Glacial flooding has isolated a village in Nepal’s remote Humla district. Disabled residents describe the growing risks climate change brings to their safety, livelihoods, and homes.

Rajan Kathet is a Nepal-based filmmaker working across fiction and documentary. In recent years, his films have portrayed lives shaped by climate change, migration, and social discrimination, with resilience and coexistence at their core. An alumnus of DOCNOMADS, Berlinale Talents, Global Media Makers, and the Video Consortium, his films No Winter Holidays (2023) and Bare … Rajan Kathet

Before Myanmar’s 2021 military coup, disability advocates were helping shape national policy for the first time in decades. Laws expanded access to education, transportation, and public life. Today, much of that progress has collapsed. A new UN report describes a “hidden crisis,” documenting targeted violence, deadly attacks, and the exclusion of people with disabilities from warnings, aid, and services. As conflict creates new disabilities and organizations are forced underground, advocates work quietly to preserve rights that once seemed within reach.

NEW RELEASE: Once green and dependable, the land Steven Bukaya farms has been reshaped by deforestation and unpredictable rain.

Isaac Oboth is a self-taught filmmaker from Uganda. He has shot, produced, and edited over 50 hours of internationally distributed documentary content from 40 African countries.

Fourteen-year-old Saifi Qudra relies on others to move safely through his day. Like many blind children in Rwanda, he has never had a white cane. His father, Mussah Habineza, escorts him everywhere. “He wants to walk like other children,” Habineza says, “He wants to be free.” Across Rwanda, the absence of white canes limits children’s mobility, confidence, and opportunity. For families, it also shapes daily routines, futures, and the boundaries of independence.

Rhomir S. Yanquiling is a Philippines-based researcher, lawyer, and disability advocate committed to advancing social, environmental, and economic equity.

Becca Lory Hector is a passionate and seasoned autism and Neurodiversity advocate, consultant, researcher, and author with a career dedicated to supporting and educating about autism in adulthood. Based in the U.S. state of Maine, she is focused on living an active, positive life and brings that same energy to all of her work. Her … Becca Lory Hector

Late in life, Malaysian filmmaker Beatrice Leong learned she was autistic and began reckoning with decades of misdiagnosis, harm, and erasure. What started as interviews with other late-diagnosed women became a decision to tell her own story, on her own terms. In The Myth of Monsters, Leong reframes autism through lived experience, using filmmaking as an act of self-definition and political refusal.

SAMOA: Our film on Indigenous Pacific Islanders with disabilities facing rising sea levels just won a major climate journalism award. See why it stood out among 1200+ entries.

As Indonesia overhauls its criminal code, disability rights advocates say long-standing barriers are being reinforced rather than removed. Nena Hutahaean, a lawyer and activist, warns the new code treats disability through a charitable lens rather than as a matter of rights. “Persons with disabilities aren’t supported to be independent and empowered,” she says. “… They’re considered incapable.”

NEW RELEASE: World Institute on Disability Fellow Munir Sewani shows how disabled students and faculty are working to make higher education more inclusive in Pakistan.

NEW RELEASE: World Institute on Disability Fellow Robbie Francis Watene highlights the urgent need for disabled-led monitoring of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilties.

NEW RELEASE: World Institute on Disability Fellow Kasim Sajjabi explores how Uganda’s oil boom is excluding disabled workers.

Ukraine’s long-standing system of institutionalizing children with disabilities has only worsened under the pressures of war. While some facilities received funding to rebuild, children with the highest support needs were left in overcrowded, understaffed institutions where neglect deepened as the conflict escalated. “The war brought incredibly immediate, visceral dangers for this population,” says DRI’s Eric Rosenthal. “Once the war hit, they were immediately left behind.”

More than a year after the launch of Rwanda’s Sign Language Dictionary, Deaf communities are still waiting for the government to make it official. Without Cabinet recognition, communication in classrooms, hospitals, and courts remains inconsistent. “In the hospital, we still write down symptoms or point to pictures,” says Jannat Umuhoza. “If doctors used sign language from the dictionary, I would feel safe and understood.”

