽  
pp. 347-362 ◽  
Author(s):  
Regina T. Praetorius ◽  
Joshua Rivedal

Literature on suicide bereavement has been mostly quantitative and focused on differences between suicide bereavement and other types of. In addition, existing research indicates that those bereaved by suicide (e.g., survivors) are at an increased risk for suicide. This study’s purpose was to analyze previously published stories of six survivors, using content analysis, to answer the following question: What can we learn from the experiences of these storytellers bereaved by suicide about the grieving process? Analysis of the stories revealed a grief trajectory that included sailing down the lazy river; (mostly) unexpected rapids; getting to shore before the waterfall; waking in the ocean of why; righting the ship and rescuing others. Implications of this study include that the trajectory identified will be a useful guide for those helping people bereaved by suicide including clinicians, volunteers, paraprofessionals, friends, and family.


2019 ◽  
Vol 15 (2) ◽  
pp. 121-130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jessica Saniguq Ullrich

This article draws on Indigenous literature to develop a conceptual framework that makes visible Indigenous child wellbeing. A process of qualitative content analysis identified and examined the core concepts and mechanisms of Indigenous wellbeing. Central to the framework is the concept of connectedness. The premise of this article is that deepening our understanding of Indigenous connectedness can assist with the restoration of knowledge and practices that promote child wellbeing. When children are able to engage in environmental, community, family, intergenerational and spiritual connectedness, this contributes to a synergistic outcome of collective wellbeing. The Indigenous Connectedness Framework may be particularly useful to Indigenous communities that directly serve children. The hope is that communities can adapt the Indigenous Connectedness Framework to their particular history, culture, stories, customs and ways of life.


Challenges ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 9 (2) ◽  
pp. 43
Author(s):  
Shelly Jun ◽  
Kelsea Drall ◽  
Brittany Matenchuk ◽  
Cara McLean ◽  
Charlene Nielsen ◽  
...  

Childbearing and infant care practices have dramatically evolved since the 15th century. Shifting away from traditional home-based experiences, with the emergence of the microbial aware era and the hospital as a quintessential sanitizing machine, early life has now long been characterized as a condition to be medically managed. Paradoxically, this ‘germ-free’ march towards a healthier early life environment has opened the door to greater microbial susceptibility and dysbiosis. Many studies have now established that infant exposure to excessive sanitation and hygiene regimens are associated with an increased risk for and onset of childhood immune system diseases. In this paper, we explore the ways in which biomedical-centered efforts to enhance early life have come at a cost to planetary health, in relation to infant microbial succession. We examine three major areas of early life that have been subject to the ‘ripple effect’ of hygiene and sanitation concerns—childbirth, home environment, and breastfeeding.


2020 ◽  
Vol 30 (4) ◽  
pp. 548-562 ◽  
Author(s):  
Susan Webb Yackee

Abstract I test the proposition that interest groups achieve greater policy success when they lobby during the agency guidance document development process as opposed to the notice and comment process. Policymaking via guidance documents often receives lower levels of public attention, which provides greater flexibility to accommodate lobbying requests. I analyze the hypothesis during the creation of 41 rules by one US government agency—20 of which were promulgated using the notice and comment process and 21 via the guidance document process. I measure regulatory policy change using a content analysis of government documents and lobbying texts, and I also incorporate a telephone survey of interest groups who lobbied on these same rules. I find that interest groups perceive—and achieve—greater policy success when lobbying during the agency guidance process. The results yield new insights into the relationship between lobbying and regulatory policymaking.


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