This book's basic premise is that disabled people themselves know best what their needs are and that they should be involved in the planning and delivery of relief and development initiatives. The most effective support that agencies can offer is to empower them to claim their basic human rights and their civil and legal rights. The text is based on the experience of Oxfam staff working before, during and after the crisis in Kosovo; but its principles and practical training materials can be applied far more widely. Case studies from Africa and Asia arising from the work of Action and Disability and Development (ADD) show how the values of equality, empowerment and autonomy that are promoted by the social model of disability are universal in their relevance. It suggests practical materials particularly useful to trainers working in geographically isolated areas without access to sophisticated equipment. Most activities and exercises can be adapted for use in groups of people with a wide range of impairments and educational levels.

Inclusivity and Equality in Performance Training focuses on neuro and physical difference and dis/ability in the teaching of performance and associated studies. It offers 19 practitioners’ research-based teaching strategies, aimed to enhance equality of opportunity and individual abilities in performance education. Challenging ableist models of teaching, the 16 chapters address the barriers that can undermine those with dis/ability or difference, highlighting how equality of opportunity can increase innovation and enrich the creative work. Key features include: Descriptions of teaching interventions, research, and exploratory practice to identify and support the needs and abilities of the individual with dis/ability or difference Experiences of practitioners working with professional actors with dis/ability or difference, with a dissemination of methods to enable the actors A critical analysis of pedagogy in performance training environments; how neuro and physical diversity are positioned within the cultural contexts and practices Equitable teaching and learning practices for individuals in a variety of areas, such as: dyslexia, dyspraxia, visual or hearing impairment, learning and physical dis/abilities, wheelchair users, aphantasia, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder and autistic spectrum. The chapter contents originate from practitioners in the UK, USA and Australia working in actor training conservatoires, drama university courses, youth training groups and professional performance, encompassing a range of specialist fields, such as voice, movement, acting, Shakespeare, digital technology, contemporary live art and creative writing. Inclusivity and Equality in Performance Training is a vital resource for teachers, directors, performers, researchers and students who have an interest in investigatory practice towards developing emancipatory pedagogies within performance education.

The Training Guide is for facilitators of training courses on the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol who are already familiar with the international human rights system. The Convention challenges customs and behavior based on stereotypes, prejudices, harmful practices and stigma relating to persons with disabilities, and promotes their full participation in all spheres of life. It is already applicable in 137 countries around the world. The Training Guide's methodology is interactive and promotes a participatory approach. Its modules can be used to develop tailored training courses to meet the needs of specific audiences (government officials, health professionals, civil society, employers' organizations, etc.). It is also helpful as a general information resource on the Convention and its Optional Protocol.

Hundreds of millions of people with disabilities around the world are out of work or underemployed. This book documents what can be done to improve the employment situation of people with disabilities globally

A Publishers Weekly Best Book of the Year for Nonfiction "...an essential and engaging look at recent disability history."— Buzzfeed One of the most influential disability rights activists in US history tells her personal story of fighting for the right to receive an education, have a job, and just be human. A story of fighting to belong in a world that wasn’t built for all of us and of one woman’s activism—from the streets of Brooklyn and San Francisco to inside the halls of Washington—Being Heumann recounts Judy Heumann’s lifelong battle to achieve respect, acceptance, and inclusion in society. Paralyzed from polio at eighteen months, Judy’s struggle for equality began early in life. From fighting to attend grade school after being described as a “fire hazard” to later winning a lawsuit against the New York City school system for denying her a teacher’s license because of her paralysis, Judy’s actions set a precedent that fundamentally improved rights for disabled people. As a young woman, Judy rolled her wheelchair through the doors of the US Department of Health, Education, and Welfare in San Francisco as a leader of the Section 504 Sit-In, the longest takeover of a governmental building in US history. Working with a community of over 150 disabled activists and allies, Judy successfully pressured the Carter administration to implement protections for disabled peoples’ rights, sparking a national movement and leading to the creation of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Candid, intimate, and irreverent, Judy Heumann’s memoir about resistance to exclusion invites readers to imagine and make real a world in which we all belong.