Zulaihatu Abdullahi dreamed of finishing school and building a home of her own. But at 19, she died of untreated kidney disease because no one could communicate with her in sign language. Her story reveals how Deaf Nigerian women are often left without lifesaving care. “If only she had access to healthcare where someone could guide her… explain each step, she might still be here,” says Hellen Beyioku-Alase, founder and president of the Deaf Women Aloud Initiative.

In Goma, Democratic Republic of Congo, ongoing conflict and forced displacement have hit people with disabilities hardest. Rebel groups seized supplies from a clean cooking initiative designed to support displaced people with disabilities, leaving many trapped without aid. “It is still a big difficulty for authorities or government or humanitarian organizations to make a good decision which includes everyone,” says Sylvain Obedi of Enable the Disable Action.

At the Nahla Prosthetics & Orthotics Center in Gaza, staff wake up each day wondering if it’s safe to open before treating a handful of people in need of new limbs, adjustments, or psychosocial support. With famine declared in Gaza City and aid restricted, the center faces mounting shortages of materials and trained technicians. “Our colleagues call the situation a nightmare with no end,” says Zaid Amali, Humanity & Inclusion’s senior advocacy officer in Palestine.

Mike Tancredi is a mission-driven professional with extensive background in marketing and communications. He has fundraised for medical research, environmental, and community nonprofits, and is passionate about effective messaging, campaigns, and community-building to drive support and impacts. Tancredi currently serves as a senior marketing manager for Energy Solutions, supporting renewable energy and electrification client programs … Mike Tancredi

Marcie Roth is the Executive Director and Chief Executive Officer at World Institute on Disability.

UGANDA: The rain returns to Uganda. For disabled livestock farmer Steven Bukaya, that means crawling through mud because the work doesn’t stop.

Rwanda’s decision to cover prosthetic and orthotic services under national health insurance is being hailed as a milestone for disability rights. Advocates say it marks a shift toward greater inclusion and access to essential mobility aids. “This is more than a health policy,” says Jean Baribwira. “It is dignity, inclusion, and hope.” For many, the change represents long-overdue recognition of mobility as a basic right.

In Nigeria, native sign languages like Yoruba, Hausa, and Igbo Sign Language are far more than communication tools. They are living expressions of Deaf identity and culture. While often dismissed as unsophisticated or “pidgin,” these local variants foster deep connection, creativity, and self-expression among Deaf communities, particularly those left out of formal education. “It isn’t something one can learn online,” says Douglas Izu. “One learns it through deep immersion in the adolescent Deaf community.”

Oluwabukolami Omolara Badmus is a disability rights activist and feminist based in Lagos, Nigeria.

UGANDA: Ugandan farmer Steven Bukaya is finding practical ways to adapt to rising heat and limited support, determined to grow his business on his own terms as a person with a disability.

CLIMATE SPOTLIGHT: Pranav Sethi says climate change is making daily survival even harder for people with disabilities. From toxic air to intensifying disasters, what’s now treated as “normal” was never meant to be.

Sabina Basi is a feminist, activist, and senior leader with over a decade of experience in strategic partnerships, fundraising, and resource activism, currently serving as Director of Funding and Transformative Partnerships at ADD International.

Alexander Hauerslev Jensen is a passionate advocate for leveraging technology to drive accessibility and inclusion, focusing on innovative solutions for underserved communities.

SOLOMON ISLANDS: In the Solomon Islands, women with disabilities often struggle to find work. Diana Ma’ahoro turned her own experience into action, emerging as a leading disability rights activist in the Pacific.

Nigeria’s DeafBlind community has long lacked recognition, but the launch of the Deaf-Blind Inclusive and Advocacy Network marks a turning point. Led by activist Solomon Okelola, the group seeks to address communication barriers and a lack of support. Among those affected is John Shodiya, who once thrived in the Deaf community but struggled with belonging after losing his sight.

The Trump administration’s 90-day pause on USAID funding has had far-reaching consequences, particularly for disabled people and organizations worldwide, including members of the Disability Justice Project (DJP) community. Activists from Nigeria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, and Rwanda report severe disruptions, deepening challenges for marginalized communities, especially disabled people facing conflict, poverty, and structural discrimination.

