GCRF Network Plus: Disability under Siege
Lead Research Organisation:
University of Birmingham
Department Name: Education
Abstract
There is an established link between conflict and protracted instability, and poor development outcomes (World Bank, 2011) . For many Low and Middle Income Countries (LMICs) the presence, and legacy, of violence within their own borders or in neighbouring states hinders existing efforts to enhance development, while also placing additional burdens upon the state.
The consequences of conflict and crisis echo throughout society, but the challenge it poses for education provision for those with disabilities is particularly acute. Instability erodes existing capacity, whilst simultaneously increasing demand, as the proportion of the population with a disability, either as a result of physical or psychological trauma, rises. Research commissioned by UNICEF indicates that over 85% of children with disabilities have never attended school (Mizanoya et al. 2016), yet despite this, the link between conflict, disability and access to education is under-examined.
The 'Disability Under Siege' Network Plus, has the overarching objective of providing the intellectual, financial and logistical resources required by local practitioners to deliver a transformational step change in education provision for children with disabilities in conflict affected states. By achieving this, the project will challenge the status quo that currently results in the majority of children with disabilities in conflict affected LMICs never attending school, and will significantly improve education provision for those that do receive education.
In order to maximize the impact of this Network Plus the project will focus on one specific region: The Middle East, and specifically the countries of Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine (West Bank and Gaza Strip). This region has been chosen as the following factors make it an excellent location to deliver improved outcomes for those with disabilities: i) there is significant under-reporting of disability, in part due to societal stigma, and in part due to dominant narrow medical models of disability; ii) there are high rates of conflict-related disability in all three locations, with refugee flows from the wider region (Syria and Iraq) creating an additional burden; iii) the locations have a large youth population; iv) 95% of children with disabilities are excluded from primary school (HRW, 2016); v) There is an effective, but under resourced, network of local partners who are able to effectively engage with the opportunities offered by the Network plus.
In order to truly understand and make progress against this challenge, a cross disciplinary approach is necessary. How disability is understood in the various domains of health sciences, law, religion and culture underpins education policy and practice as well as the prioritisation and allocation of resources. Furthermore, the role of arts and humanities have a significant potential for shaping public knowledge on disability, for example, the 1970s Disability Arts movement in the UK, contributed substantively to the culmination of 1995 Disability Discrimination Act. Consequently, the project team comprises of researchers from a range of disciplines, based in both the Global North and Global South, all with a shared commitment to transforming education provision for some of the most vulnerable populations in fragile and conflict affected states.
The consequences of conflict and crisis echo throughout society, but the challenge it poses for education provision for those with disabilities is particularly acute. Instability erodes existing capacity, whilst simultaneously increasing demand, as the proportion of the population with a disability, either as a result of physical or psychological trauma, rises. Research commissioned by UNICEF indicates that over 85% of children with disabilities have never attended school (Mizanoya et al. 2016), yet despite this, the link between conflict, disability and access to education is under-examined.
The 'Disability Under Siege' Network Plus, has the overarching objective of providing the intellectual, financial and logistical resources required by local practitioners to deliver a transformational step change in education provision for children with disabilities in conflict affected states. By achieving this, the project will challenge the status quo that currently results in the majority of children with disabilities in conflict affected LMICs never attending school, and will significantly improve education provision for those that do receive education.
In order to maximize the impact of this Network Plus the project will focus on one specific region: The Middle East, and specifically the countries of Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine (West Bank and Gaza Strip). This region has been chosen as the following factors make it an excellent location to deliver improved outcomes for those with disabilities: i) there is significant under-reporting of disability, in part due to societal stigma, and in part due to dominant narrow medical models of disability; ii) there are high rates of conflict-related disability in all three locations, with refugee flows from the wider region (Syria and Iraq) creating an additional burden; iii) the locations have a large youth population; iv) 95% of children with disabilities are excluded from primary school (HRW, 2016); v) There is an effective, but under resourced, network of local partners who are able to effectively engage with the opportunities offered by the Network plus.
In order to truly understand and make progress against this challenge, a cross disciplinary approach is necessary. How disability is understood in the various domains of health sciences, law, religion and culture underpins education policy and practice as well as the prioritisation and allocation of resources. Furthermore, the role of arts and humanities have a significant potential for shaping public knowledge on disability, for example, the 1970s Disability Arts movement in the UK, contributed substantively to the culmination of 1995 Disability Discrimination Act. Consequently, the project team comprises of researchers from a range of disciplines, based in both the Global North and Global South, all with a shared commitment to transforming education provision for some of the most vulnerable populations in fragile and conflict affected states.
Planned Impact
The Disability under Siege programme has been developed collaboratively with partners and stakeholders from the Middle East, specifically in Jordan, Lebanon and the West Bank. This spirit of co-production coupled with a commitment to multidisciplinarity maximises the potential of the programme to deliver meaningful impact in the focus countries and beyond.
The main impact goals of the Network Plus are:
i) Re-shaping public understanding of disability in contexts of conflict and crisis;
ii) Supporting research and evidence building to change public policies ad practices regarding disability inclusion in education;
iii) Enhancing local, regional and international capacity to address issues of access, quality and participation in education for those with disabilities in formal and non-formal educational settings;
iv) Legacy-building through the coordination and integration of outputs from the programme and scaling/transferring findings to other relevant global contexts.
It is envisaged that the reach and scalable impacts of this initiative will extend to other conflict-affected regions of the developing world in the longer term.
The key intended beneficiaries are children with disabilities and their families, as they will experience improved social and economic prospects as a result of inclusive education provision. Other stakeholders with whom the Network Plus team is already engaged include:
i) Non-governmental actors and disability groups including Action on Armed Violence (London), Qattan Foundation (Ramallah), Legal Agenda (Beirut), the Special Kids Clinic at AUB Medical Center (Beirut) and a supporting parent-led network, and EMPHNET (East Mediterranean Public Health Network) based in Jordan. The Palestinian General Union of People with Disability and the Community-Based Rehabilitation Network operating in 250 locales across Palestine are also closely linked with the programme through existing relationships with Birzeit University.
ii) Educational partners, most notably Edraak, Queen Rania Foundation.
iii) Cultural partners, including Ashkal Alwan (Beirut), and the Palestine Museum (Palestine).
iv) Government partners such as Higher Council for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (Jordan), Humanity and Inclusion, Ministry of Education and Higher Education (Lebanon), and the Health Department within the Palestinian Ministry of Education (alumni links) are also engaged with the Network Plus.
v) International Organisations including UNESCO, UNRWA, UNHCR which are already active in the area of disability and education in the region.
Our Theory of Change (see Pathways to Impact document) contains mechanisms for continual engagement and testing of insights with local stakeholders on an equitable and mutually beneficial footing.
Impact will be realised in a range of fora, including practice based outputs that will improve the ability of education providers to deliver their services. Specific outputs will include training courses (Distance learning/ MOOCs), technological innovations, co-developing new curricula, pedagogical practices in formal and non-formal educational settings and creating school-school and school-community partnerships. The project will also facilitate co-development of national and school databases on inclusion, and co-development of a classification system of Disability based on the Washington Group (WG) questions and the WHO International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF).
The main impact goals of the Network Plus are:
i) Re-shaping public understanding of disability in contexts of conflict and crisis;
ii) Supporting research and evidence building to change public policies ad practices regarding disability inclusion in education;
iii) Enhancing local, regional and international capacity to address issues of access, quality and participation in education for those with disabilities in formal and non-formal educational settings;
iv) Legacy-building through the coordination and integration of outputs from the programme and scaling/transferring findings to other relevant global contexts.
It is envisaged that the reach and scalable impacts of this initiative will extend to other conflict-affected regions of the developing world in the longer term.
The key intended beneficiaries are children with disabilities and their families, as they will experience improved social and economic prospects as a result of inclusive education provision. Other stakeholders with whom the Network Plus team is already engaged include:
i) Non-governmental actors and disability groups including Action on Armed Violence (London), Qattan Foundation (Ramallah), Legal Agenda (Beirut), the Special Kids Clinic at AUB Medical Center (Beirut) and a supporting parent-led network, and EMPHNET (East Mediterranean Public Health Network) based in Jordan. The Palestinian General Union of People with Disability and the Community-Based Rehabilitation Network operating in 250 locales across Palestine are also closely linked with the programme through existing relationships with Birzeit University.
ii) Educational partners, most notably Edraak, Queen Rania Foundation.
iii) Cultural partners, including Ashkal Alwan (Beirut), and the Palestine Museum (Palestine).
iv) Government partners such as Higher Council for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (Jordan), Humanity and Inclusion, Ministry of Education and Higher Education (Lebanon), and the Health Department within the Palestinian Ministry of Education (alumni links) are also engaged with the Network Plus.
v) International Organisations including UNESCO, UNRWA, UNHCR which are already active in the area of disability and education in the region.
Our Theory of Change (see Pathways to Impact document) contains mechanisms for continual engagement and testing of insights with local stakeholders on an equitable and mutually beneficial footing.
Impact will be realised in a range of fora, including practice based outputs that will improve the ability of education providers to deliver their services. Specific outputs will include training courses (Distance learning/ MOOCs), technological innovations, co-developing new curricula, pedagogical practices in formal and non-formal educational settings and creating school-school and school-community partnerships. The project will also facilitate co-development of national and school databases on inclusion, and co-development of a classification system of Disability based on the Washington Group (WG) questions and the WHO International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF).
Organisations
- University of Birmingham (Lead Research Organisation)
- Lebanese American University (Collaboration)
- Arab Council for the Social Sciences (Collaboration)
- United Nations (UN) (Collaboration)
- University of Jordan (Collaboration)
- Birzeit University (Collaboration)
- Al-Quds University (Collaboration)
- A M Qattan Foundation (Collaboration, Project Partner)
- University of Balamand (Collaboration)
- Islamic University of Gaza (Collaboration)
- Saint Joseph University (Collaboration)
- Centre for Lebanese Studies (Collaboration)
- Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts (Collaboration)
- United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (Collaboration)
- UNICEF (Collaboration)
- Paris Institute for Advanced Study (Collaboration)
- UNIVERSITY OF BIRMINGHAM (Collaboration)
- Al Harah Theater (Collaboration)
- Action on Armed Violence (Collaboration, Project Partner)
- American University of Beirut (Collaboration)
- Queen Rania Foundation (Project Partner)
Publications
Abu Srour, S
(2021)
Social action to achieve a dignified life for people with disabilities in the occupied Palestinian territory
in The Lancet
Al Masri, N.
(2021)
Inclusive Education in Occupied Palestinian Territories Literature Review
Al-Masri N
(2024)
Sectoral challenges and negative feelings experienced by Palestinians with disability in besieged Gaza during COVID-19 pandemic
in Disability & Society
Al-Masri N
(2023)
Accessible and Inclusive Higher Education for Palestinian Students with Disability: Policies and Practices Review
in Cambridge Educational Research eJournal
Al-Masri, N
(2023)
Accessible and Inclusive Higher Education for Palestinian Students with Disability: Policies and Practices Review
in CERJ, Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge
Attia, M.
(2021)
Jordan Literature Review on Disability
Dagher, R.
(2020)
Inclusive Arts Practices in Lebanon
Foqahaa, Y.
(2020)
Inclusive Arts Practices in Jordan
| Title | 63 Days sit-in |
| Description | In October 2021, in the midst of the pandemic, people with disabilities in Palestine initiated a movement to administer their right to have a just and an inclusive health insurance. 63 days after their sit-in in the Palestinian Legislative Council under difficult circumstances, the social movement of people with disabilities were able to realize their first goal of providing an inclusive health insurance for the people with disabilities. "63 Days of Sit-In" is a project that aims to creatively document and reflect on the powerful experience of the movement led by people with disabilities in Palestine. A series of talks and workshops with people with disabilities from the movement were conducted. It was followed by a collaboration with artists and activists who participated in intensive workshops to conceptualise the theatre performance. The main output was a documentary theatre performance of the sit-in, through an artistic presentation of visual and auditory material, accompanied by a monodrama performance. The work was presented live to the public at A.M Qattan Foundation, and was filmed. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2025 |
| Impact | This project allowed us to make collaborations between the movement of people with disabilities and KSCC's extended community of artists and cultural practitioners. Through this project an opportunity was given to local artists to put their efforts into working to raise awareness about challenges that people with disabilities face. Working together collaboratively on this project largely contributes to shaping the understanding of disability to the audience the project targets as well as to the participants themselves. The documentation and reactivation of such a rich experience, that presents the power people with disabilities have, and their understanding of their rights and finding ways to fight for them will reinforce all parties involved in the project with first-hand knowledge as well as the exchange of knowledge among the people who were active in the movement with researchers and the community in general will provide a new layer to the work in understanding disability in the field rather than theoretically. Engagement and impact will be measured by a quantitative collection of data on the number of individuals attending each performance, as well as the number of performances we are able to have in a variety of locations. Moreover, impact will be measured qualitatively by the feedback sessions that will be conducted after every performance. |
| Title | AM Qattan Foundation - Steadfastness art exhibition |
| Description | The project, funded by the Disability under Siege Network, is an artistic forum which brought together three emerging female artists with disabilities, Randa Mansour, Walaa Masalmeh and Lana Kawash who attended workshops, led by Samar Ghattas, to enhance their artistic skills and create their artworks in different artistic styles for exhibition at Dar Al-Kalima University in Bethlehem. Artist Faten Fawzi Nastas Mitwasi, Dean of the Faculty of Arts at Dar Al-Kalima University, emphasized "the importance of these projects in motivating and supporting an authentic segment in our Palestinian society, which has latent capabilities and talents, which unfortunately increases our suffering and adds physical disabilities to many of us. Our role as artists and academics is to resist the occupation through art and to strengthen the role of art in raising the immunity of Palestinian society and strengthening its steadfastness." |
| Type Of Art | Artwork |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Impact | Exhibition of paintings by girls with disabilities Workshop with disability movement and other social movements The impact of the project and the artworks resulting from it was evident on the invitees and the public who attended the exhibition, during and after the opening, and the discussion began to expand on the role of art in society, and that this project and the exhibition confirm that "art is not only for art" but art for society as well. |
| URL | https://www.facebook.com/daralkalimaUniversity/posts/612516744242816 |
| Title | AM Qattan Foundation pilot projects - "Love Language" |
| Description | Funded by the Disability under Siege Network, artists Basel Elmaqosi & Maysaa Yousef from Gaza, in partnership with the Jabalia Rehabilitiation Association, produced artworks with different techniques from 100 children with disabilities. These children are in dire need of such initiatives that integrate them with their community and help them express their opinions freely and empty their feelings on a small board that the community can read and interact with. They acquired new skills that enhance the value of individual work in collaboration with the group, and the value of cleanliness and tidying up the place. The aim of this activity is to teach participants a new way to release negative energy and help them be patient and boost self-confidence. |
| Type Of Art | Artistic/Creative Exhibition |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Impact | The children have acquired new skills that enhance the value of individual work in collaboration with the group. The aim of this activity is to teach the participants a new way to release negative energy, help them to be patient, enhance their self-confidence and get rid of fears. The children talked about their paintings and displayed them at an exhibition held at Jabalia. Basel Almaqqosi continues to give art classes to children from the refugee camp in Rafah where he and his family are now living. Future plans are on hold |
| URL | https://www.facebook.com/watch/?extid=CL-UNK-UNK-UNK-IOS_GK0T-GK1C&mibextid=v7YzmG&v=743861990487128 |
| Title | AM Qattan Foundation pilot projects - View of Nabkus, mosaic by artist Fida Shfi |
| Description | Funded by the Disability under Siege Netowrk, Artist, Fida Shafei, led a group of 10 children with hearing impairments in the design of a mosaic to honour the life and work of the prominent Palestinian journalist, Shireen Abu Akleh, who was killed while reporting in 2022. After many training workshops, the children mastered the art of mosaics and created a portrait of Shireen. The mural stands in Nablus as a "thank you note to the Martyr of truth Shireen Abu Aqleh, not only as a distinguished journalist but also a loving and loved human being". The image of Shireen represents the experiences of children living under occupation. This project is a major step to make art inclusive, and alter stereotypes of children with disabilities and spark conversation on their unlimited potential within the community, not just in Palestine. |
