Inclusive Decision Making

There is nothing for us without us

So what images do we have in mind when we hear voices and communities that are excluded?

Perhaps the first thing that comes to mind is those in villages who are marginalized and lack a voice. You are correct, but there is another group that is easily overlooked, and you can bear witness that it takes the presence of mind to recognize that they require assistance as a right, not a privilege. People with Disabilities.

We enjoyed a really informative and educational session today on inclusion for people with disabilities. Olusola, Katiya, and Robert have explored the subject of inclusion and looked into how we may catalyze action beyond pity for excluded voices and groups. A lot was discussed, but I’ll go into more detail on people with disabilities.

“There is nothing about us without us,” Without the participation of the relevant communities, no decisions or policies can be made.Since they are the ones who have a greater understanding of the environment they are in, they must be considered as a matter of right.

When it comes to creating policies, Africa frequently excels, but when it comes to putting them into practice, we struggle or fail.

Is this to say that we only design to check the “done” box, or are we truly intentional about including people with disabilities?

As correctly said by Katiya, inclusion is at the core of interconnection. We must be proactive about leaving no one behind in the SDGs, which requires choosing to be intentional by first empowering more people with disabilities to have knowledge and awareness to break down barriers.

Robert discussed partnering with local community leaders, such as chiefs, to reach the grassroots and assist in eradicating negative cultures that prevent PWD from coming out and leading normal lives without making people cringe.

So what is the proposed remedy?

Collaboration across diverse fields is essential, but there isn’t just one right approach or solution. Instead, it’s important to have people involved at the table so they can speak for themselves. No decision should be made regarding people with disabilities without their input.

We can attest to the fact that, in the course of our daily operations, we recognize that inclusion for this group is still not fully realized. As a result, we must keep speaking up and urging our leaders to support social policies that are beneficial to the society’s excluded groups.

Therefore, a change is necessary, and for that change to take place, it must start with our mindset.I and you have to be the first to change.As I previously stated, there is no one answer to this problem; all we can do is speak up for the inclusion of PWD in the places and areas where we are; as this advances, we will be heading in the right trajectory.

Katiya updated us with the most recent SDGs study on its performance;

Thus, only 12% of the SDGs are on track.

30% have regressed from the initial plan on how to handle them.

That means that until we adopt a new mindset and practice intentionality, we will continue to measure time in the same location.

We must act if we desire change.