Lyazzat Kaltayeva is a Kazakhstani disability rights advocate, policymaker, and gender equality expert with over 20 years of experience in advancing social inclusion.

After losing his sight, artist Jean de Dieu Uwikunda found new ways to create, using a flashlight at night to outline objects and distinguishing colors by their scents. His story, along with that of DeafBlind sports coach Jean Marie Furaha, is rare in Rwanda. While over 446,000 Rwandans have disabilities, a 2019 study found that only 52 percent of working-age disabled adults were employed, compared to 71 percent of their non-disabled counterparts.

NEPAL: As climate leaders met in Kathmandu, a glacial flood hit Til Village, where disabled residents struggled to escape and get aid.

RWANDA: Amid worsening climate disasters, Florentine Mukantagwera – still in her demolished home after Rwanda’s 2023 floods – finds strength in her community as disabled Rwandans face growing risks.

UNITED STATES: For Larry Landrie, a disabled senior in Georgia, rising heat and frequent storms are life-threatening. As extreme weather intensifies, inclusive disaster planning becomes essential.

SAMOA: In the hottest decade ever recorded, extreme heat is worsening health conditions and making it unsafe for Pacific Islanders with disabilities to go outside, cutting into their ability to work.

Sanda Damian is a Moldovan student, passionate about literature and advocacy, recognized as an ‘Erudite Reader 2024’ and an active voice for people with disabilities.

Ruzanna Ghazaryan is a disability rights advocate and emerging filmmaker from Armenia, dedicated to promoting inclusion and sharing the stories of people with disabilities through storytelling.

RWANDA: In May 2023, floods ravaged Rwanda, claiming lives and leaving many, like Florentine Mukantagwera, trapped and at risk. Her story shows the urgent need for inclusive disaster planning.

After a life-altering accident, Lakshmi Lohar struggled with fear and stigma in her rural Nepalese community. In 2023, she found a lifeline through KOSHISH National Mental Health Self-Help Organization, which helped her develop social connections and access vocational training in tailoring. Today, Lakshmi is reclaiming her independence and shaping a future beyond the limitations once placed on her. “I won’t give up my rights anymore,” she says, “just like I learned in the meetings.”

Sherali Mirayubov is a Tajikistani disability rights advocate, legal advisor, and co-founder of Muvaffaq, working to enhance accessibility and opportunities for people with disabilities.

Faaolo Utumapu-Utailesolo is the program officer for the Pacific Island Countries for the Disability Rights Fund and the Disability Rights Advocacy Fund.

Beatrice Leong is an autistic documentary filmmaker and gender-disability activist from Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, working to dismantle systems of erasure for women and girls with disabilities.

NEPAL: Farmers with disabilities in rural Nepal are facing unprecedented challenges as climate change intensifies. Unpredictable weather patterns, including devastating floods, threaten their livelihoods.

INDIA: Navigating Delhi’s congested streets and hazardous air, Pranav Sethi experiences sensory issues that intensify with shifting weather patterns, making everyday life physically and mentally draining.

NEPAL: Roshani Adhikari recently made history as Nepal’s first blind female lawyer. She is committed to making her country’s legal system more accessible.

UGANDA: Angela Nsimbi shares her story of living with bipolar disorder, reflecting on the challenges of her diagnosis and the transformative power of family support.

NEPAL: In the remote districts of Humla and Mugu, Nepal, a community’s concerted efforts toward disability inclusion are transforming lives through grassroots advocacy.

Aalap Deboor is a producer-entrepreneur with 15 years in the entertainment industry. After a career in entertainment journalism followed by TV programming & production with MTV & Vh1, he started Much Much Media, a Mumbai-based content studio. 

Larry Landrie is retired from a 40-year career with the Department of Veterans Affairs. He is admin for the Facebook group, Worldwide Wheelchair Photographers.

Francine Uwayisaba is a field officer at Rwanda Union of Little People (RULP) and is in charge of the organization’s communications.