| Type Of Art | Artwork |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Impact | Mosaic training and production of mosaic arts to be installed in public space in Nablus Documentary film on all activities Working paper and cooperative network - A signed agreement between Passion for Arts and Crafts and the Red Crescent in Nablus. It is worth mentioning that Passion for Arts and Crafts is registered with the Ministry of Economy and the Chamber of Commerce and Industry of Nablus, which contributed to the development of an operational plan based on networking and building up a group of alliances and partnerships, in the northern West Bank. This project was carried out in that manner to enhance partnerships including the Red Crescent and art to Heart at an earlier stage, to engage children with disabilities in mosaics initiatives aiming at mosaics revival as such in Nablus as well as collaborative relations with the ministry of Tourism and Antiques. - Media coverage: 2.5 minutes TV report by Palestine TV was produced with focus on children with disabilities potentials and reasons for engagement in this project. Further, a longer full report is being developed by al Jazeera. However, the final product will be produced later, with the presence of children with hearing impairment, and after handing Shireen mosaics mural to al Jazeera in a closing ceremony next month. Once again, it will take place in al Jazeera office beyond the project period as agreed upon with all parties. A one minute video documenting the role of the participants in all activities, and praising their achievement was also developed by the trainer. Finally, the Red Crescent will also produce a media report and publish at their website in two weeks period. This coverage in particular will take place at their organization with the presence of children with hearing impairments, the manager and staff. |
| URL | https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100070426632422 |
| Title | AM Qattan Pilot Project - Sharihan Hadweh & Al Harah Theater/Qadar for Community Development |
| Description | Funded by the Disability under Siege Network, "No Cheri" is a stand-up comedy performance performed by Sharihan Hadweh, an actress with visual disability. The show was produced by Al-Harah Theater in partnership with Qader for Community Development, and is based on the stories and daily challenges of Sharihan as a person with disability where she taps on the very basic rights of people with disability in a black comedy way. Six performances of "No Cheri" were organized in cooperation with several universities and local community organizations in Bethlehem and Hebron. Through Al-Harah Theater, Sharihan was invited to perform in Shubbak Festival in the UK in July 2023. |
| Type Of Art | Performance (Music, Dance, Drama, etc) |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Impact | 3 performances organised at universities and community centres, around 270 attended in total, 6 further performances with women's orgs, universities, and a refugee camp in Betlehem and Hebron, audiences between 35 and more than 1000 people Through Al-Harah Theater, Sharihan was invited to perform in Shubbak Festival in the UK in July 2023, however further tours have been postponed due to the unrest in West Bank. |
| URL | https://www.qader.org/news-blogs/4961.html |
| Title | Boundless Expressions (Sarah Benson) |
| Description | A collective of artists with disabilities that was exhibited at the Jordanian National Gallery of Fine Arts. This spanned both youth artist projects funded by DUS but also brought together the wider community of disabled youth, centers and activists. There was considerable national media coverage of the event with several national figures in attendance. |
| Type Of Art | Artistic/Creative Exhibition |
| Year Produced | 2024 |
| Impact | There was considerable national media coverage of the event with several national figures in attendance. There have been a collection of Jordanian new reports about the activities of the project that have come out that have shared the project with a wider audience. We have recordings but not the URLs |
| Title | Change Makers |
| Description | Liwan Youth Space, one of our partners in Jordan has produced a series of short films called "Change Makers" that focusses on young change-makers who are expanding the space for youth participation in governance, rights and influence on their issues. In 2020, 5 short films were produced documenting the role and influence of 5 young people on the rights of people with disabilities. These films are part of a broader series that are posted via Liwan online. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2020 |
| Impact | Impacts as yet unknown. |
| Title | Lifecycle disability video |
| Description | This video was produced to raise awareness of the challenges and barriers facing people with disabilities in Lebanon at different stages throughout their lives. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2021 |
| Impact | Impacts still unknown. |
| URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T0DyWexeoec&t=52s |
| Title | NK&E 63 days of sit-in (Khalil Sakakini Cultural Centre, West Bank) |
| Description | In October 2021, in the midst of the pandemic, people with disabilities in Palestine initiated a movement to administer their right to have a just and an inclusive health insurance. 63 days after their sit-in in the Palestinian Legislative Council under difficult circumstances, the social movement of people with disabilities were able to realise their first goal of providing an inclusive health insurance for the people with disabilities. "63 Days of Sit-In'' is an attempt to creatively document and reflect on the powerful experience of the movement led by people with disabilities in Palestine. A series of talks and workshops with people with disabilities from the movement were conducted, followed by a collaboration with artists and activists to participate in intensive workshops to conceptualise the performance. The output was a creative documentation of the sit-in, through an artistic recollection of visual and auditory material, accompanied by a story-telling performance. The work was presented live to the public at A.M. Qattan Foundation, and was filmed. Khalil Sakakini Cultural Center and Basta Theatre in collaboration with the leaders of the movement, brought this idea to life, with a shared belief in this project's capability of providing an added value to the field. |
| Type Of Art | Performance (Music, Dance, Drama, etc) |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Impact | The main output of the project is a documentary artwork of the movement's 63 days of sit-in. There is visual and auditory material documentation that was accompanied by a one-man theatrical performance The theatrical performance was fully filmed. However, plans for further dissemination have been curtailed by the war in Gaza and unrest in West Bank |
| Title | Narratives of Resilience: Shaima's Story |
| Description | The disability team has undertaken the task of documenting the harsh living conditions endured by individuals with disabilities amidst the relentless siege and attacks in the Gaza Strip, commencing on October 7, 2023. This relentless effort has resulted in the creation and dissemination of six impactful short videos, shared across the CLS social media platform. These visual narratives compellingly illuminate the daily struggles and challenges faced by people with disabilities in the tumultuous environment of Gaza, offering a powerful and unfiltered glimpse into their lives. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2024 |
| Impact | The short video has an notable impact and was circulated in social media, such as Facebook, Instagram, twitter and LinkedIn 23 views on YouTube and requests for further information made |
| URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7sUVxXD2Lac&list=PLC2J-f6Iy-he8T8RC9_b8T3jTQCxmoW6v |
| Title | Narratives of Resilience: Unveiling the Realities of People with Disabilities in the Gaza Strip - Hiba's Story |
| Description | The disability team has undertaken the task of documenting the harsh living conditions endured by individuals with disabilities amidst the relentless siege and attacks in the Gaza Strip, commencing on October 7, 2023. This relentless effort has resulted in the creation and dissemination of six impactful short videos, shared across the CLS social media platform. These visual narratives compellingly illuminate the daily struggles and challenges faced by people with disabilities in the tumultuous environment of Gaza, offering a powerful and unfiltered glimpse into their lives. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Impact | The short video has an notable impact and was circulated in social media, such as Facebook, Instagram, twitter and LinkedIn 25 views on YouTube and requests for further information made |
| URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DM0IT4laWM0 |
| Title | Narratives of Resilience: Unveiling the Realities of People with Disabilities in the Gaza Strip - Imad's Story |
| Description | The disability team has undertaken the task of documenting the harsh living conditions endured by individuals with disabilities amidst the relentless siege and attacks in the Gaza Strip, commencing on October 7, 2023. This relentless effort has resulted in the creation and dissemination of six impactful short videos, shared across the CLS social media platform. These visual narratives compellingly illuminate the daily struggles and challenges faced by people with disabilities in the tumultuous environment of Gaza, offering a powerful and unfiltered glimpse into their lives. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Impact | The short video has an notable impact and was circulated in social media, such as Facebook, Instagram, twitter and LinkedIn 19 views on YouTube and requests for further information made |
| URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Bl-d2UFfslY |
| Title | Narratives of Resilience: Unveiling the Realities of People with Disabilities in the Gaza Strip - Maysoon's Story |
| Description | The disability team has undertaken the task of documenting the harsh living conditions endured by individuals with disabilities amidst the relentless siege and attacks in the Gaza Strip, commencing on October 7, 2023. This relentless effort has resulted in the creation and dissemination of six impactful short videos, shared across the CLS social media platform. These visual narratives compellingly illuminate the daily struggles and challenges faced by people with disabilities in the tumultuous environment of Gaza, offering a powerful and unfiltered glimpse into their lives. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Impact | The short video has an notable impact and was circulated in social media, such as Facebook, Instagram, twitter and LinkedIn 116 views on YouTube and requests for further information made |
| URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZtR6_XDYMkM |
| Title | Narratives of Resilience: Unveiling the Realities of People with Disabilities in the Gaza Strip - Shireen's Story |
| Description | The disability team has undertaken the task of documenting the harsh living conditions endured by individuals with disabilities amidst the relentless siege and attacks in the Gaza Strip, commencing on October 7, 2023. This relentless effort has resulted in the creation and dissemination of six impactful short videos, shared across the CLS social media platform. These visual narratives compellingly illuminate the daily struggles and challenges faced by people with disabilities in the tumultuous environment of Gaza, offering a powerful and unfiltered glimpse into their lives. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Impact | The short video has an notable impact and was circulated in social media, such as Facebook, Instagram, twitter and LinkedIn 31 views on YouTube and requests for further information made |
| URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zvr3JaK8aVQ&t=12s |
| Title | The longest nightmare in the life of every Gazan - Ghada's story |
| Description | Video of Ghada Zomlot is a person with visual impairment, a journalist, and a community activist in the disability sector. On September 27, 2023, she left Gaza to participate in a regional conference in Tunisia. During her return to Gaza via Egypt, she was forced to stay in Cairo due to the closure of the Rafah border crossing and the inability to reach Jabalia camp in the northern Gaza Strip, where her family lives. Ghada shared with us her experience as a woman with disabilities on Monday, February 26, 2024. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2024 |
| Impact | awareness raising |
| URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IgSONQ4qOBE |
| Title | Through Our Eyes art exhibition, National Gallery, Amman, Jordan |
| Description | Through Our Eyes is a conversation about disability in our communities. Young people with disabilities documented what is important in their lives and share those insights with the wider Amman community in this special photography exhibition. Our goal is to bring disabled and non-disabled youth together through conversation and art- so this is an interactive exhibition. |
| Type Of Art | Artistic/Creative Exhibition |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Impact | Requests for further involvement with arts and disability through the Disability under siege network |
| Title | Voice Notes from Palestine video |
| Description | 10 minute video that highlights the life conditions of students with disabilities in Gaza during the Israeli war on the Gaza strip |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2024 |
| Impact | Video has been showcased around UK and Palestine and showed at UN side event in New York |
| URL | https://youtu.be/aLpyhZJgNF0 |
| Title | Voice notes from Palestine |
| Description | A short film capturing the images and footage of students living in Gaza with disabilities, tracking their time from learning how to report on their stories whilst at the University of Gaza in 2023 to living under siege from Israeli military attacks since October last year and through 2024. This sensitively-made film will track their experiences, where possible, and shed light on the challenges of living with disabilities in one of the hardest countries on earth. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2024 |
| Impact | The initiative led by Action on Armed Violence (AOAV), titled "#DisabledVoicesfromGaza," successfully conducted a series of 8 seminars, each lasting 4 hours, focusing on social media engagement and storytelling. This educational venture aimed to leverage the creativity of learners with disabilities to address Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to quality education and reducing inequalities, particularly in conflict-affected areas like Palestine. Purpose and Achievements: The primary aim was to mobilize the creativity of learners with disabilities, addressing educational inequalities and supporting the sustainable development of the creative economy through international partnerships. The program empowered students with disabilities in higher education in Palestine to communicate their experiences of life in Gaza amid the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing conflict. Through the seminars, students learned to engage effectively with social media and tell their stories compellingly, amplifying their voices on a global platform. This initiative enabled these students to take ownership of their narratives and share their lived experiences, contributing to a more inclusive representation of disability in conflict zones. Outcomes and Impacts: The seminars had a significant impact on participants and the broader community. Students with disabilities developed valuable media and information literacy skills, becoming creators of knowledge and champions of their stories. This empowerment led to the creation of a robust online presence, where these students shared their experiences and perspectives, challenging dominant discourses on disability in conflict and crisis. The project fostered a sustainable legacy by equipping students with skills to produce and disseminate knowledge, which was then cascaded to their peers through peer-learning initiatives. This approach enhanced local capacity and provided an evidence base for future development and engagement programs, showcasing the power of narrative as a means of empowerment for marginalized communities. The success of the "#DisabledVoicesfromGaza" initiative demonstrated the vital role of creative narrative methodologies and media literacy in empowering students with disabilities, enhancing educational inclusivity, and challenging global perceptions of disability and conflict. Unfortunately, the terrible mass killings of civilians and the countless disabilities created in Gaza since the activity ended underscore its profound relevance and highlight the need for new cohorts of students to articulate their trauma on social media. |
| URL | https://disabilityundersiege.bham.ac.uk/funded-projects/disabledvoicesfromgaza/ |
| Title | What does it mean to be 'displaced' in UNRWA schools? |
| Description | The disability team has undertaken the task of documenting the harsh living conditions endured by individuals with disabilities amidst the relentless siege and attacks in the Gaza Strip, commencing on October 7, 2023. This relentless effort has resulted in the creation and dissemination of six impactful short videos, shared across the CLS social media platform. These visual narratives compellingly illuminate the daily struggles and challenges faced by people with disabilities in the tumultuous environment of Gaza, offering a powerful and unfiltered glimpse into their lives. |
| Type Of Art | Film/Video/Animation |
| Year Produced | 2023 |
| Impact | The short video has an notable impact and was circulated in social media, such as Facebook, Instagram, twitter and LinkedIn 52 views on YouTube and requests for further information made |
| URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CQinjt-3aCU |
| Description | It was been discovered that there is little research on disability in the region, and that most children with disabilities do not even go to primary school. Where there is research on disability, it is highly medicalised, produced in medical departments of in terms of rehabilitation sciences. It is absent in social sciences and arts and humanities. Our research also showed the marginalisation of people with disabilities through COVID-19, challenges to inclusive education in Lebanon and Jordan with lack of sufficient teacher training, the needs of adolescent girls with disabilities in Palestine, the lived experiences of students with disabilities since October 2023 in Gaza, the importance of arts representing disabilities, the impacts of collaborations between disability activists, health practitioners and theatre producers, and the problems with applications of Global North measures of disibilities in Global South settings under conflict. |
| Exploitation Route | We envisage that the outcomes of this funding will be taken forward in several ways: i) through policy impact, and changes in professional practice in schools in Lebanon and Jordan ii) general public chanting understandings of disability with positive outcomes for those with disabilities educationally, and personally iii) through UN organisations and best practices for inclusion in schools, emergency planning, cultural inclusion iv) giving voice to those with disabilties to tell their own satires through film, giving agency and ability to advocate for change v) enabling South - South collaborations to share best practice and knowledge vi) decolonising knowledge production on disability |
| Sectors | Creative Economy Education Healthcare Government Democracy and Justice Culture Heritage Museums and Collections |
| URL | https://disabilityundersiege.bham.ac.uk |
| Description | Our findings have been used by UN organisations - namely UNRWA and UNICEF who have drawn on our work in their media campaigns for the promotion of inclusivity. This has raised public awareness and thought-provoking dialogue pertaining to how the general public, as well as policymakers and practitioners understand disability. Our work on the exclusion of people with disabilities during COVID-19 and recommendations for disability-inclusive recovery has informed the programming by the UNPRPD in how they conduct situational analyses. Our findings have supported the disability movement in oPT to achieve significant gains with respect to universal health benefits for people with disabilities. Our findings have led to the establishment of an active community of practice among media professionals in Lebanon, discussing and sharing best practice on accessibility and representation of people with disabilities. Films produced have contributed to public understanding of the lives of students with disabilities living under conflict, shared widely on social media, and in film festivals. |
| First Year Of Impact | 2020 |
| Sector | Communities and Social Services/Policy,Construction,Creative Economy,Education,Healthcare,Government, Democracy and Justice,Culture, Heritage, Museums and Collections |
| Impact Types | Cultural Societal Policy & public services |
| Description | Al Harah Theater report on theatre inclusion |
| Geographic Reach | Local/Municipal/Regional |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Description | Guidelines on inclusive reconstruction for Beirut |
| Geographic Reach | Local/Municipal/Regional |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Description | Inclusive audio visual media and information services policy (Itab Shuayb CLS) |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Impact | On April 6, 2024, the inclusive media policy, drafted by a disability activist who was also part of the training team, was presented in front of the Lebanese Minister of Media and Communication at the Maronite Patriarchate in Bkerki, Lebanon. During this event, both soft and hard copies of the media policy were distributed among the attendees. Furthermore, the Minister of Media and Communication promised to follow up with the Centre for Lebanese Studies (CLS) team to implement the inclusive media policy. A follow-up meeting was organized to collaborate with the Minister of Media and Communication in Lebanon to ensure that the inclusive media policy is implemented and a copy of the policy has been handed in to the Minister of Meda and communication in Lebanon. |
| URL | https://disability-hub.com/library/manuals/ |
