Inclusive sanitation: breaking down barriers

During implementation of WaterAid Bangladesh’s current project it became evident that certain populations were unintentionally being excluded – people with disabilities were one of these groups. Social stigmas and access difficulties meant that they were not present in CBOs or hygiene promotional sessions and excluded from decision making activities, resulting in continued open defecation and other unhygienic behaviours. The linkages between poverty and disability are strong, with disability being both the cause and effect of poverty. Without specific activities to address the requirements of people with disabilities the cycle of poverty remains, further exacerbated by continued exclusion from services such as health care, education and water and sanitation. This paper concentrates on the barriers faced by people with disabilities in accessing water and sanitation services and explains how through WaterAid Bangladesh’s recent initiative, a greater understanding on breaking these barriers is strengthening the future interventions

Accessibility audit for mainstreaming the rights of the persons with disabilities in Bangladesh

Accessibility audit is an integral component of ensuring rights of the persons with disabilities. WaterAid Bangladesh along with a Disabled Persons’ Organization, Bangladesh Society for the Change and Advocacy Nexus (BSCAN) conducted accessibility audit in twenty important buildings of the two major cities of Bangladesh. The main objective of the study was to assess the buildings by persons with different kinds of disabilities and share the findings with the authorities and with media so that they realize the importance of accessibility audit before designing and building any infrastructure considering the rights of the persons with disabilities and also to make sure these facilities have universal accessibility