IFTIN Foundation held one day conference of Enhancing PWD’s Accessibility on Public life and Political Participation on 11th December, 2019 at Riham hotel Mogadishu which its objectives was to establish atmosphere that Government institutions, Civil Society groups, Business Leaders and PWDs representatives able to meet and discuss the public participation of People with Disabilities. The conference that attended 162 participants from;

1. Ministry of Public Works and reconstruction.
2. Ministry of Women and Human Rights Development
3. Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs
4. Ministry of Youth and Sports
5. Somali Non-State Actors (SONSA)
6. Somali Chamber of Commerce and Industry
7. Somali Bankers Union
8. Universities
9. PWD CSOs.

The event started to share the concept note with participants by the Chairman of Iftin Foundation while secondly IFTIN presented the findings from assessment on key public spaces accessibilities for People with Disabilities in September this year and the participants noted that over 70% of reached spaces were note accessible for PWDs. The key speakers from the different institutions discussed their point of views on the disabled people and they inclusively welcomed the conference and information shared, they have rated that issue of PWDs is national issue while they have promised they will take visible positive actions.

During the conference was engaged panel discussion participated 6 (4 male/2 female) panelists including two disable people which they have debated possible steps on PWD’s issues that able to be turned into actions focused on accessibility and National Disable act. The panel that included Director General of Ministry of Public works and reconstruct were asked more questions objective and constructed questions by Disable people group and the panel prolong importance of the questions and answered relative.

Hassan Ahmed Shirwa’ Director General of Ministry of Public Works and Reconstruction said “PWDs issue is national and the Ministry of Public and Reconstruction will pave the way how public spaces to be included accessible facilities with PWDs” Abdi Abshir Dore the Director Somali Chamber of Commerce and Industry said “any activities from Businesses should be accessible and provide required service simple by the order of chamber”

Media TV outlet

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Twitter link:

Enhancing PWD's Accessibility on Public and Political Participation conference which its slogan #GIVE_CHANCE_WITH_PWDs by @iftinfoundtion is underway in Mogadishu attending by representatives from FGS, CSOs, Businesses and PWD's CSOs.@1977Creative @USAIDSomalia @SomaliaBUILD pic.twitter.com/cpfWXUJSYH

— Iftin Foundation (@iftinfoundtion) December 11, 2019

IFTIN Foundation In collaboration with Somali Disability Cluster have collectively organized and facilitated world Commemoration of International Disability Day on 3^th, December 2019 in Mogadishu. The event was held at Ramada hotel in Mogadishu where 60 (17 female/43male) people with disabilities have fully attended as well as the facilitated representative from the partners while the objective of the event was to acknowledge the importance of disability day and address the key issues regarding the PWDs in Somalia.

The event was officially opened by Representative from IFTIN Foundation and Somali Disability Cluster addressed the about challenges faced by disability people in accessing public places and benefit the service opportunities.  Disable participants discussed they are excluded from political and social participation and discriminated from all forms of social development because of their physical image.

Abdullahi Hassan the chairman Somali Disability who was discussing the importance of commemorating the Disability Day said “we are here to celebrate the International Disability Day and share with international disabilities that we are still alive and doing our own struggle for finding better live though our government and people are not aware our painful issues”

During the event was implemented panel discussion which participated group of six (6) people including one lady and debated;

1. One decade of CRPD ratification advocacy
2. The so far progress of CRPD implementation in Somalia
3. Why national disability act was not implemented yet by government

The participants asked the panel relevant and objective questions related ways can empower people with disabilities in Somalia and panel group analyzed constructively with the topics and answered the questions from the participants.

Iftin Foudtion co_organised Commemoration International Disability Day 3, December 2019.

Key note speakers and panelists including experts from Iftin Foundation will be on the stage soon.#makeit #Accessible #4PWDs#Somalia pic.twitter.com/ZHxdu7GyyG

— Iftin Foundation (@iftinfoundtion) December 3, 2019

https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=2603667386378394&id=363773513701137

On 19^th November, 2019, Iftin Foundation held one day CRPD follow up meeting for representatives from PWD’s CSOs based in Mogadishu participated trainees of September this year for Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities which was to know and evaluate PWD’s level of understanding on the CRPD Convention to enhance the participation of people with disabilities in the political and public life while focusing on the rights of PWDs to access public spaces/places as well as the their current limitations and the challenges in accessing public spaces and its consequence on their political participation. 18 participants (12 male/6 female) from 13 PWDs including types of disabilities and Youth CSOs were attended by the session.

Mohamed Ismail Mahamud physical disable person ‘’the knowledge I gained from the CRPD training was much significant and I shared to the rest of the community”, he said that he able to ask accessing public spaces for way of being active in the community as well as the politics.

Decko Ali Hanshi from Youth CSOs discussed during CRPD workshop meeting, gained more knowledge on how to advocate and support people with disabilities while she also shared a scenario of which she has supported with her classmate disabled student who was using wheelchair after faced school accessibility barrier, which was finally removed after her and other teams negotiated with school management “we negotiated with school management to ease the disable student can access the entrance door without any other support and remove the barrier to enable the wheelchair user students to access their class alone”.

Posted links

https://www.facebook.com/383804668477743/posts/1255362734655261/

https://www.facebook.com/383804668477743/posts/1255362734655261/

Iftin Foundation organized  on 8th – 9th September two days workshop of Public and Political Participation for People with Disabilities funding by USAID through Creative Associates International.