| Description | NK&E - Towards inclusive media production policy paper (CLS) |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Impact | The project advocates and raises awareness about the notion of disability. It offers tools and trainings to enable media producers, TV reporters, and journalists to adopt inclusive portrayal and representation of people with disabilities in their work and to produce media content that uses inclusive language, correct disability terminologies based on the social model of disability, in addition to producing inclusive media content whether audio-visual, softcopy written format, or other. 30 media specialists have been trained and further funding has been secured to offer further training as demand so high |
| URL | https://lebanesestudies.com/projects/towards-inclusive-media-production-training-workshops-for-media... |
| Description | National social protection policy Lebanon review |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to a national consultation/review |
| Description | Network & Knowledge Exchange - Report on best practice in Higher Education inclusion |
| Geographic Reach | Local/Municipal/Regional |
| Policy Influence Type | Influenced training of practitioners or researchers |
| Description | R&E - #Disabledvoicesfromgaza training guide |
| Geographic Reach | Local/Municipal/Regional |
| Policy Influence Type | Contribution to new or improved professional practice |
| Impact | Impact curtailed due to war in Gaza |
| URL | https://disabledvoicesgaza.org/studies/narrative-methodology-and-media-information-literacy-capacity... |
| Description | Comparative case study of impact of covid-19 on persons with disabilities in Jordan, Lebanon and Palestine: awarded as supplement to Disability Under Siege Main award |
| Amount | £150,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 02/2021 |
| End | 08/2021 |
| Description | Deinstitutionalisation Under Siege: A network for deinstitutionalisation of persons with disabilities in the Middle East |
| Amount | £100,748 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | AH/X009467/1 |
| Organisation | Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 02/2022 |
| End | 02/2023 |
| Description | ESRC IAA (Festival of Social Sciences) |
| Amount | £500 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Economic and Social Research Council |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 11/2021 |
| End | 11/2021 |
| Description | ESRC IAA Mentoring Scheme award |
| Amount | £1,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | Economic and Social Research Council |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 08/2020 |
| End | 08/2021 |
| Description | GCRF Consolidation Account Deinstitutionalisation of Persons with Disabilities in the Middle East: Mapping of organisations |
| Amount | £21,836 (GBP) |
| Organisation | University of Birmingham |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2023 |
| End | 03/2023 |
| Description | GCRF Consolidation Account Impact Workshops |
| Amount | £26,164 (GBP) |
| Organisation | University of Birmingham |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2023 |
| End | 03/2023 |
| Description | Impact Accelerator Fund, ESRC |
| Amount | £6,260 (GBP) |
| Organisation | University of Sussex |
| Department | ESRC Impact acceleration Fund |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 12/2021 |
| End | 03/2022 |
| Description | International Science Partnerships Fund (ISPF) Inspection and Initial Analysis of the MICS UNICEF data - Birzeit |
| Amount | £12,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | University of Birmingham |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2024 |
| End | 03/2024 |
| Description | Towards inclusive media production: Training workshops for media organizations - CLS |
| Amount | £20,000 (GBP) |
| Organisation | University of Birmingham |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 01/2024 |
| End | 03/2024 |
| Description | UNPRPD analytical framework project for a Disability Inclusive Recovery from Covid-19 |
| Amount | £100,000 (GBP) |
| Funding ID | Awarded as supplement to Disability Under Siege Main award |
| Organisation | Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC) |
| Sector | Public |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Start | 08/2020 |
| End | 09/2021 |
| Title | Analytical Framework for Situational Analysis |
| Description | In collaboration with the UN Partnership for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNPRPD) we have developed an analytical framework to carry out situtational analyses in UNPRPD programming countries to assess status of the implementation of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. The framework we have developed provides a clear and robust way to generate evidence as well as methods for co-producing data and involving persons with disabilities and their organisations throughout the situational analysis process. |
| Type Of Material | Improvements to research infrastructure |
| Year Produced | 2022 |
| Provided To Others? | No |
| Impact | The analytical framework is being incorporated into the process UNPRPD utilises to carry out situational analyses in target countries as a first step in their programming. |
| Title | Arts and Culture Disability Mapping - Jordan, Lebanon and Palestine |
| Description | This consists of a mapping of all arts and cultural institutions and practices engaging with disability in the region. |
| Type Of Material | Database/Collection of data |
| Year Produced | 2021 |
| Provided To Others? | Yes |
| Impact | This is be available shortly through the disability under siege website, and is the first mapping database of arts and cultural engagements with disability in the middle east region. It will enable other researchers and practitioners to collaborate with one another in order to promote inclusive education. |
| Description | A M Qattan Foundation |
| Organisation | A M Qattan Foundation |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | Collaboration between Disability Under Siege and AM Qattan Foundation to engage cultural and disability actors, including an online workshop. Development of joint funding call, hosted by AM Qattan for disability-led performers in the region. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Hosting the online workshop and funding call |
| Impact | None to date, funding call live and closes in April 2022. |
| Start Year | 2021 |
| Description | AM Qattan Foundation - Commissioning Pilot |
| Organisation | A M Qattan Foundation |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | The Disability under Siege team award the AM Qattan Foundation £20,000 to commission 4 arts-related projects @ $5000 per project in the region as part of an art commissioning pilot |
| Collaborator Contribution | Offered administrative and financial support |
| Impact | 4 arts-based projects have been commissioned and are still currently running. They include: 1. "No Cheri" stand up comedy tour by Sharihan Hadweh, via the Al Harrah Theater - 6 performances in universities in West Bank and invited to preform at Shubbak Festival 2023 in London 2. View of Nablus Mosiac - An artistic activity aimed at reviving the mosaic in Nablus, in order to achieve the objectives of the Passion for Arts and Handicrafts project to preserve and develop the cultural artistic heritage and contribute to the development of community/craft tourism, by empowering the less fortunate groups for artistic expression and the practice of creativity. Creation of the Mosaic was displayed at various venues in Nablus and is housed at Al Jazeera main office in Ramallah. The arts project was also invited to exhibit the mosaic at the Red Crescent Society in Nablus 3. "Love Language" - Jabalia School have chosen the language of love to allow children with hearing disabilities to express in a way It is beautiful and easy to express their feelings and communicate better with their community. Following the art workshops, a permanent art exhibition of the children's artwork is displayed at the Jabalia Association and also online. 4. "Steadfastness", in collaboration with Dar Al Kalima University, the initiative aims to shed light on the violations suffered by persons with disabilities as a result of the policies and practices of the Israeli occupation, in light of their link to the general context experienced by other citizens of Palestine, through a collection of paintings and their participation in a Palestinian exhibition. "Resilience" exhibition, which was hosted by Dar Al-Kalima University between May 11 and 18, 2023. The opening was attended by more than 100 people with different specializations, artists and visitors |
| Start Year | 2022 |
| Description | Al Harrah Theater |
| Organisation | Al Harah Theater |
| Country | Palestine, State of |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | The Disability under Siege Team awarded Al Harrah Theater £30,000 towards a theatre performance which aims at enhancing the inclusion of people with disabilities into the performing arts sector while opening further and new opportunities for people with disabilities for work and participation. This partnership was commissioned under the Disability Under Siege call for Network and Knowledge Exchange. The research team provided mentoring, project supporting, and regular workshops for the partners. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The partners delivered the work locally, providing regular updates to the project team. They also engaged with and shared their learning with the wider Disability Under Siege network at relevant events. |
| Impact | •A report that highlights the status of inclusion of people with disabilities within the Performing Arts Sector •A presentation resulted from the drama training group •A theater performance advocating for the rights of people with disabilities |
| Start Year | 2022 |
| Description | Arts and Disability Summit (Sarah Benson) |
| Organisation | Jordan National Gallery of Fine Arts |
| Country | Jordan |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | University of Birmingham contributed expertise on disability which resulted in trainings, coaching and mentoring for artists around disability. The PI has taken the lead on publishable outputs and connecting to the wider region. |
| Collaborator Contribution | £10,000 for the JNGFA in remuneration of project management and other expenditures during Boundless Expression and the Summit BC has made it financially possible to run the summit and is supporting the ongoing work of those in the community of practice. The JNGFA is commited to providing ongoing support for future programmes and promoting disability awareness through its programmes. |
| Impact | not yet known |
| Start Year | 2020 |
| Description | CLS Advisory Research Committee membership (Dina Kiwan) |
| Organisation | Centre for Lebanese Studies |
| Country | Lebanon |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | Membership of the Center for Lebanese Studies Research Committee involves giving strategic advice on the programme of work and future priorities of the Centre, and selecting for postdoctoral funding scholarships and mentoring. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Identifying synergies between programmes of work |
| Impact | Award of postdoctoral fellowships |
| Start Year | 2021 |
| Description | CLS Research Committee membership |
| Organisation | Centre for Lebanese Studies |
| Country | Lebanon |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | As a member of the committee for the Center for Lebanese Studies (Beirut Lebanon, and Amman, Jordan) associated with the University of Cambridge, I contribute to setting the strategic research leadership of the Center. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Coontributions include the continued development of the Disability Hub, which coordinates initiatives across DPOs, academic institutions, and other strategic partners including government ministries and the UN in the field of disability in Lebanon. |
| Impact | Influencing research agendas on disability in Lebanon through networking with the main social sciences funder for the region, ACSS - the Arab Council for Social Sciences. This brings together disciplines of education, refugee studies, disability studies and public health. Contributing to building of research infrastructure through the establishment of early career research fellowships in disability. |
| Start Year | 2021 |
| Description | Disability and Leadership Project |
| Organisation | University of Birmingham |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | A University of Birmingham coordinated group has been set up to focus on the theme of Disability and Leadership. |
| Collaborator Contribution | See above. |
| Impact | Some initial funding of £1,000 has been secured by a University of Birmingham group of which PI, Kiwan and Kubenz (Research Fellow) are members. A literature review is underway, so no outcomes as yet. |
| Start Year | 2021 |
| Description | Disability and the Social Sciences - Collaboration Workshop |
| Organisation | Arab Council for the Social Sciences |
| Country | Lebanon |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | Our research team have found that there is a clear absence of disability in the social sciences and humanities, as disability is typically not conceptualised as a social justice issue or in terms of rights; this is in contrast to the presence of gender, religion, ethnicity/race, refugees, etc in social science and humanities curricula and student and faculty research on these issues. The Disability Under Siege Project brought together relevant academics and leaders from a range of universities across Palestine, Lebanon and Jordan to strategically consider the state of play of disability and the social sciences, with respect to teaching, research and research funding possibilities. The group then discussed how these issues could be addressed. There was an appetite to keep the discussions running to take action for disability to be considered as a meaningful subject within the social sciences across academia. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Collaborators: Chair: Dr Seteney Shami, founding Director of Arab Council of Social Sciences (ACSS). • Dr Hatem A Alkhamra, Associate Professor - School of Education (Special Education and inclusion), University of Jordan, Jordan. • Dr Noura Assaf, Senior Lecturer - Political Science and International Affairs, University of Balamand, Lebanon. • Dr Jasmin Lilian Diab, Assistant Professor Migration Studies, Lebanese American University, Lebanon. • Professor Jocelyn DeJong, Faculty of Health Sciences, Associate Provost, American University of Beirut, Lebanon. • Dr Basel El-Khodary, Head of Department of Psychology, Islamic University of Gaza, Palestine. • Professor Ali Fakih, Professor in Department of Economics, Lebanese American University, Lebanon. • Mlle Rima Mawad, Director of School of Social Work, Saint Joseph University of Beirut, Lebanon. • Ms Fardous Salameh, Chair of Department of Social and Behavioural Science, Birzeit University, West Bank. Collaborators shared their perspectives of disability and the social sciences and offered solutions to addressing the issues. They were keen to be involved in affecting change in the future. |
| Impact | Future meeting to discuss ways in which action should be taken to address disability in the social sciences. |
| Start Year | 2024 |
| Description | Disability and the Social Sciences - Collaboration Workshop |
| Organisation | Birzeit University |
| Country | Palestine, State of |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Our research team have found that there is a clear absence of disability in the social sciences and humanities, as disability is typically not conceptualised as a social justice issue or in terms of rights; this is in contrast to the presence of gender, religion, ethnicity/race, refugees, etc in social science and humanities curricula and student and faculty research on these issues. The Disability Under Siege Project brought together relevant academics and leaders from a range of universities across Palestine, Lebanon and Jordan to strategically consider the state of play of disability and the social sciences, with respect to teaching, research and research funding possibilities. The group then discussed how these issues could be addressed. There was an appetite to keep the discussions running to take action for disability to be considered as a meaningful subject within the social sciences across academia. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Collaborators: Chair: Dr Seteney Shami, founding Director of Arab Council of Social Sciences (ACSS). • Dr Hatem A Alkhamra, Associate Professor - School of Education (Special Education and inclusion), University of Jordan, Jordan. • Dr Noura Assaf, Senior Lecturer - Political Science and International Affairs, University of Balamand, Lebanon. • Dr Jasmin Lilian Diab, Assistant Professor Migration Studies, Lebanese American University, Lebanon. • Professor Jocelyn DeJong, Faculty of Health Sciences, Associate Provost, American University of Beirut, Lebanon. • Dr Basel El-Khodary, Head of Department of Psychology, Islamic University of Gaza, Palestine. • Professor Ali Fakih, Professor in Department of Economics, Lebanese American University, Lebanon. • Mlle Rima Mawad, Director of School of Social Work, Saint Joseph University of Beirut, Lebanon. • Ms Fardous Salameh, Chair of Department of Social and Behavioural Science, Birzeit University, West Bank. Collaborators shared their perspectives of disability and the social sciences and offered solutions to addressing the issues. They were keen to be involved in affecting change in the future. |
| Impact | Future meeting to discuss ways in which action should be taken to address disability in the social sciences. |
| Start Year | 2024 |
| Description | Disability and the Social Sciences - Collaboration Workshop |
| Organisation | Islamic University of Gaza |
| Country | Palestine, State of |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Our research team have found that there is a clear absence of disability in the social sciences and humanities, as disability is typically not conceptualised as a social justice issue or in terms of rights; this is in contrast to the presence of gender, religion, ethnicity/race, refugees, etc in social science and humanities curricula and student and faculty research on these issues. The Disability Under Siege Project brought together relevant academics and leaders from a range of universities across Palestine, Lebanon and Jordan to strategically consider the state of play of disability and the social sciences, with respect to teaching, research and research funding possibilities. The group then discussed how these issues could be addressed. There was an appetite to keep the discussions running to take action for disability to be considered as a meaningful subject within the social sciences across academia. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Collaborators: Chair: Dr Seteney Shami, founding Director of Arab Council of Social Sciences (ACSS). • Dr Hatem A Alkhamra, Associate Professor - School of Education (Special Education and inclusion), University of Jordan, Jordan. • Dr Noura Assaf, Senior Lecturer - Political Science and International Affairs, University of Balamand, Lebanon. • Dr Jasmin Lilian Diab, Assistant Professor Migration Studies, Lebanese American University, Lebanon. • Professor Jocelyn DeJong, Faculty of Health Sciences, Associate Provost, American University of Beirut, Lebanon. • Dr Basel El-Khodary, Head of Department of Psychology, Islamic University of Gaza, Palestine. • Professor Ali Fakih, Professor in Department of Economics, Lebanese American University, Lebanon. • Mlle Rima Mawad, Director of School of Social Work, Saint Joseph University of Beirut, Lebanon. • Ms Fardous Salameh, Chair of Department of Social and Behavioural Science, Birzeit University, West Bank. Collaborators shared their perspectives of disability and the social sciences and offered solutions to addressing the issues. They were keen to be involved in affecting change in the future. |
| Impact | Future meeting to discuss ways in which action should be taken to address disability in the social sciences. |
| Start Year | 2024 |
| Description | Disability and the Social Sciences - Collaboration Workshop |
| Organisation | Lebanese American University |
| Country | Lebanon |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Our research team have found that there is a clear absence of disability in the social sciences and humanities, as disability is typically not conceptualised as a social justice issue or in terms of rights; this is in contrast to the presence of gender, religion, ethnicity/race, refugees, etc in social science and humanities curricula and student and faculty research on these issues. The Disability Under Siege Project brought together relevant academics and leaders from a range of universities across Palestine, Lebanon and Jordan to strategically consider the state of play of disability and the social sciences, with respect to teaching, research and research funding possibilities. The group then discussed how these issues could be addressed. There was an appetite to keep the discussions running to take action for disability to be considered as a meaningful subject within the social sciences across academia. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Collaborators: Chair: Dr Seteney Shami, founding Director of Arab Council of Social Sciences (ACSS). • Dr Hatem A Alkhamra, Associate Professor - School of Education (Special Education and inclusion), University of Jordan, Jordan. • Dr Noura Assaf, Senior Lecturer - Political Science and International Affairs, University of Balamand, Lebanon. • Dr Jasmin Lilian Diab, Assistant Professor Migration Studies, Lebanese American University, Lebanon. • Professor Jocelyn DeJong, Faculty of Health Sciences, Associate Provost, American University of Beirut, Lebanon. • Dr Basel El-Khodary, Head of Department of Psychology, Islamic University of Gaza, Palestine. • Professor Ali Fakih, Professor in Department of Economics, Lebanese American University, Lebanon. • Mlle Rima Mawad, Director of School of Social Work, Saint Joseph University of Beirut, Lebanon. • Ms Fardous Salameh, Chair of Department of Social and Behavioural Science, Birzeit University, West Bank. Collaborators shared their perspectives of disability and the social sciences and offered solutions to addressing the issues. They were keen to be involved in affecting change in the future. |
