Guidance: Including Children with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action

Children and adults with disabilities are among the most marginalized people in any community affected by crisis. To make matters worse, they often are excluded from humanitarian assistance. While crises put children with disabilities at risk, they can also create opportunities. Damaged buildings and infrastructure can be rebuilt better and more accessible than before. Programmes and services set up to help people deal with and recover from the crisis can be designed to include children with disabilities from the outset.

UNICEF, in collaboration with Handicap International, has developed guidance to help make sure that children and adolescents with disabilities are included in all stages of humanitarian action – from preparing for emergencies to recovering from them.

Including Children with Disabilities in Humanitarian Action consists of six booklets full of practical actions and tips. The booklets cover:

• General guidance;
• Nutrition
• Health and HIV/AIDS;
• Water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH);
• Child protection; and
• Education.

In addition to the PDF versions in English, Arabic and French, the guidance is also available in a range of accessible formats, including EPUB, a Braille-ready file and accessible HTML formats. These alternative formats provide greater accessibility and a rich reading experience to persons with disabilities.