The workshop was followed the two previous workshops conducted on 1st – 2nd September which was supposed to engage people with disabilities for enhancement of their public and political participation. During the participation of attendees there was discussion among the participants on the topic of discussion and it was amazing, inspiring and creative workshop with high participation among the participants as well as the facilitators.

On 27th October IFTIN Foundation held a community event at the Waberi District Commission office, a venue recently made accessible to persons with physical disabilities. The objective of the event was to acknowledge the Waberi District Commission’s purposeful decision to renovate their offices to make them accessible. In total, 47 participants (16 females; 31 males) attended the event. Deputy Social Affairs Commissioner Mr. Ali Abdulkadir Farah said, “We have purposefully decided to implement this disability friendly spaces as persons with physical disabilities represent a large number of the community in the district and to make sure PWDs access basic services of the district”. He also pledged to support IFTIN’s awareness raising activities to make sure PWDs are included in public and political life. Mr. Abdullahi Hassan Hussein (Chairperson of the National Disability cluster) said, “We are happy that we have full access to district services and got served as normal citizens”. The event served to highlight how improving physical accessibility to public spaces for PWDs provides them with opportunities to engage with local government officials. It was also intended to set an example for other government authorities to emulate. The event was covered by the media and video clips are available on the following links:

https://www.facebook.com/watch/?v=406460536913174

Deputy Social Affairs Commissioner of Waberi District Mr. Ali Abdulkadir Farah pledging to support IFTIN’s work on increasing PWDs accessibility for public participation (27 October in Mogadishu).

Iftin Foundation getting the support from BUILD project held two-day roundtable meeting for people with disabilities on October 19^th -20^th, on public places’ accessibility for PWDs targeting 20 representatives from 13 PWDs and Youth CSOs. The two consecutive day roundtable meeting for public accessibilities for people with disabilities was about to find and realize the easiest and suitable ways which public accessibility for People with disabilities can be promoted in order to enhance with the public participation of PWDs while focusing on the rights of PWDs for public spaces/places in Mogadishu and address  current limitations and challenges in accessing public spaces and its consequence on their political and socio-economic participation. In both sessions, PWDs participants appreciated the roundtable meeting as they shared their frustration of lack of accessibility in the past and were encouraged to try and engage in attempting to remedy that.

The two day Session’s key speakers note

During the discussion of findings conducted by Iftin Foundation, some of the participants discussed that the public places required implementing an accessible facility for PWDs concerns different public institutions and private organizations, so it would need to discuss this issue with those different organizations/institutions,  while some others said that that problem  is not only lack of public places’ ramps accessibility but even banks counters and sign languages translators  as well as the worshiping places like mosque needs to make accesses.

In the discussion, it was suggested that people with disability are too much different and their needs are too different therefore it will be good to distinguish categories like1-5 levels. The level one is the most vulnerable groups are blind and wheelchair users while level 5 are normal group with physical disabilities. Mohamed Salad Ali “If this work would be started early by Creative and Iftin, the disable people would be more active in time”.

Abdullahan Hassan Osman “Ramps accessibility is very good but it needs to ask banks and remittance and business to arrange counters/boots for wheelchair holder and toilets should be included the accessibility because most of the disable persons are not able to use other normal toilets”.

Participants have emphasized it is necessary to have legal framework regulate with disable community as to have basic rights for PWD. Ismail Ahmed Ali, “sign language and the braille are not included National curriculum in the schools therefore we need to have legal rights since we have many students who have this condition and have right to learn like any other citizen in the country”.

Most of the participants discussed that accessibility is first importance but they said accessibility is not only wheelchair ramps but also artificial legs are also key for accessibility and it facilitates participation and active role play of some disable people, Halawai Sheikh Dahir “The artificial legs are very important for accessibility because I would not arrive this fruitful discussion meeting without having with artificial legs”.

A participant welcomed the assessment data and rated is excellent according to their perspectives. Omar Abdi Omar “it is one we needed but it would be great to reach more public places in order to succeed more places to make accessible facilities”. Mr. Omar said that they are so much happy the seriousness of Iftin, “Iftin Foundation and its sponsors are on the path of supporting for PWDs”.

Some participants that are some public service provider places like CID, Passport Center, Banadir Municipality which disable people have some difficulties and said they would like to create particular office for PWDs in those centers to ease their service accessibility. The most point of view of the participants was to engage unified campaign awareness messages securing PWDs rights, “To invite PWDs representatives and give speak role within other non-disable community event can be important tool for awareness of PWD’s issues dissemination”

Abdinasir Jim’ale (deaf),“Deaf people able to go anywhere but when they arrive their destination, services providers don’t understand them therefore we need to pressure them to hire people know sign language”, Abdinasir discussed that business owners, public institution managers and government staff and policemen to learn sign language is part of accessibility therefore they should learn it”.

Abdullahi Hassan Hussein, “We as disable people have not effective connection with normal Community because they are not understanding our real situation therefore awareness for public is very considerable”.

During the 2days roundtable debate was discussed the economic situation of PWDs and participants said that most demandable ideas for PWDs are business startups and would need microfinance support to build their future and become independent.

All participants satisfied hard work of Iftin Foundation and they also thank USAID and Creative for their funding technical support for the People with Disability in Somalia.