| Impact | Future meeting to discuss ways in which action should be taken to address disability in the social sciences. |
| Start Year | 2024 |
| Description | Disability and the Social Sciences - Collaboration Workshop |
| Organisation | Saint Joseph University |
| Country | Lebanon |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Our research team have found that there is a clear absence of disability in the social sciences and humanities, as disability is typically not conceptualised as a social justice issue or in terms of rights; this is in contrast to the presence of gender, religion, ethnicity/race, refugees, etc in social science and humanities curricula and student and faculty research on these issues. The Disability Under Siege Project brought together relevant academics and leaders from a range of universities across Palestine, Lebanon and Jordan to strategically consider the state of play of disability and the social sciences, with respect to teaching, research and research funding possibilities. The group then discussed how these issues could be addressed. There was an appetite to keep the discussions running to take action for disability to be considered as a meaningful subject within the social sciences across academia. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Collaborators: Chair: Dr Seteney Shami, founding Director of Arab Council of Social Sciences (ACSS). • Dr Hatem A Alkhamra, Associate Professor - School of Education (Special Education and inclusion), University of Jordan, Jordan. • Dr Noura Assaf, Senior Lecturer - Political Science and International Affairs, University of Balamand, Lebanon. • Dr Jasmin Lilian Diab, Assistant Professor Migration Studies, Lebanese American University, Lebanon. • Professor Jocelyn DeJong, Faculty of Health Sciences, Associate Provost, American University of Beirut, Lebanon. • Dr Basel El-Khodary, Head of Department of Psychology, Islamic University of Gaza, Palestine. • Professor Ali Fakih, Professor in Department of Economics, Lebanese American University, Lebanon. • Mlle Rima Mawad, Director of School of Social Work, Saint Joseph University of Beirut, Lebanon. • Ms Fardous Salameh, Chair of Department of Social and Behavioural Science, Birzeit University, West Bank. Collaborators shared their perspectives of disability and the social sciences and offered solutions to addressing the issues. They were keen to be involved in affecting change in the future. |
| Impact | Future meeting to discuss ways in which action should be taken to address disability in the social sciences. |
| Start Year | 2024 |
| Description | Disability and the Social Sciences - Collaboration Workshop |
| Organisation | University of Balamand |
| Country | Lebanon |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Our research team have found that there is a clear absence of disability in the social sciences and humanities, as disability is typically not conceptualised as a social justice issue or in terms of rights; this is in contrast to the presence of gender, religion, ethnicity/race, refugees, etc in social science and humanities curricula and student and faculty research on these issues. The Disability Under Siege Project brought together relevant academics and leaders from a range of universities across Palestine, Lebanon and Jordan to strategically consider the state of play of disability and the social sciences, with respect to teaching, research and research funding possibilities. The group then discussed how these issues could be addressed. There was an appetite to keep the discussions running to take action for disability to be considered as a meaningful subject within the social sciences across academia. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Collaborators: Chair: Dr Seteney Shami, founding Director of Arab Council of Social Sciences (ACSS). • Dr Hatem A Alkhamra, Associate Professor - School of Education (Special Education and inclusion), University of Jordan, Jordan. • Dr Noura Assaf, Senior Lecturer - Political Science and International Affairs, University of Balamand, Lebanon. • Dr Jasmin Lilian Diab, Assistant Professor Migration Studies, Lebanese American University, Lebanon. • Professor Jocelyn DeJong, Faculty of Health Sciences, Associate Provost, American University of Beirut, Lebanon. • Dr Basel El-Khodary, Head of Department of Psychology, Islamic University of Gaza, Palestine. • Professor Ali Fakih, Professor in Department of Economics, Lebanese American University, Lebanon. • Mlle Rima Mawad, Director of School of Social Work, Saint Joseph University of Beirut, Lebanon. • Ms Fardous Salameh, Chair of Department of Social and Behavioural Science, Birzeit University, West Bank. Collaborators shared their perspectives of disability and the social sciences and offered solutions to addressing the issues. They were keen to be involved in affecting change in the future. |
| Impact | Future meeting to discuss ways in which action should be taken to address disability in the social sciences. |
| Start Year | 2024 |
| Description | Disability and the Social Sciences - Collaboration Workshop |
| Organisation | University of Jordan |
| Country | Jordan |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | Our research team have found that there is a clear absence of disability in the social sciences and humanities, as disability is typically not conceptualised as a social justice issue or in terms of rights; this is in contrast to the presence of gender, religion, ethnicity/race, refugees, etc in social science and humanities curricula and student and faculty research on these issues. The Disability Under Siege Project brought together relevant academics and leaders from a range of universities across Palestine, Lebanon and Jordan to strategically consider the state of play of disability and the social sciences, with respect to teaching, research and research funding possibilities. The group then discussed how these issues could be addressed. There was an appetite to keep the discussions running to take action for disability to be considered as a meaningful subject within the social sciences across academia. |
| Collaborator Contribution | Collaborators: Chair: Dr Seteney Shami, founding Director of Arab Council of Social Sciences (ACSS). • Dr Hatem A Alkhamra, Associate Professor - School of Education (Special Education and inclusion), University of Jordan, Jordan. • Dr Noura Assaf, Senior Lecturer - Political Science and International Affairs, University of Balamand, Lebanon. • Dr Jasmin Lilian Diab, Assistant Professor Migration Studies, Lebanese American University, Lebanon. • Professor Jocelyn DeJong, Faculty of Health Sciences, Associate Provost, American University of Beirut, Lebanon. • Dr Basel El-Khodary, Head of Department of Psychology, Islamic University of Gaza, Palestine. • Professor Ali Fakih, Professor in Department of Economics, Lebanese American University, Lebanon. • Mlle Rima Mawad, Director of School of Social Work, Saint Joseph University of Beirut, Lebanon. • Ms Fardous Salameh, Chair of Department of Social and Behavioural Science, Birzeit University, West Bank. Collaborators shared their perspectives of disability and the social sciences and offered solutions to addressing the issues. They were keen to be involved in affecting change in the future. |
| Impact | Future meeting to discuss ways in which action should be taken to address disability in the social sciences. |
| Start Year | 2024 |
| Description | Early Career Researcher - Joelle Boutros, CLS |
| Organisation | Centre for Lebanese Studies |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | The Disability under Siege team awarded a fellowship of £50,000 to Joelle Boutros towards a research project entitled "Mapping the Lebanese Disability Social Movement: its role in mobilising society towards the full inclusion of people with disabilities". The Disability Under Siege Network has provided commissioning funding under our Early Career Researcher-focused call, as well as training workshops and mentoring to the ECR. |
| Collaborator Contribution | .The Early Career Researcher, Joelle Boutros at the Centre for Lebanese Studies, has taken on leadership of the project and has engaged and shared her learning with the wider Disability Under Siege network at relevant events, as well as undertaking additional work around developing methodologies for accurately measuring disability prevalence. |
| Impact | None yet- work still ongoing |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | Early Career Researcher - Rula Ghandour, Birzeit |
| Organisation | Birzeit University |
| Country | Palestine, State of |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | The Disability under Siege team awarded a fellowship of £50,000 to Rula Ghandour for a research project concerned with adolescent girls with disabilities are generally a marginalized segment of the population. They are typically isolated from the community, face significant stigma and discrimination, have few educational and employment opportunities, and their needs are typically unmet. Little is known about Palestinian adolescent girls with disabilities. This study seeks to understand the disability lived experience of adolescent girls (15-18 years old) and how patriarchal relationships and gender norms at home and in the community affect this experience. The Disability Under Siege Network has provided commissioning funding under our Early Career Researcher-focused call, as well as training workshops and mentoring to the ECR. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The Early Career Researcher, Rula Ghandour, at Birzeit University has taken on leadership of the project and has engaged and shared her learning with the wider Disability Under Siege network at relevant events, as well as undertaking additional work around developing methodologies for accurately measuring disability prevalence. |
| Impact | None yet - project still active |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | International Panel for Social Progress Advisory Board |
| Organisation | Paris Institute for Advanced Study |
| Country | France |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | the International Panel on Social Progress (IPSP) was launched in 2014 and gathered 350+ social scientists around the world to harness the knowledge produced over the past quarter century to address the current and future challenges facing our societies. The work of the Panel materialized in 2018 with the release of a final Report "Rethinking Societies for the 21st century" published by Cambridge University Press (3 volumes, 1.200 pages, 4.000 bibliographical references) and fully accessible online (www.ipsp.org). Now in the second cycle for the period 2023-2027 and onwards, I have been invited o the Advisory Board comprising of globally leading social scientists, including international scholars, civil society organizations actors, social innovators, business leaders, experts in international organizations, (former) policymakers, philanthropists, etc. |
| Collaborator Contribution | We are working together fundraising and developing a programme of work for the next cycle. |
| Impact | Still in progress. |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | Mainstreaming Strategies and the Application Mechanisms in Higher Education Institutions (Al Quds et al) |
| Organisation | Al-Quds University |
| Country | Palestine, State of |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | The Disability under Siege project has funded research (£29,800.00) into Mainstreaming Strategies and the Application Mechanisms in Higher Education Institutions, a collaborative research project with the following universities; Al Quds, An Najah and Islamic University Gaza. This partnership was commissioned under the Disability Under Siege call for Network and Knowledge Exchange. The research team provided mentoring, project supporting, and regular workshops for the partners. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The partners delivered the work locally, providing regular updates to the project team. They also engaged with and shared their learning with the wider Disability Under Siege network at relevant events |
| Impact | A series of training workshops for upto 20 people have been held in West Bank and Gaza, studying the mainstreaming of people with disability in higher education institutions, and identifying strategies followed by higher education institutions for educational quality and mainstreaming facilities for different types of people with disability. - Literature and Desk Review: (01/07/2022 to 15/08/2022) After determining the research project's three dimensions, researchers worked on reviewing relevant international and local research in the three dimensions, to prepare the literature review section. Data regarding local mainstreaming policies and strategies were gathered through visits to the Palestinian Ministry of Education and Higher Education. All policies, statistics, records and relevant publications were shared on the project's folder. While data on international mainstreaming strategies and policies were collected through revision of publications and conference outputs in the field. - Design of data collection tools: (15/08/2022 to 30/09/2022) In light of the dimensions defined in the first step, the researchers designed a questionnaire form. The purpose of the questionnaire is to collect detailed information about policies followed and services provided for people with disabilities in all Palestinian higher education institutions. In addition, the researchers designed two sets of interview questions for the focus groups: a set for the decision makers and another set of questions for the students with disabilities in Palestinian higher education institutions. All data collection tools were checked and reviewed by all researchers |
| Start Year | 2022 |
| Description | Media campaign |
| Organisation | American University of Beirut |
| Country | Lebanon |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | This was a social media campaign on the use of terminology and language use in relation to the topic of disability, and when talking about persons with disability. The research team brought the intellectual expertise to this campaign. |
| Collaborator Contribution | AUB contributed in terms of social media expertise. |
| Impact | Social media campaign materials. |
| Start Year | 2020 |
| Description | Research & Engagement - Human Centred and Community Based Participatory Research (Suzan Mitwalli) |
| Organisation | Birzeit University |
| Country | Palestine, State of |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | A Human Centred and Community Based Participatory Research Approach to Education Among Young People with Disabilities Living Under Occupation, is a Disability under Siege funded research project (£124,000) which aims to understand the lived experience of young people with disabilities (PWDs) in the West Bank of the occupied Palestinian territory (oPt), with a focus on their educational trajectories, through a socio-ecological (and political) approach, and using human centred design and community based participatory research. The DIsability Under Siege Network has provided commissioning funding, as well as training workshops and mentoring to the Early Career Researcher leading the project at Birzeit University. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The project is led by Suzan Mitwalli, an Early Career Researcher, at Birzeit University. Suzan has taken on leadership of the project and has engaged and shared her learning with the wider Disability Under Siege network at relevant events, as well as supporting the development of training materials for Disabled People's Organisations. |
| Impact | None yet as work still in progress |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | Research & Engagement project - #disabledvoicesfromgaza |
| Organisation | Action on Armed Violence |
| Country | United Kingdom |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | In partnership with Action on Armed Violence, a charity which seeks to reduce the impact of armed violence through monitoring and research of the causes and consequences of weapon-based violence, and the Islamic University of Gaza were awarded £125,000 from the Disability under Siege network to research narrative methodologies with media and information literacy (MIL) to empower university students with disabilities in Palestine. The project was funded under the Disability Under Siege Research and Engagement commissioning call and the research team organised workshops and events for the funded projects to facilitate mutual learning. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The project is led by Prof Nazmi Al-Masri who has worked in close partnership with Iain Overton from Action on Armed Violence, to deliver the planned work to students with disabilities in Gaza. The partners have engaged and shared their learning with the wider Disability Under Siege network at relevant events. |
| Impact | None yet - project ongoing |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | Research & Engagement project - #disabledvoicesfromgaza |
| Organisation | Islamic University of Gaza |
| Country | Palestine, State of |
| Sector | Academic/University |
| PI Contribution | In partnership with Action on Armed Violence, a charity which seeks to reduce the impact of armed violence through monitoring and research of the causes and consequences of weapon-based violence, and the Islamic University of Gaza were awarded £125,000 from the Disability under Siege network to research narrative methodologies with media and information literacy (MIL) to empower university students with disabilities in Palestine. The project was funded under the Disability Under Siege Research and Engagement commissioning call and the research team organised workshops and events for the funded projects to facilitate mutual learning. |
| Collaborator Contribution | The project is led by Prof Nazmi Al-Masri who has worked in close partnership with Iain Overton from Action on Armed Violence, to deliver the planned work to students with disabilities in Gaza. The partners have engaged and shared their learning with the wider Disability Under Siege network at relevant events. |
| Impact | None yet - project ongoing |
| Start Year | 2023 |
| Description | UNDP collaboration |
| Organisation | United Nations (UN) |
| Department | United Nations Development Programme |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | UNDP has invited our CoI in Lebanon to a consultation on transportation, and a simulation of future crises in order to prepare to inclusive planning. |
| Collaborator Contribution | As stated above. |
| Impact | No outcomes as yet. |
| Start Year | 2021 |
| Description | UNICEF collaboration |
| Organisation | UNICEF |
| Country | United States |
| Sector | Public |
| PI Contribution | UNICEF is a member of our Lebanon Co-Is Disability Hub. We are in discussion with UNICEF about plans for screening the Lifecycle video on national TV in conjunction with support by UNICEF. |
| Collaborator Contribution | As above |
| Impact | Ongoing - planned TV screening of video. |
| Start Year | 2021 |
| Description | UNRWA collaboration |
| Organisation | United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East |
| Country | Jordan |
| Sector | Charity/Non Profit |
| PI Contribution | We are in the process of an agreement with UNRWA who have approached us for our video on inclusive design and language use/terminology in their campaign working in schools, and we are advising them. |
| Collaborator Contribution | As detailed above. |
| Impact | Ongoing. |
| Start Year | 2021 |
| Description | "All In" - Fabian Review Article (Vera Kubenz) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | "All In" article published in Fabian Review Magazine by Vera Kubenz, Research Fellow, Disability Under Siege Network, 14/12/21. National, incl 7,000 members of the Fabian Society and > 4000 impressions on Twitter |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://fabians.org.uk/all-in-2/ |
| Description | "Theatre and Palestinian Arts: Women and Inclusive Peace" (IUG, Nazmi Al Masri) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
| Results and Impact | 2 out of 8 theatrical sketches were performed by school children with hearing disability using sign language and interpretation to Arabic in this event at IUG "Theatre and Palestinian Arts: Women and Inclusive Peace" Celebrating International Women's Day (March 8 2022) |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.facebook.com/nazmi.masri.5/posts/10225236344752289 |
| Description | #DisabledVoicesfromGaza & Action on Armed Violence |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Undergraduate students |
