Training for Advocacy on the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

Aims & objectives

The aim of the training was to empower young adults with SB/H with the skills, knowledge and tools that will enable their participation in disability rights advocacy work at local and national level.

Specific objectives:
• To introduce and explore rights-based approach to disability
• To address the essential knowledge, skills and attitudes for multipliers working in the field of disability rights advocacy
• To make participants familiar with the approaches used in disability rights advocacy, and how to adapt them to local realities
• To explore national and international tools and mechanisms to combat disability discrimination
• To train young adults with SB/H to apply the UN CRPD as an advocacy tool on the local/regional/national level
• To develop concrete advocacy tools that can be multiplied by participants on a grassroots and national level

Target group & international/intercultural composition of the group & team

GROUP:

Young members of IF / SBHI who are:
- Motivated to be involved in disability rights advocacy
- Committed to multiply the training results
- Committed to organising a local-level activity on disability rights or applying tools developed at the training, in their disability rights advocacy work
- Aged 18-35
- Able to attend the full duration of the training course

TEAM:
Janina Arsenjeva, Europe Programmes Manager, IF Global, Belgium
Karina Chupina, Trainer & Consultant, Germany
Dr. Charles O'Mahony, NUI Galway, Ireland
Terrence White, filmmaker, Ireland

Training methods used & main activities

IF training module particularly emphasised the following approaches:
1. Disability-specific approach - a rights-based approach to disability
2. Grassroot-tailored approach
3. Youth-friendly approach & Non-Formal Education methodology. The entire training was based on the non-formal education methodology where programme was built on the basis of the applicants’ needs, and holistic experience and skills were gained through “learning by doing”, participatory approach in a safe and accessible environment. Selected COMPASS Human Rights Education Manual activities were adapted and applied in this training course.

The 3-day intense programme was based on interactive methodologies, game-based approach, simulations, role exercises, experts’ inputs and discussions. It was tailored to the participants’ needs and access requirements, which allowed every young person to feel fully included.

Outcomes of the activity

Participants:
- explored rights-based approach to disability that helped them to recognise their rights (and not only needs) as persons with disabilities
- learned about mechanisms of counteracting disability discrimination both on national and international (UN CRPD) levels, and how they can work together
- developed (disability rights) advocacy skills
- explored youth participation and pre-requisites for participation by youth with disabilities
- developed advocacy tools that can be multiplied by participants on a grassroots and national level
- one of the outcomes of the training was the advocacy video developed by the group - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U_YzNQs6xIc

More about the training can be read at: https://www.ifglobal.org/en/37-temp-news/4832-un-crpd-advocacy-training-course-for-young-people

Your tasks and responsibilities within the team

Desk research on existing best training practices, development of training methodologies and the programme, adaptation of the educational content in terms of accessibility and clarity, writing the 3-day training module, selecting & inviting disability rights and media experts, running and facilitating training programme, working with groups of participants on specific tasks during the training, including the development of the advocacy (media) tools that can be applied on the grassroots level.

I worked on this training for Several days for Training Module development + 3 days of the TC (6) days as a full time trainer.