The Importance of Inclusive Thinking and Planning

Jonta and Dawn smiling. A UNICEF banner is between the two women.

My contract with UNICEF Headquarters (HQ) ended in July 2023. If you are a Canadian citizen and want to take part in a placement with a United Nations organization, check out the IDDIP/IYIP program by the United Nations Association of Canada (UNAC). If you are not Canadian, other countries have United Nations Associations with varying opportunities, so check if the country or countries that you hold citizenship has an association.

At the beginning of my journey I wrote a blog post on the United Nations Association of Canada's (UNAC) website, focusing more on the skills I was learning through my role. This opportunity was a major learning point for me, as it made me reflect on the importance of disability inclusiveness in public health work. I learned a lot about this from my supervisor at UNICEF who always brought a lens of inclusion when designing content, rubrics, and even when watching presentations.

Working in the education sector taught me a lot about inclusive design and the importance of conceptualizing programs that can cater to individuals with varying abilities. Even in presentations, it is important to include auditory options and be mindful of color choice and types of graphs used to ensure they can be easily understood. This experience taught me the importance of inclusive planning from when an idea is going from conceptualization to implementation. If we do not be intentional in the design and implementation of policies then programs will continue to exclude the same people.

To bring this back to public health in Africa, on January 29, 2018, the Protocol to the African Charter on Human and People's Rights on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Africa was adopted. This charter only has 13 signatories, which is alarming given it is estimated that 10% to 20% of the African population is affected by disabilities. This number is likely higher in countries that have armed conflict as the increase in violence contributes to disability. From my previous research at the University of Toronto International Centre for Disability and Rehabilitation, I understood the realities of lack of data and the challenges that this imposes to ensure inclusive planning. To understand this better, in the UN Disability Database, only 11 African countries report on disability levels, and not all differentiate the types of disabilities. Knowing the types of disabilities is essential to ensure that no one is left behind.

At UNICEF, I learned about the Accessible Digital Textbooks (ADT) which ensures that books are accessible to children. With ADT, there are options to see the text, have sign language, or have the book read aloud, catering to various learning needs and styles. It is important to cater to the various needs of children to ensure that they can all succeed. In my role, I helped with designing educational content and it was important to think of ways to ensure the content was accessible. This was done by always ensuring text and auditory options. This helps to maximize the number of children that learn from the content.

Digital technology can also help to ensure spaces and programs are accessible. Digital assistive technology provides functions such as speaking aloud, voice recognition, and color changing and magnification. This provides assistance to everyone as anyone regardless of disability can benefit from this technology.

Another key takeaway was the difference between accessibility and inclusion. Accessibility ensures the experience matches the specific needs of the user while inclusion provides a broad range of tools that a user can choose from.

In securing health for all, it's important not to exclude those with disabilities. As an able-bodied person one may not realize that some ways of doing work exclude people. It is important to always be reflective and minimize systematic barriers. This includes designing spaces that are inclusive by including ramps and elevators where needed, ensuring staff are adequately trained to support people, and working with support groups for people with disabilities. From my experience at UNICEF HQ, I have learned to think and plan inclusively in program development.