| Results and Impact | The initiative led by Action on Armed Violence (AOAV), titled "#DisabledVoicesfromGaza," successfully conducted a series of 8 seminars, each lasting 4 hours, focused on engaging with social media and storytelling. This educational venture was part of a broader mission to leverage the creativity of learners with disabilities to address Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) related to quality education and reducing inequalities, particularly in conflict-affected areas like Palestine. Purpose and Achievements: The primary aim of the program was to mobilize the creativity of learners with disabilities, addressing educational inequalities and supporting the sustainable development of the creative economy through international partnerships. It aimed to empower students with disabilities in higher education in Palestine, enabling them to effectively communicate their experiences of life in Gaza amid the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing conflict. Throughout the seminars, students learned not only how to engage effectively with social media but also how to tell their stories in compelling ways, thus amplifying their voices on a global platform. The initiative empowered these students to take ownership of their narratives and share their lived experiences, thereby contributing to a more inclusive representation of disability in conflict zones. Outcomes and Impacts: The seminars resulted in a significant impact on the participants and the broader community. Students with disabilities developed valuable media and information literacy skills, becoming creators of knowledge and champions for their own stories. This empowerment led to the creation of a robust online presence, where these students could share their experiences and perspectives, challenging dominant discourses on disability in conflict and crisis. Furthermore, the project fostered a sustainable legacy by equipping a cohort of students with the skills to produce and disseminate knowledge, which was then cascaded to their peers through peer-learning initiatives. This approach not only enhanced local capacity but also provided an evidence base for future development and engagement programs, showcasing the power of narrative as a means of empowerment for marginalized communities. The success of the "#DisabledVoicesfromGaza" initiative demonstrated the vital role of creative narrative methodologies and media literacy in empowering students with disabilities, enhancing educational inclusivity, and challenging global perceptions of disability and conflict. Sadly, the terrible mass killings of civilians and the countless disabilities created in Gaza since the ending of this activity has meant not only its relevance is deeply profound, but an entire new cohort of students will be faced with the challenges of how to articulate their trauma on social media. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://disabilityundersiege.org/funded-projects/ |
| Description | #DisabledVoicesfromGaza BBC news interview with Iain Overton (AOAV) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Dr Iain Overton appeared on BBC News Worldwide on 6th November to talk about the #DisabledVoicesfromGaza project which was funded by the Disability under Siege Network and how the war in Gaza has affected the study and its participants. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bankDPMGPvc&t=3s |
| Description | #disabkedvoicesfromgaza - challenging obstacles and developing capabilities in Gaza |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | On 200 August 2023 Professor Nazmi Al-Masri, Co-I on the Disability under Siege project gave an online report and interview to the New Arab Newspaper about training and empowering Palestinian university students with disability in Gaza to use narrative methodologies with media and information as part of #DisabledVoicesfromGaza project. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.alaraby.co.uk/society/%D8%B5%D9%88%D8%AA-%D8%B0%D9%88%D9%8A-%D8%A7%D9%84%D8%A5%D8%B9%D8%... |
| Description | 6th International Conference on Disability and Development: Disability and COVID-19 London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine (IUG, Nazmi Al Masri) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | co-participated in the 6th International Conference on Disability and Development: Disability and COVID-19 London School of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine, the "Education of learners with disabilities under siege in Palestine, Jordan and Lebanon. Mon14 - Thurs 17 March 2022 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | A Learning Curve: How The Middle East Is Catering To Neurodiverse Students |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Contribution from Dina Kiwan (PI) and Rita Giacaman (Co-I, Disability under Siege) to an online article published by Forbes Middle East entitled "A Learning Curve: How The Middle East Is Catering To Neurodiverse Students" Raising awareness and promoting debate |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.forbesmiddleeast.com/industry/education/learning-curve-how-the-middle-east-is-catering-t... |
| Description | AHRC-UN webinar on the impact of Covid-19 on persons with disabilities (30/04/21), |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | This webinar presented the key findings of the systematic literature review conducted to identify the impacts of covid-19 on people with disabilities globally. It was attended by an international audience of academics, policymakers, students and practitioners, and reported widely inn the press. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Advisory Group, UNPRPD project |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | An advisory group has been established consisting of disabled stakeholder experts across a number of lower and middle income countries (LMICs) from Asia, South America, the Middle East and Africa. Their role is to feed into and advise on the findings emerging from the literature review conducted to inform the development UNPRPD analytic framework for a disability-inclusive recovery from Covid-19 in LMICs. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Arab Council for Social Sciences online webinar |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Online workshop on 14/10/24 with Arab Council for Social Sciences (Seteney Shami in particular) to discuss the role for disability studies in the social sciences in Lebanese Universities, given the current relative absence. Indeed your scoping report highlighted that disability in both research and teaching is predominantly only in education and medical faculty, framed in a medical model. In contrast, race, gender and social class feature in social science curricula. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Arab News Article |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Opinion article entitled "Arab youth must be harnessed in climate change fight" by Professor Dina Kiwan, PI Disability under Siege, as a result of speaking at the Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week (ADSW), January 2023. Raising awareness on climate change and youth involvement |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.arabnews.com/node/2238231 |
| Description | Arts Showcase held at the Qattan Foundation, Palestine and online |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | The event featured a screening of the 'Disabled Voice from Palestine' video and a theatre performance of "63 Days of Sit-In" which creatively documents the powerful experience of a social movement led by people with disabilities. The event included presentations about our important research and arts based activities working in partnership with people with disabilities in Palestine, Lebanon and Jordan. A panel discussion and Q & A then took place around 'Reshaping the understanding of disability through arts: A conversation on changing the discourse'. Attendees reported gaining new perspectives on people with disabilities and wanting to change their behaviours towards disabled people going forward. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Arts Showcase, hosted by A M Qattan Foundation |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Disability under Siege & AM Qattan Foundation Arts Showcase, 22/02/25 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Arts and Disability Summit (Sarah Benson) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | Arts and Disability Summit (November 2024) The culminating activity of this first cycle of work was an Arts and Disability Summit in Amman during the fall of 2024. This had originally been scheduled for October 2023, but due to the genocide in Gaza was postponed past the funding date of the project, so using the network created through the original pieces of work the British Council supported with the funding. This Summit encompasses the multitudes of value-creation within a single learning opportunity but is also part of the larger movement. It represents a broadening of the community of practice by bringing together multiple stakeholders for a two-day summit that engaged in landscape mapping, sharing of practices and the development of a leadership council. Attendees ranged from practicing artists with disabilities to directors of special education centers, filmmakers, and gallery owners. Most attended for both days, and everyone stayed late each afternoon to continue conversations. During the final session, each person made commitments for the coming 3- 6- and 12-month periods. Community of practice and Arts and Disability Summit The leaders of the arts and disability community demonstrate how the potential for change slowly comes into focus through collective and individual learning journeys. Their experiences both as participants in the different art advocacy initiatives but also the communities of practice workshop in Portugal have transformed their sense of identity and their actions as conveners, facilitators and advocates. The bonds formed between these leaders have ensured that they are individually and collectively working towards more inclusivity in the arts within the Levant, be that through small changes that have big impact or creating blueprints for the whole region. The complexity of value creation can be seen in this story as they anticipate acting as catalysts for producing value-creation while also reflecting on the changes they have undergone over the past three to four years. These leaders are demonstrating the capacity to hold both potential and transformative value at the same time. The Arts and Disability Summit represents realized value as a summative activity from the regional leaders but, it also demonstrates the cyclical nature of social learning. The Summit participants all acknowledge the immediate value of connecting and participating in an activity with like-minded people. However, as each individual continues to reflect on the sessions, meet their commitments and has opportunities to implement what they have learned the value-creation will continue to emerge. This highlights the cycle of value creation as a complex and iterative process when building social movements. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Arts and Disability Summit (Sarah Benson) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | The Arts and Disability Summit was convened with over 35 participants from various arts , culture and education organisations to build a community of practice that would continue to educate and advocate for disability in the arts. The Art Advocacy project was the originator of the idea and had been slated to fund the summit, however due to war the summit fell outside the timeline but the partnership developed between the British Council and University meant others were willing to fund the summit. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | BBC Newsnight appearance - Professor Nazmi al-Masri |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | Professor Nazmi Al-Masri tells Victoria Derbyshire, BBC Newsnight, how he felt seeing the Islamic University of Gaza, where he teaches, bombed by Israel on October 11th 2023. Raise awareness and prompted further discussion |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://twitter.com/BBCNewsnight/status/1712232521776193965 |
| Description | Back to School Campaign - Lebanon Video Campaign (Itab Shuayb) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Awareness campaign in support of inclusive education and learning during times of multi-fold crisis in Lebanon. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=buhSCwu59RQ |
| Description | Boundless Expressions (Sarah Benson) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | The photography exhibition introduced several separate 'nodes' or members of the extended arts network during the creation of and public opening. These nascent relationships grew into the leadership necessary to ground the movement in the local community, demonstrating enabling and strategic value creation during the original exhibition. Following the photovoice project, additional funding was secured to extend the impact and further develop arts initiatives for youths with disabilities. As a part of this funding extension, the Jordanian and Palestinian community leaders who were committed and eager to work on future initiatives participated in a professional development workshop with Bev and Etienne Wenger-Traynor at their Social Learning Lab. The participation in a four-day workshop increased individual abilities to bring people and organizations together across boundaries in a community of practice. These leaders were then responsible for developing and running a large summit in Amman and committed to leading the movement as it grows. In partnership with the British Council in Jordan and the Jordan National Gallery for Fine Arts, the Art Advocacy project continued supporting inclusive art opportunities through Boundless Expressions: Unveiling Creativity in Diverse Abilities. Youth with intellectual impairments, neurodiversities, and physical disabilities received art instruction from renowned Jordanian artists in the mediums of ceramics, music, drawing, painting, and theatre. The goal of this extended project was to support older youth with disabilities who were experiencing mental health challenges related to isolation and bullying, through a creative outlet. In addition, by inviting non-disabled teaching artists to run the workshops organizers hoped to challenge ableist beliefs about disability in the wider community through training and reflective sessions. Five teaching artists from the various disciplines joined over three months to run the workshops after participation in a full-day disability-awareness training initiative grounded in disability studies. Of those artists one is now engaged in ongoing collaboration with artists with disabilities and all five have joined the Arts & Disability community movement. The Boundless Expression workshops created immediate value that cycled into other values. Like the students and parents in the original Art Advocacy initiative youth and their parents experienced immediate value but also enabling value as the workshops developed self-esteem, social opportunities and demonstrated capabilities. The non-disabled teaching artists demonstrate how immediate value can feed into a transformative, applied, and realized within the same value cycle. Their understanding of disability has been influenced by the training, interactions with youth, and reflection sessions to construct a new definition of disability. This was carefully constructed to ensure their training and involvement was not a one-time incidence but was sustained. All artists were mentored by a disability expert for the duration of the project, with some of the artists providing support to those who had not yet met the youth participants. All of the teaching artists also attended the Arts and Disability Summit after their required taught sessions, demonstrating their commitment to changing practices and the development of an identity tied to the larger community. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | COVID-19 and disability in the Global South webinar (Organiser, Vera Kubenz) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | COVID-19 and disability in the Global South online webinar, organised by Vera Kubenz, Research Fellow, Disability Under Siege Network. Over 100 participants attended globally to learn of the impacts of Covid-10 on persons with disabilities (PWDs). The webinar intended to raise awareness around the subject and gave PWDs a platform to discuss their lived experiences. Request for 2 interviews post event |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5C-_NZq-cc&t=1s |
| Description | Citizenship Life in the UK test |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | On Tuesday 29th March Professor Dina Kiwan (PI), was invited as an expert witness to the Justice and Home Affairs Select Committee to discuss the Citizenship Life in the UK test. You can watch the proceedings on the parliament TV channel. Raising awareness and prompting debate |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.parliamentlive.tv/Event/Index/67a70421-a370-4236-80ee-ce7788a0733b |
| Description | Covid-19 disability inclusive campaign Lebanon |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | This campaign raised the key issues and barriers for those with disabilities in the wake of the covid-19 pandemic. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Deep education reforms needed to get youth more engaged in climate action |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Professor Dina Kiwan was invited to participate in the panel discussion at Abu Dhabi Sustainability Week, January 2023, attended by +100 international delegates. Raised awareness of the topic and promoted debate |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/news/2023/deep-education-reforms-needed-to-get-youth-more-engaged-in-cl... |
| Description | Disability Movement in Lebanon (Itab Shuayb Centre for Lebanese Studies) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | The project focused on the disability movement in Lebanon, tracing the activism of people with disabilities in their fight for rights from the 1980s to 2024. It engaged with disability activists to learn more about their initiatives and the lessons they have learned in advocating for their rights. Moreover, this project led me to establish an initiative called the Emergency Taskforce for People with Disabilities in Lebanon during the Israeli war on Lebanon. This task force brought together local and international disability organizations, as well as people with disabilities working in humanitarian aid, to respond to the needs of displaced individuals with disabilities across Lebanon. As part of this effort, I created a directory page on the Disability Hub, which includes information about the task force, a directory of various disability organizations in Lebanon that provide services for people with disabilities, and advocacy and awareness campaigns The Disability Movement in Lebanon project has significantly contributed to enhancing services for people with disabilities and has led to the establishment of the Emergency Taskforce for People with Disabilities during the Israeli war on Lebanon. While research findings revealed that the movement remained fragmented from the 1980s until 2024, we have successfully addressed this challenge by creating a network through the emergency task force. This network now includes approximately 15 local and international organizations, along with nine individuals with disabilities. Although the war on Lebanon ended in December 2024, the task force remains active, continuing to provide services for people with disabilities who have been unable to return to their homes due to destruction. The task force will convene on February 17 to evaluate the inclusivity and effectiveness of the emergency response provided by various disability organizations in meeting the diverse needs of users. Furthermore, through our collaboration as the emergency task force, we aim to organize a national workshop with stakeholders, policymakers, and newly appointed ministers from various sectors within the Lebanese government. The workshop will focus on identifying gaps in the emergency response, drafting a national emergency preparedness plan, and developing training programs for different sectors to ensure they can effectively address the needs of people with disabilities in future crises. Additionally, as part of this project, we have created a timeline and a 10-minute documentary video, which will be used in March 2025 to advocate for the rights of people with disabilities. The video will serve as an advocacy tool to showcase to policymakers and ministers the achievements of the disability movement in Lebanon and its goals for the coming years and for amending Law 220/2000 to align with the CRPD. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=44KdHup1jDE&t=15s |
| Description | Disability Movement in Lebanon Roundtable (CLS) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Our partner institution, Centre for Lebanese studies held a roundtable on 7th February 2024 entitled Disability Movement in Lebanon, which examine the Lebanese disability rights movement, its development since its establishment in the1980s and its role in promoting the full inclusion of people with disabilities in society nowadays 1. requests for further information 2. plans made for future related activity 3. change in attitude/behaviour among colleagues and audience |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Disability Under Siege RNIB Radio Interview (Vera Kubenz) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Vera Kubenz, Research Fellow, Disability Under Siege Network, interview by RNIB Radio on 3rd December 2021. Raising awareness of Disability and Covid-19 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://audioboom.com/posts/7989857-disability-under-siege |
| Description | Disability Under Siege in Palestine |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | This conference event brought together academics, DPOs and practitioners of disability in Palestine to discuss the topic from different disciplinary angles of education, health, and disability activtism, organised by University of Chicago's Posen Centre for Human rights, May 2022. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Disability Under Siege: An Analytical Framework for a Disability-Inclusive COVID-19 Recovery (Vera Kubenz) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Disability Under Siege: An Analytical Framework for a Disability-Inclusive COVID-19 Recovery paper presented at World Pandemic Research Network online conference on 10th December 2021. Raising awareness around the subject of Covid-19 and disability |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://wprn.org/item/407052 |
| Description | Disability and COVID in Low and Middle-Income Countries AMI Radio (Vera Kubenz) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Interviewee on AMI Radio to discuss Disability and COVID in Low and Middle-Income Countries on 08/05/21, Vera Kubenz, Research Fellow, Disability Under Siege Network. Raising awareness of Covid-19 and disability in the global south |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://podcast.app/disability-and-covid-in-low-and-middle-income-countries-e136819137/ |
| Description | Disability and COVID-19 in the Global South (Vera Kubenz) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | The impact of COVID-19 on disabled people in Low- and Middle-Income Countries paper presented at the Presentation at Midlands Graduate School conference 2021, Warwick University, Vera Kubenz, Research Fellow, Disability Under Siege Network |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/cross_fac/mgsdtp/news/seminars/mgsstudentconf2020/ |
| Description | Disability and COVID-19 in the Global South AMI Radio (Vera Kubenz) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Interviewee on AMI Radio to discuss Disability and COVID in Low and Middle-Income Countries on 20/05/21, Vera Kubenz, Research Fellow, Disability Under Siege Network. Raising awareness of Covid-19 and disability in the global south |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Disability under Siege final conference |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Disability under Siege final conference (04-05/02/25) The final conference marks the culmination of five years of extensive research, knowledge exchange and impact collaborations. The event is not only a celebration of what has been achieved to date, but also an opportunity for continued advocacy, innovation, and solidarity in pursuit of inclusive education for children with disabilities in regions of conflict. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| URL | https://disabilityundersiege.bham.ac.uk/final-conference/ |
| Description | Dr Sarah Benson Keynote speaker at Inclusive Education Conference in Jordan (8-9 March 2023) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Dr Sarah Benson, recipient of Network and Knowledge award, gave a keynote speech to the Inclusive Education Conference in Jordan on 8th March. The conference was hosted by the German Institute for International Collaboration (GIZ) was attended by 300+ headteachers from Jordan, NGO representatives (including Higher Council for the Rights of Persons With Disabilities, HI.org, UNCHR), The Norwegian Ambassador to Norway, HRH Prince Mired Raad Zeid Al-Hussein and representatives from the Jordan Ministry of Education. The Disability under Siege project received requests for further international collaboration |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.giz.de/en/worldwide/86767.html |
| Description | Education Under Siege: Challenges to inclusive education facing pupils and students with disabilities in Palestine |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | 22 people attended an in person lecture held by Nazmi Al-Masri (CO-I, Islamic University of Gaza) in October 2022 at the University of Birmingham Raised awareness of inclusive education under siege and prompted discussion afterwards |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Emergency Rehabilitation and Immediate Intervention Program for Persons with Disabilities (ERP) IUG & Al Quds |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
| Results and Impact | The Emergency Rehabilitation and Immediate Intervention Program (ERP) for Persons with Disabilities was successfully implemented as a short-term training initiative to empower 48 persons with disabilities in the Al Nahda Displacement Center in Deir al-Balah, Gaza Strip (21 males and 27 females), with basic skills to deal with emergencies during war. Over three training days from 16/1/2025 to 5/2/2025, the procurement process was carried out before the start of the practical training, inviting persons with motor disabilities, visual disabilities and hearing disabilities, which was carried out by Dr. Nismah al-Ghoul, a researcher in the project who is a person with disabilities and the head of the Al Nahda Displacement Center. Interactive workshops were implemented over three consecutive days, starting with a pre-assessment, simulation exercises, and case studies focusing on emergency response, daily life management, psychological support, and safety planning, followed by a post-assessment, noting that the training design was tailored to the specific needs of each disability category, ensuring inclusiveness and accessibility. The project provided participants with real-life skills by empowering them with practical skills to deal with the challenges they face in the southern Gaza Strip. Participants gained knowledge in self-protection, time management, and psychological resilience, enabling them to act more independently and confidently in emergency situations. The psychosocial support component helped mitigate the psychological effects of war, and enhance resilience and mutual support when they are within their communities. By empowering persons with disabilities to play an active role in their safety and well-being, the project challenged the stereotype of persons with disabilities as passive recipients of aid, and promoted inclusiveness and self-reliance in this highly vulnerable group. This initiative not only addressed immediate needs, but also laid the foundation for strengthening resilience and long-term empowerment in the Gaza Strip. The trainer, Dr. Saeed Nabhan, a trainer specializing in crises, emergencies, and mental health, participated in the training with Dr. Nismah Al-Ghoul, a researcher in the project who is a person with a disability and the head of the Al-Nahda Displacement Center, and Dr. Bahaa Sarhan, an academic in the field of inclusive education, in cooperation with the research team, Dr. Hazem Shehadeh and Dr. Saeed Awad from Al-Quds University On the third day, a sign language interpreter, Ms. Rania Abu Shriteh, was used. Most participants noted a difference between their pre- and post-training information, indicating that they benefited greatly from the training. Details of the feedback are attached at the end of this report. A video was also uploaded to show the documentation of the activities in the field. The Emergency Rehabilitation and Immediate Intervention Program for Persons with Disabilities (ERP) project made a tangible difference in several aspects: a. Impact on policies and services The project contributed to influencing policies and services by providing a practical model for training persons with disabilities in emergency skills, which could be the basis for developing more inclusive policies in disaster management. In addition, the project increased awareness of the needs of this group in times of crisis, which could lead to improved services provided to them. Finally, the project provided data and recommendations that can be used to support the development of policies that are more responsive to the needs of persons with disabilities. b. Behavioural change: Participants were able to develop new skills in dealing with emergencies, such as time management, self-protection, and providing psychological support. This led to a change in their daily behaviors, as they became more prepared and able to act effectively in crises. c. Enhancing understanding and discussions: The project contributed to changing the societal perception of persons with disabilities from being mere recipients of aid to active actors capable of contributing to protecting themselves and their communities. The project also sparked discussions on the importance of providing similar trainings to other groups in society. d. Capacity Building: Through intensive training, participants' capacities were built in the areas of emergency response, daily life management, and psychological support. Local trainers' skills in providing inclusive trainings adapted to the needs of persons with disabilities were also enhanced. e. Impact on policies and services: Although the project was not directly focused on policy change, it provided a model that local and international agencies could build on to improve emergency services provided to persons with disabilities in conflict zones. The project contributed to advancing the organization's broader goals of promoting the rights of persons with disabilities and their inclusion in society. Through this activity, the following actions were taken: a. Promote inclusiveness: The project demonstrated that persons with disabilities can be active actors in their communities, especially in times of crisis. b. Build partnerships: Cooperation with local organizations working in the field of disability was strengthened, opening up prospects for future joint projects. c. Enhance reputation: The project contributed to enhancing the reputation of the researchers as a leading team in providing innovative and inclusive solutions for persons with disabilities in conflict zones. We have plans to enhance and expand this project in the future based on the positive results achieved. First, we aim to expand the project to other areas in the Gaza Strip and additional segments of society, such as the elderly and children with disabilities, to ensure greater inclusiveness. Second, we will develop more interactive training tools using assistive technology, such as electronic applications and audio-visual materials, to enhance the participants' experience and ensure broader access. Third, we will establish a mechanism to follow up with participants to ensure the project's impact continues and support them in applying what they have learned in their daily lives. Fourth, we will strengthen cooperation with local and international bodies to adopt the project's recommendations into disaster management policies, which will contribute to improving services provided to persons with disabilities on a broader level. Finally, we will seek to secure additional funding to implement similar projects in other conflict-affected areas, which will enhance the project's impact and create a lasting legacy of empowering persons with disabilities around the world. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| Description | Enabling knowledge for societal change workshop (Rula Ghandour & Suzan Mitwalli, Birzeit University |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | "Enabling knowledge for societal change workshop: Research activities - Institute of Public Health and Community - Birzeit University, and Activities of the Disability Under Seige (DUS) network in the West Bank - Palestine" organised by Early Career Resaerchers, Suzan Mitwalli and Rula Ghandour, under the mentorship of Professor Rita Giacaman, prompted discussion among audience and led to further participation and interest in the research of DUS and Birzeit University. Birzeit University now has an informal disability hub for people with disabilities who are keen to learn more about Disability under Siege and their research |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Engaging with the PWD movement at Palestinian Legislative Council |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A magazine, newsletter or online publication |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Providing information and research support to PWDs engagement with the Palestinian Legislative Council. This led to the promulgation of a decision to provide PWDs and their families with free health care. A written commentary on the social action process of the sit-in is published in the Lancet. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| URL | https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(21)00356-1/fulltext |
| Description | Enhancing the psychosocial support skills of specialists working with persons with disabilities through art therapy training (Suzan Mitwalli, Birzeit University) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Patients, carers and/or patient groups |
| Results and Impact | Project abstract (100 words maximum) The project aims to train specialists who work with people with different types of disabilities in art and drama therapy and equip them with new techniques for working with their beneficiaries. The plan is to recruit specialists from organizations with a high reach for people with disabilities who are interested in using such methods. There will be 10-15 training sessions in different expressive art therapy techniques and five follow-up sessions. The trainees are expected to apply the techniques they have learned with their beneficiaries, aiming to enhance the mental health and well-being of people with disabilities who need psychosocial support. Through our work with young people with disabilities through the participatory action research group, they showed their interest in receiving psychosocial support and professional counseling. For this purpose, we recruited a counselor specializing in art and drama therapy to co-facilitate some group meetings where she applied art therapy techniques with the group members. This work served two purposes: it enhanced the group members' self-esteem and self-confidence, helped them discover their internal strengths, and prepared them for the video-filmed drama sketch they performed. The group members enjoyed the art therapist's work with them and admitted how it positively affected their well-being. They expressed their messages, needs, and demands creatively and non-traditionally through an informative drama sketch. This led us to think about how using art and drama therapy techniques with people with disabilities could build their capabilities and have a positive effect on their mental health and well-being. To build upon this experience, we propose recruiting this art therapist to train specialists from organizations based in Ramallah- West Bank who work directly with people with disabilities so the trainees could use these art therapy methods with their beneficiaries, especially with the increasing psychosocial needs of people with disabilities. Additionally, we will choose 2-3 members from the PAR group to be co-facilitators with the art therapist, given that she used the techniques with them, and they will be empowered to have such skills as co-trainers building on our previous work with them. Through training specialists working with people with disabilities in art therapy techniques, we aim to enhance their psychosocial support skills in working with their beneficiaries, hoping to achieve these objectives: • Empowering specialists and building their skills in the use of arts in psychological support • Encouraging organizations working with people with disabilities to apply creative art therapy techniques in the interventions they undertake with their beneficiaries • Building on the acquired skills group members obtained through their work with us by being co-trainers with the art therapist Intervention plan: We will announce the training through our emails list of the organizations working with people with disabilities, and we will choose around 10-15 participants based on their desire to use such techniques and attendance commitment. By the end of the training, the trainees will be asked to submit a proposed plan of action they will apply to their beneficiaries. The training will be face-to-face and will be held at the institute. We will organize 10-15 training sessions, each lasting 3-4 hours, followed by 5 follow-up sessions to ensure that the trainees have applied the learned techniques and give them the needed feedback. The training will focus on the theoretical and practical aspects as follows: • The theoretical aspect will introduce the trainees to Winkt's theory, its relation to the arts and psychological relief, and Jung's theory and how it can be used in psychological interventions through art therapy. • This training will provide a theoretical framework for the concepts of art therapy, drama therapy, and role-play and how the art can be a tool for psychological relief and the discovery of abilities. • As part of the practical/applied aspect, the trainees will actively participate in the training sessions. These will be based on employing art in working with people with disabilities, where the use of arts will be applied in the phase of examining the needs of beneficiaries and the intervention phase and psychological empowerment. Techniques used in the training: • Sound and movement games • Drama and theatre games • Therapeutic storytelling • playdough and clay • Roleplay • Hand puppets The training will be interactive, and the trainees will be actively engaged. They also need to submit a plan of action for how they will apply the training techniques to their beneficiaries. They are also welcome to share and disseminate this training experience and the skills they learned with their colleagues in the same or other organizations. People with disabilities will benefit from conducting this training for the specialists working with them, based on the feedback from our PAR group members and how art therapy techniques affected them positively. Also, the co-trainers will gain co-training experience and enhance their art therapy skills. The training will contribute to the DuS impact aims in the following ways: • Using art therapy techniques with people with disabilities can help them produce awareness and advocacy material using art, such as the drama sketch the PAR group performed in the original DuS. This will help to challenge the public's perception of disability in contexts of conflict and crisis like ours by showing how actively people with disabilities can be as advocators for their rights and demands using creative art ways. • Applying art therapy techniques to people with disabilities can help them discover their capabilities, show how creative art methods can be effective as teaching methods, and facilitate disability inclusion in education. • This model of using non-traditional art techniques with people with disabilities and its outputs can be scaled up and used in similar contexts like ours |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Event at Bristol University 'Partnership with Palestine' - Nazmi Al Masri |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Nazmi gave a presentation on the partnership between the Islamic University of Gaza and University of Birmingham through the DuS Project at the University of Bristol's 'Partnership with Palestine' event. He discussed his research outcomes of providing accessible education to people with disabilities. This sparked questions and discussions and expressions of interest from other academics in working in partnerships with Nazmi and other Palestinians on accessible education topics. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| URL | https://www.bristol.ac.uk/education/events/2025/partnerships-with-palestine.html |
| Description | GCRF Education Regional Networking event |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | This networking event enabled dialogue opportunities for interested stakeholders in the Middle East to learn about and engage with the Network Plus programmes working in the region. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Global Perspectives on Sign Language Interpreting: The role, education, and professionalization of Arabic & International Sign Language interpreters in Lebanon & Jordan (Itab Shuayb) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
| Results and Impact | Online webinar, with panel member and Co-I, Disability Under Siege Network, Itab Shuayb Global Perspectives on Sign Language Interpreting The role, education, and professionalization of Arabic and International Sign Language interpreters in Lebanon and Jordan Monday 8 November 2021, 4:00 - 5:30 PM Beirut-Amman / 2:00 PM UK |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://disability-hub.com/global-perspectives-on-sign-language-interpreting/ |
| Description | How has the pandemic deepened existing inequality in employability? |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A press release, press conference or response to a media enquiry/interview |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Vera Kubenz, Research Fellow, Disability Under siege Network, research on "How has the pandemic deepened existing inequality in employability?" gained media coverage on FE News. Raising awareness of Disability and Covid-19. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://www.fenews.co.uk/exclusive/how-has-the-pandemic-deepened-existing-inequality-in-employabilit... |
| Description | How pandemic responses neglected disabled people's rights (Vera Kubenz |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | How pandemic responses neglected disabled people's rights article written by Vera Kubenz, Research Fellow, Disability Under Siege network, for The Conversation. 6,500 reads incl. 8 reposts on other platforms, >100 social media shares |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://theconversation.com/how-pandemic-responses-neglected-disabled-peoples-rights-158591 |
| Description | Impact and publications workshop - Disability under Siege |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
| Results and Impact | 6 March 2023 the Disability under Siege Network hosted a Policy Impact and Publications training workshop for all 12 funded researchers of the Early Career and Research & Engagement projects in order to offer guidance to researchers on the project to gain maximum impact from their research |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Inclusion of People with Disabilities within Arts (Al Harah Theater & Dar Al-Kalima University |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | The conference took place on the 4th of June 2024 at Dar Al-Kalima University of Arts in Bethlehem, 50-100 participants from Arts and Performing Arts organizations to come together to discuss their challenges towards the inclusion of people with disabilities on the different levels in their organizations. It was also a chance to have an open discussion with Disability Rights-Based organizations to come up with solutions and suggestions that can be reflected into action steps in order to practically enhance the inclusion of people with disabilities within Performing Arts. It also provided a space for open discussion along with people disabilities, their expectations and aspirations that need to be met and considered. It was a safe space for artists with disability to express themselves freely after the presentations. Having had that event organized at an academic institution where students of Visual and Performing Arts attendants was also important in order to raise awareness on this point and enhance its implementation. These students are the future workers and leaders in the Preforming Arts industry. As a result of the research and the conference we feel more responsible to encourage performing arts organisations to include people with disabilities in their work. We also have more conviction towards the importance of inclusion of people with disability in our productions in the future. - We are continuing to train and work to include more people with disability into the theatre and performing arts. - We already continue to employ two artists with disability in our theatre one on freelance basis and one on part time basis. - A new group of people with disabilities was integrated in our drama training program at the Theater. - Started working with a Qader and Basr on accessibility to one of our spaces for people with physical disability next year (2025). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Inclusion of people with disabilities in the Performing Arts Sector in West Bank Conference (Al Harah Theater) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | This activity is building on the assessment results conducted in the DUS project implemented by Al-Harah Theater in partnership with Qader for Community Development in 2022/2023. Al-Harah Theater in partnership with Qader conducted an assessment on the status of inclusion of people with disabilities within the Performing Arts Sector in the West Bank focusing on the member organizations of the Palestinian Performing Arts Network (PPAN). The assessment included structured questionnaires that were sent to PPAN members in addition to focus group meetings conducted with a group of People with Disabilities and another with PPAN members. The assessment was finalized in February 2023 and resulted in practical and feasible recommendations in order to enhance the inclusion of people with disabilities in Performing Arts Organizations as employees, artists, or within their programs and activities. This activity aims at sharing the results of the research with the relevant stakeholders in the Performing Arts Sector and active actors in the West Bank in Palestine, and taking action steps towards enhancing the inclusion of people with disabilities within the Performing Arts Sector in Palestine. It also aims at shedding the light on the status of people with disabilities during the on-going War on Gaza and continuous aggression ong the West Bank, focusing on the role of cultural organizations at this stage. This will be achieved through planning a one-day conference in cooperation with Dar Al-Kalima University in Bethlehem, Palestine. Dar Al-Kalima University is known for being one of the very few accredited Universities in Palestine offering academic degrees in Visual and Performing Arts. The conference will be planned as follows: - Preparation meetings will be organized along with Dar Al-Kalima University to establish the plan and logistics of the event - A committee from Al-Harah Theater will be deciding upon the panel and the speakers who will join the speaking sessions during the conference. The sessions will include speakers from Al-Harah Theater presenting the research results and recommendations, guest speakers from Performing Arts Organizations in the West Bank, guest speakers from Disability Rights-Based Organizations, and speakers representing people with disabilities who have been engaged and active in the Art field in Palestine. Short videos on examples of inclusion of people with disabilities in Performing Arts will also be broadcasted. - Preparing the invitation lists that will include active members from the Performing Arts Sector in the West Bank, representatives of Arts organizations, representative of disability rights-based organizations, actors and actresses, local stakeholders (community organizations and municipalities), in addition to people with disabilities represented by the Union and Palestinian Coalition for People with Disabilities. - Preparing the publicity plan and logistics for the event in cooperation with Dar Al-Kalima University. - The event will take place in June 2024. (Extension might be needed taking the current situation in Palestine that might require shift in the planned activities) - The event will be documented through photos and video recording. Local media will be invited to cover the event as to reach out for the larger audiences possible. The event is an opportunity for Arts and Performing Arts organizations to come together to discuss their challenges towards the inclusion of people with disabilities on the different levels in their organizations. It is a chance to have an open discussion with Disability Rights-Based organizations to come up with solutions and suggestions that can be reflected into action steps in order to practically enhance the inclusion of people with disabilities within Performing Arts. It also provides a space for open discussion along with people disabilities, their expectations and aspirations that need to be met and considered. It will form a platform through which they present their contribution in the Performing Arts field and ways on how to build on that. Having that event organized at an academic institution where students of Visual and Performing Arts are attendant is also important in order to raise awareness on this point and enhance its implementation. These students are the future workers and leaders in the Preforming Arts industry. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Inclusive Communication protects Rights and Eliminates Discrimination Video Campaign (Itab Shuayb) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Video Campaign aiming to promote rights-based language and inclusion by raising awareness on the correct inclusive terminologies that one should use. The campaign recounts the story of 7 individuals who have disabilities. Working with partners, United Nations Relief and Works Agency to disseminate research on disability in the global south. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_NFPPYdNs0 |
| Description | Inclusive media workshops (Itab shuayb) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | A total of 110 media specialists, both with and without disabilities, participated in this media training workshop. The inclusive media training conducted by specialists in inclusivity, alongside people with disabilities who themselves serve as disability activists, representing various forms of impairments including mobility, visual, hearing, and intellectual disabilities. Day 1 encompassed the following topics: the concept of disability and its diverse definitions, the notion of inclusion and its impact on terminologies utilized, terminologies employed to portray disabilities in media, stereotypes, and instances of disability discrimination. Day 2 addressed the significance of employing inclusive language in media, inclusive terminologies, techniques for producing inclusive media content, and the development of inclusive media policies. The training was interactive, with each topic featuring participatory and implementation activities which enabled media specialists to apply the knowledge acquired during the sessions. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyWUkS-8_5U&t=6s |
| Description | Intersecting crises in besieged Gaza: Socio-economic and health challenges facing Palestinians with disabilities |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Hybrid lecture entitled Intersecting crises in besieged Gaza: Socio-economic and health challenges facing Palestinians with disabilities by Nazmi Al-Masri (CO-I, Islamic University of Gaza held in person and online at the University of Birmingham, October 2022. Raising awareness and provoking discussion after the lecture |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Let's talk about social inclusion podcast |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Podcast interview as part of the "Let's talk about social inclusion" series by the Social Inclusion journal. It aimed to share the findings of our research in a format accessible for lay audiences. It was shared by the Social Inclusion website and has led to follow up requests for interviews around the International Day of Persons with Disabilities |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.cogitatiopress.com/wp/lta/covid-19s-toll-on-disabled-people-in-low-and-middle-income-cou... |
| Description | Lords Committee requests urgent review of the Life in the UK Test |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | In response to Professor Dina Kiwan's recommendations for the Citizenship Life in the UK test the Lords Committee have published their findings in an open letter letter to Home Office Minister, Kevin Foster MP, stressing the need for the Government to begin immediately a review of the Life in the UK Test. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://committees.parliament.uk/committee/519/justice-and-home-affairs-committee/news/171778/lords-... |
| Description | Meeting at the Higher Council for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (HCD) - Asma'a Al Mallah |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Industry/Business |
| Results and Impact | "A visit to the Higher Council for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (HCD) was conducted to present a summary of Jordan's report on inclusive education. The key findings were shared, and an opportunity was provided to answer attendees' inquiries. The meeting included the participation of the Head of the Inclusive Education Plan Follow-up Department and other representatives from the council. A summary of the report was prepared in both Arabic and English. An electronic version had been sent earlier via the official email to the Head of the Inclusive Education Plan Follow-up Department, and printed copies were delivered on the day of the visit to ensure accessibility to all relevant stakeholders. The discussions led to a request for further information about the research and the comparative report between Jordan and Lebanon to be presented at the upcoming Global Disability Summit, in which Jordan will participate." |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Meeting at the Ministry of Education with GIZ (Jordan) Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit - Asma'a Al Mallah |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | A visit to the Jordanian Ministry of Education was conducted to present a summary of Jordan's report on inclusive education. The key findings were shared, and an opportunity was provided to answer attendees' inquiries. The meeting included the participation of the Head of the Disability Department and the Policy Officer from GIZ. Additionally, the Director of the Special Education Directorate at the Ministry of Education and another ministry official received a copy of the report summary during the meeting. A summary of the report was prepared in both Arabic and English. An electronic version had been sent earlier via the official ministry email to the Head of the Disability Department, and printed copies were delivered on the day of the visit to ensure accessibility to all relevant stakeholders. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Modifying Moodle platform to meet the needs of Persons with Disability (IUG, Nazmi Al Masri) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | Modifying Moodle platform to meet the needs of PWDs Feb 2021- March 2022 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | NK&E - Mainstreaming Strategies and the Application Mechanisms in Higher Education Institutions |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | This research project, funded by the Disability under Siege Network, sought to identify mainstreaming strategies for people with disabilities in higher education institutions and assess the extent to which these strategies are adopted to safeguard the right to education for individuals with disabilities. It was led by researchers at Al Quds University, An-Najah University and the Islamic University of Gaza. Workshops were held in West Bank and the Gaza Strip and the project developed training materials to raise awareness and provide guidance on disability mainstreaming in higher education institutions. These materials were used in the training sessions conducted for decision makers and other stakeholders. Impact curtailed due to the war in Gaza |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | NK&E Al Harah Theater - giant puppet making workshops |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Funded by the disability under Siege Network, the Al Harrah Theater project enhanced enhanced the inclusion of people with disabilities into the performing arts sector while opening further and new opportunities for people with disabilities for work and participation. The project also aimed at creating awareness and changing social stigmas through theater where people with disabilities are included and their messages are conveyed and included training for a group of hearing impaired young men and women on moving giant puppets and activating work done with children in Theater performances and festivals. In addition, conducting a drama training for a group of young men and women with different abilities to enhance self-expression, building confidence and communication skills, and compel stories and issues that need to be addressed. The arts project produced a theater performance that was inspired by the results of the assessment and the conclusions of the drama sessions to be performed for varied audiences and communities in different areas in the West Bank. Increased engagement between cultural orgs and DPOs, adoption of recommendations by other organizations Increase in people with disabilities employed or engaged with cultural activities Measurable change in attitude towards people with disabilities The main outputs resulted from the project are: • 9 young men and women, 4 of who have hearing impairment, gained capacities in moving giant puppets and activation work with children • 10 people with different disabilities enhanced their personal skills through Drama training • A report that highlights the status of inclusion of people with disabilities within the Performing Arts Sector • A theater performance advocating for the rights of people with disabilities Again, further funding and impact activities have been put on hold due to the unrest in West Bank |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://alharah.org/en/?option=com_content&view=article&id=74&Itemid=252 |
| Description | NK&E Art Advocacy: Youth Views of Disability. Art Exhibition |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | In March 2023 an exhibition was held a the National Art Gallery in Amman, Jordan for the 6 students with disabilities who were the recipients of the Disability under Siege Network and Knowledge funding led by Sarah Benson at the University of Birmingham at Dubai. Students with disabilities engaged in a week of photovoice activities documenting their lived experience, while students without disabilities will shared their understanding of disability through a workshop. The two groups came together in conversation to share and disrupt the current narrative surrounding disability at the art gallery in Jordan. The project gave a platform to youth with disabilities in Amman to share their stories while disrupting the assigned labels youth without disabilities and adults often attribute to them. Interdisciplinary methods of data collection that foreground the experiences of disabled youth will drive this research and the broader public conversation. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/news/2023/art-young-people-with-disabilities-in-jordan |
| Description | NK&E Award: Towards inclusive media production (CLS) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The project aimed to advocate and raise awareness about the disability notion and knowledge to be portrayed inclusively to enable media production organizations, TV reporters, producers, journalists. etc. to produce inclusive media content that uses inclusive language, correct disability terminologies based on the social model of disability, in addition to producing inclusive media content whether audio-visual, softcopy written format, etc. A series of workshops were be delivered to different Lebanese media organizations, and media education program coordinators to train them to deliver their media content inclusively by using one of the Disability Hub guidelines: Inclusive Audio-visual media and information services. 60 participants attended the 2 workshops |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Nazmi Al Masri invited to be on board of consultants for disabled children's initiatives |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Third sector organisations |
| Results and Impact | Nazmi Al Masri has accepted an invitation to be on a newly founded American-Palestinian NGO - HEAL Palestine - board of consultants to launch new programmes in Gaza. He will support education, children and disability initiatives through the research and expertise gained from the DuS Project. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| URL | https://www.healpalestine.org/ |
| Description | Nothing About Us Without Us - What can the COVID-19 pandemic teach us about disability justice? (Vera Kubenz) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Vera Kubenz, Research Fellow, Disability Under Siege Network hosted an online webinar for over 100 participants globally on9th November 2021. The event was part of the ESRC's Festival of Social Sciences held by the University of Birmingham. A mall stipend of £600 was awarded to the webinar from the ESRC to assist with the dissemination of the research into Covid-19 and disability in the global south. Request for interview post event and further information on the research |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://www.birmingham.ac.uk/university/colleges/socsci/events/esrc-festival-2021/events/nothing-abo... |
| Description | Online rally all day radio coverage - International Disability Day |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | he programme was hosted by Batool Muheisen and Dr. Omar Abu Haniya (who are people with disabilities) as well as Ms. Suhair AbdulKader. It was also supported by two sign language interpreters. The rally interviewed, discussed and reflected on several topics regarding disability such as follows: - Terms (Say but don't say) - Human Interest stories of persons with disability (social media influencers usch as Majd, black belt in Karate such as Hana) - Interventions that supported and mobilized for an inclusive community - Persons with disability (how they get over their challenges) - The role of religion in supporting people with disability Several speakers and guests were hosted during the rally including Dr. Suha Tabbal, Maha Barghouthi, Awatef Abu AlRub (initiative focusing on Dabkeh (folklore dance) with disabilities), Omar Arabiyat, Laila Qusous and many other guests and initiatives. Find the links below: Rally Liwan - Session 1 https://web.facebook.com/1411704742378472/videos/774570319939178 Rally Liwan - Session 2 https://web.facebook.com/1411704742378472/videos/1091042938012173 Rally Liwan - Session 3 https://web.facebook.com/1411704742378472/videos/163719828798227 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Panel Presentation invited by Friends of Brizeit University held at Dept of International Development, University of Oxford |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | This event was to promote engagement at individual and higher education institutional level between UK and Palestinian universities with a focus on research. My talk reflected on the experiences of a UK GCRF-AHRC Network Plus Programme entailing university partnerships between UK, Palestine, Lebanon and Jordan. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2025 |
| Description | Presentation at GCRF coordinated workshop for UNHCR on education research programmes in the Middle East |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | The workshop was convened by AHRC to provide a policy audience (initially arising out of a request from UNHCR) with information regarding ongoing GCRF Large-scale programmes focussing on education in the Middle East. I was invited to present on the work of Disability Under Siege. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020 |
| Description | Project Launch |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | This was the official launch of the Disability Under Siege Main Award which was held online. Over 100 participants took part from across 15 countries, as the event was held online. The Network Plus programme of work was introduced by PI Kiwan, with country presentations from CO-Is and from the Project CO-I Cultural Lead. Discussion and questions followed, and details provided about the research commissioning stage. There was positive engagement with participants who were invited to indicate their interest in contributing to the commissioning development through co-consultations workshops planned for March 2021. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Promoting Evidence-Based Policies for Children and Adolescents with Disabilities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (Rula Ghandour, Birzeit University) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Patients, carers and/or patient groups |
| Results and Impact | Our impact activity, the summer camp "I Change for Myself" was highly linked to our original project: "Understanding the lived experience of adolescent girls with disability". The prior qualitative research identified multiple obstacles encountered by adolescent girls with disabilities. Themes such as low self-esteem, self-acceptance, interacting with others, and experiences of integration or inclusion were prominent in the findings. In this summer camp, we aimed to explore the role of expressive art methodologies in enhancing adolescent girls' identity understanding and formation, inclusion, and communication skills. The primary goal was to create an environment where these young girls could explore their identities, express themselves freely, and develop social and emotional skills that are often neglected, especially among those with disabilities. The summer camp was mainly designed for adolescent girls with and without disabilities. We engaged with different stakeholders and supporters to facilitate the success of this activity. First we worked with the Palestinian General Union of People with Disabilities to serve 2 main goals, first to identify and recruit adolescent girls with various disabilities, including visual, hearing, physical disabilities and learning difficulties. Second, a session was organized by the union for the summer camp community, primarily involving adolescent girls, to introduce the main goals of the camp and facilitate integration and communication. This was achieved by providing information about people with disabilities, their rights, and the importance of creating inclusive environments. The session focused on raising awareness, challenging stereotypes, and encouraging empathy among participants, helping to foster a sense of solidarity and understanding between girls with and without disabilities. In addition to the Palestinian General Union of People with Disabilities, we engaged with the Ministry of Education and local community leaders to recruit girls without disabilities, creating a mixed group that represented the broader societal spectrum. This diversity was essential for fostering an environment of inclusivity and understanding. Finally, we engaged with the adolescent girls themselves, along with some of their parents and caregivers. This was crucial, involving not just the girls but their immediate support systems. By including parents and caregivers in selected activities and discussions, we were able to educate them on the importance of their roles in supporting the girls' personal growth, self-expression, and social integration. Not only this, it was a safe space where they were able to talk about their challenges and express themselves through art therapies. These sessions also provided a platform for caregivers to share their experiences and exchange insights. The participation of multiple generations showed that the lessons and positive effects of the summer camp reached beyond the girls, reaching up to their families and communities and further fostering understanding and inclusivity. The summer camp setting is designed to be a safe and supportive space for all participants. The summer camp was held at the Institute of Community and Public Health at Birzeit University, a facility fully equipped to accommodate individuals with disabilities, including ramps, elevators, and accessible restrooms. The activities were structured around expressive arts therapies, which included drama, visual arts, music, and movement. Each session was tailored to meet the needs and abilities of all participants, ensuring that everyone could engage fully and meaningfully. All summer camp activities were designed to be inclusive and accessible, with special adaptations made for participants with disabilities. For instance, sign language interpreters were used to support girls with hearing impairments. Drama and movement activities were modified to accommodate the physical abilities of all participants, ensuring that everyone could participate without feeling excluded. We facilitated peer support systems, where participants without disabilities were encouraged to assist and collaborate with their peers with disabilities in an acceptable manner. This approach not only fostered mutual understanding but also helped break down social barriers and stigmas associated with disability. Moreover, the activities were designed to empower girls with and without disabilities by focusing on their strengths and abilities rather than their limitations. For example, in the drama sessions, adolescent girls were encouraged to create and talk about their personal experiences and challenges, giving them a platform to share their stories and advocate for their rights. This boosted their self-confidence and self-identity. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | Promoting Integration and Communication for Adolescent Girls with Disabilities through Expressive Art Methodologies -an Intervention Study (Rula Ghandour, Birzeit University) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Patients, carers and/or patient groups |
| Results and Impact | The prior qualitative research identified multiple obstacles encountered by adolescent girls with disabilities. Themes such as self-esteem, self-acceptance, interacting with others, and experiences of integration or inclusion were prominent in the findings. Building on these themes, this intervention aims to foster integration and better communication among adolescent girls with and without disabilities by incorporating novel approaches such as art and drama, this work extends and enriches the original project's goals by providing specific, creative avenues for achieving these objectives. Expressive art therapy or methodology refers to a form of psychological technique that utilizes creative modalities such as visual art-making, drama, dance/movement, and music to enhance physical, mental, and emotional well-being. It is a process that accesses imagination and creativity to develop new models of living, contributing to a more integrated sense of self, increased self-awareness, and self-acceptance 1 . Expressive art methodologies play a crucial role in promoting integration, improving communication, and enhancing the understanding of the needs of adolescent girls with disabilities. The evaluation of the proposed activity involving expressive art for adolescent girls with and without disabilities can help in creating long-lasting impacts in several areas. - Instrumental: o Policy and Practice Influence: The project will aim to influence educational and social policies by showcasing the effectiveness of expressive therapies in fostering integration and communication. We will track any changes or discussions in policy or practice as a direct result of our project's findings. o Behavioral Changes: We will observe and document changes in the behavior and attitudes of participants toward disability and inclusion, within the sessions. - Conceptual: o Reframing Debates: The project can contribute to a deeper understanding of the roles of expressive art methodologies in inclusion, especially within educational institutions. This understanding might challenge existing perceptions and contribute to reframing debates around education and disability. - Capacity Building: o Skill Development: Participants will develop technical skills in expressive art, as well as personal skills in communication, empathy, and understanding of diversity. These skills are beneficial for their personal development and future educational or professional endeavors. o The research team will develop skills in interventions based on expressive art methodologies that can be used in comparable settings. Measuring and Evaluating Impact: - Qualitative Data Collection: Detailed observations, participant feedback, interviews, and session recordings (upon participants' consent) will provide in-depth insights into the experiences and perspectives of the participants. - Final Evaluation: A comprehensive evaluation at the end of the project will be done to assess the overall impact of the experienced trainer who will conduct the sessions. Long-Term Goals and Sustainability: - Future Funding and Expansion: Success in this project can lead to opportunities for applying additional funding from different sources, allowing for the expansion of the project and scaling it up to include males on the one hand and other communities or contexts on the other hand. - Building Partnerships: Collaborations with educational institutions as well as The Palestinian General Union for People with Disabilities will be pursued, both for the dissemination of findings and for the potential adaptation of the project model in different settings. - Continued Advocacy: The project will serve as a foundation for ongoing advocacy efforts for inclusive education and the utilization of expressive therapies and models. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | R&E: #DisabledVoicesfromGaza (IUG & AOAV) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | This capacity-building oriented research project brings together academics and third sector organisations from the creative and advocacy sectors, based both in the UK and Palestine. In collaboration, the team will empower 100 Palestinian university students with disabilities living in besieged Gaza, Palestine, to effectively communicate and produce narratives about their lived experiences. Mainly UNRWA registered refugees, these students will gain skills and experience in narrating stories of their lives during ongoing conflict and the COVID-19 pandemic using creative and storytelling methods bolstered by media and information literacy (MIL) training. Using peer-learning approaches, this 15-month project will begin through the conducting of a literature review on empowerment and the creative voice, specifying interdisciplinary students prioritised needs; then it will develop and deliver creative writing and media workshops. It will create local capacity by equipping two cohorts of 32 students with disabilities with valuable skills to produce knowledge through their own stories. These skills will be further cascaded to another 68 students through peer-learning (4 groups: 17 each). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | http://disabledvoicesgaza.org |
| Description | Recruitment of new PhD students |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an open day or visit at my research institution |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | 2 additional PhD students have been accepted at University of Birmingham affiliated to the Disabilty Under Siege Programme, one of whom is part funded by the University of Birmingham. These students are supervised by PI Kiwan, and Co-I Woodcock both University of Birmingham, and Co-I Giacaman. An additional PhD student has been recruited to the Crerative Writing Department, University of Birmingham to work on disbility Studies, and is currently down to the last round of M4C funding. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020,2021 |
| Description | Rights-based Media language Towards an inclusive disability media representation: Training workshops for media professionals, academics, and students (CLS) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Regional |
| Primary Audience | Media (as a channel to the public) |
| Results and Impact | The project provided workshop training for 60 media stations, TV reporters, producers, journalists, staff with and without disabilities from local and international organizations, as well as faculty and students with and without disabilities from university media communication programs in Lebanon. The two workshops were delivered by Inclusive and Disability specialists with and without disabilities and covered different matters related to disability based on the principles of inclusion and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities CRPD. The training focused on the use of appropriate terminology and the production of inclusive audio-visual media content that is accessible for a diverse audience including people with disabilities. The initial project delivered training to 60 media professionals, who have since gone on to establish a thriving community of practice, fostering an environment wherein media actively promotes the principles enshrined in the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kyWUkS-8_5U |
| Description | Safeguarding Workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | On 7th July members of the Rights 4 Time and Disability Under Siege GCRF Networks held a workshop to discuss safeguarding in the context of developmental research, identify key challenges and core principles in designing applying appropriate frameworks. The workshop discussions were structured around the following topics: 1. Who is being safeguarded and from what? 2. What are we safeguarding from? 3. Overview of UK Collaborative on Development Research Safeguarding Guidelines. 4. What are the core principles/values that should underpin our safeguarding approaches? 5. Key considerations in designing safeguarding frameworks |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| Description | Safeguarding Workshop - Disability under Siege |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
| Results and Impact | March 2023 the Disability under Siege Network hosted a Safeguarding training workshop for all 12 funded researchers of the Early Career and Research & Engagement projects in order to highlight procedures and pitfalls of conducting research |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| Description | Shubbak Festival, London (June 2023). ART & DISABILITY UNDER SIEGE in conversation with Dina Kiwan and Maha Shuayb |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | A virtual conversation, to centre Disabled artists and cultural practitioners from Jordan and Palestine as they discuss the challenges and opportunities of living and working at the intersection of Disability and geo-political instability, held by Shubbak Festival, hosted by Professors Dina Kiwan and Maha Shuayb, Disability under Siege Network |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.shubbak.co.uk/art-disability-under-seige/ |
| Description | The impact of COVID 19 on Persons with Disabilities in Lebanon, Palestine, and Jordan Video (Itab Shuayb) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A broadcast e.g. TV/radio/film/podcast (other than news/press) |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Video presenting finding of the research on the impact of COVID-19 on people with disabilities and their families in gaining access to online education and healthcare services, and on the challenges they have encountered during the pandemic in Lebanon and Jordan. Information video, raising awareness of the impact of Covid-19 on Persons with Disabilities |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AwzzACFQ9DQ |
| Description | The impact of COVID-19 on disabled people in Low- and Middle-Income Countries (Vera Kubenz) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A talk or presentation |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Postgraduate students |
| Results and Impact | The impact of COVID-19 on disabled people in Low- and Middle-Income Countries paper presented at Presented at Environments by Design: Health, Wellbeing and Place Conference on 2nd December 2021. Submission of full article to follow. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://architecturemps.com/design-health/ |
| Description | The targeting of high-rises in Gaza: an analysis of Israel's air strikes on tall buildings in 2021 (Iain Overton) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Engagement focused website, blog or social media channel |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Public/other audiences |
| Results and Impact | "The targeting of high-rises in Gaza: an analysis of Israel's air strikes on tall buildings in 2021" blog article written by Network partner Iain Overton (Action on Armed Violence). Article inspired by research undertaken by Disability Under Siege Network Co-I, Dr Itab Shuayb. Discussion provoking and awareness raising for the DUS Network's research |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://aoav.org.uk/2021/the-targeting-of-high-rises-in-gaza-an-analysis-of-israels-air-strikes-on-t... |
| Description | Through our Eyes exhibition at the National Gallery of fine arts, Jordan |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Schools |
| Results and Impact | Opening evening of photo exhibition "Through our Eyes" held at the National Gallery of Fine Arts, Jordan (13th-21st March 2023), organised by Drs Sarah Benson and Mayada Ntour of the Disability under Siege project. The exhibition presents photographs from 4 young people with disabilities about the world around us. Exhibition attending by the exhibitors and their families, as well as representatives from the German Institute for Collaboration (GIZ), HI.org, EDRAAK.org and the British Council of Jordan. Requests for further information and potential collaboration with the Disability under Siege project |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2023 |
| URL | https://www.addustour.com/articles/1335789-%D9%85%D8%B9%D8%B1%D8%B6-%C2%AB%D9%85%D9%86-%D8%AE%D9%84%... |
| Description | Train the Trainers, Compare Journal (Dina Kiwan) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | This is a Compare Writing-for-Publication programme run for the Compare journal editorial board members and British Association for International and Comparative Education (BAICE )executive members, with the idea that they may assist with running future events and/or support the programme as e-mentors. This TOT event will also be useful for Compare editorial board members and editors to reflect on and revisit the journal's often taken-for-granted practices from the perspective of potential contributors in the Global South. Dina Kiwan, member of editorial board of the peer-referred journal Compare attended this training, and this expertise will be used for the mentoring of Global South commissioned projects within the DUS programme. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Training disability activists in qualitative research methods (Suzan Mitwalli, Birzeit University) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | Local |
| Primary Audience | Study participants or study members |
| Results and Impact | Project Proposal: Training disability activists in qualitative research methods 1. Project Rationale Building on our project "A Human-Centered and Community-Based Participatory Research Approach to Education Among Young People with Disabilities Living Under Occupation", we would like to train disability activists in qualitative research methods. Through our interviews with organizations that work with people with disabilities, the interviewees showed interest in how we trained our participatory action research group members to conduct the interviews themselves. Additionally, we observed from the discussion and feedback from the IMPACT workshop participants conducted last May that they have a limited understanding of qualitative research. This gave us the emphasis that people who work with people with disabilities need training on qualitative research methods and how this training could help them understand issues related to people with disabilities in a better way and involve people with disabilities themselves in research. 2. Aim of the project The aim of this project is to contribute to the capacity building of disability rights activists in conducting qualitative research to enable them to provide evidence-based research results to policymakers that could help in responding to the needs of people with disabilities. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| Description | UNPRP - AHRC Partnership Advisory Board |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Policymakers/politicians |
| Results and Impact | This is the joint advisory board of the UNPRPD - AHRC partnership of which we are members. The remit of the advisory board is to advise on the AHRC-funded UNPRPD analytic framework project on the impact of Covid-19 on people with disabilities in LMICs across all sectors (a supplement to the main award). The aim of the project is to provide empirical evidence from a systematic research review of existing evidence, in conjucntion with the coordination of 7 AHRC-funded case studies, whose evidence will also feed into the development of the UNPRPD analytic framework for a disability inclusive recovery in LMICs. We have presented to the board twice on the emerging findings of the literature review. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2020,2021 |
| Description | UNPRPD Covid Case Studies Workshop |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Other audiences |
| Results and Impact | Workshop bringing together a network of 8 case studies to deliver workshops on working with children with disabilities, working with DPOs, creative and cultural methods, and doing research during multiple crises. This was aimed at researchers, students, NGOs, disability activists and their organisations, and policymakers, with a specific focus on development work. Videos were recorded and made publicly available afterwards |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| Description | Virtual Workshop: Innovative methods for researching disability and COVID-19 in the Global South (Nazmi Al Masri) |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | A formal working group, expert panel or dialogue |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Virtual Workshop: Innovative methods for researching disability and COVID-19 in the Global South 03/03/22 |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2022 |
| URL | https://disabilityundersiege.org/?page_id=981 |
| Description | Voices from Palestine: The Lives of People with Disabilities Under Occupation and War webinar |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | International |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | Online webinar held on 11/05/2024 ... |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2024 |
| URL | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sY8i4UTFCxA |
| Description | Workshop on inclusive reconstruction of Lebanon |
| Form Of Engagement Activity | Participation in an activity, workshop or similar |
| Part Of Official Scheme? | No |
| Geographic Reach | National |
| Primary Audience | Professional Practitioners |
| Results and Impact | The panel webinar "What Would an Inclusive Beirut Look Like? A Multi-Disciplinary Approach to Inclusive Reconstruction in Lebanon", was hosted in February 18th 2021 by the Lebanon CO-I organisation and chaired by PI Kiwan. Speakers included experts on inclusive education, mental health and inclusive design, and the sharing on an inclusive practices video. |
| Year(s) Of Engagement Activity | 2021 |
| URL | https://disability-hub.com/what-would-an-inclusive-beirut-look-like-a-multi-disciplinary-approach-to... |