As Rwanda confronts its first-ever Marburg virus outbreak, people with disabilities face heightened risks — not only from the virus but also from the lack of accessible health information.  “Without proper accommodations, such as sign language interpreters, captions, Braille, or visual aids, the Deaf and DeafBlind community may miss crucial information about how to protect themselves, symptoms to watch for, or where to seek help in case of infection,” says Joseph Musabyimana, executive director of the Rwanda Organization of Persons with Deaf Blindness.

Dr. Munir Sewani is a university teacher, researcher, socio-educational theorist, and disability advocate.

Kasim Sajjabi is a Ugandan disability scholar and advocate with over 25 years in the disability rights and justice field.

Dr Robbie Francis Watene is a scholar, leader, and human rights defender from Tāmaki Makaurau Auckland, Aotearoa New Zealand.

Last year, the DJP trained Indigenous activists with disabilities from the Pacific on the iPhone camera to create a documentary series on disability and climate change. With VoiceOver, the iPhone provides image descriptions for blind and low-vision filmmakers and offers other accessible features. “If you think about it, it doesn’t make sense for a blind person to use a camera,” says DJP filmmaker Ari Hazelman. “The iPhone gives you more avenues to tell your story in a more profound way as a blind person.”

The We Can Work program equips young Rwandans with disabilities to navigate barriers to employment through education, vocational training, and soft skills development. By fostering inclusive workplaces and advocating for policy changes, the program aims to reduce poverty and promote economic independence. Participants like Alliance Ukwishaka are optimistic that the program will enable them to achieve their dreams and showcase their potential. The initiative is part of a larger effort to support 30 million disabled youth across seven African countries.

NEPAL: DJP Fellow Sita Sah explores the challenges and societal barriers faced by blind women in Nepal, highlighting both their personal struggles and the collective activism aimed at systemic change.

SAMOA: The first disability benefit scheme in Samoan history offers monthly payments to residents with disabilities. DJP Fellow Ari Hazelman interviews Samoan advocates pushing for the strengthening of this essential program.

MALAWI: Of the nearly 400 DeafBlind people living in Malawi, 250 are school-aged children. DJP Fellow Duster Lucius interviews Chrissy Mutumba, the first DeafBlind student accepted to a prestigious high school in Blantyre.

NEPAL: Following her husband’s death, Santoshi BK experienced depression and hallucinations. She gained support through a self-help group. See why this film was recognized with a Mental Health Hero Award.

NEPAL: Deaf individuals in Nepal struggle to obtain driver’s licenses due to discriminatory laws. Advocates like Raghav Bir Joshi are pushing for change.

Faaolo Utumapu-Utailesolo’s film “Dramatic Waves of Change” has been named a finalist in the Focus on Ability International Short Film Festival. The film, completed during a Disability Justice Project workshop in Samoa, highlights the impact of climate change on people with disabilities in Kiribati. Utumapu-Utailesolo, who is blind, used an iPhone with accessibility features to create the film. “Do not leave people with disabilities behind when [you] plan, implement, and monitor programs regarding climate change and disaster,” she says. Her achievement is a testament to the power of inclusive filmmaking.

INDONESIA: For many Indonesians with psychosocial disabilities, access to mental health care remains a challenge. See why this film was an official selection in two international mental health film festivals.

INDONESIA: DJP Fellow Naufal Asy-Syaddad shares the journey of Faisal, a 28-year-old autistic entrepreneur who produces up to 3,000 salted eggs per month, serving customers across Indonesia.

KIRIBATI: Kiribati native Ruby Nabetari has seen the rapid effects of global warming. Through theater, she hopes to make change. Watch why this film was a finalist in an international film festival.

Rwanda has made significant progress in making its elections more accessible, highlighted by the July 15 general elections where notable accommodations were provided. This was a major step forward in disabled Rwandans’ quest for equal rights and participation. “You cannot imagine how happy I am, for I have voted by myself and privately as others do accessibly,” says Jean Marie Vianney Mukeshimana, who used a Braille voting slate for the first time. “Voting is a deeply emotional and meaningful experience for a person with any disability in Rwanda, reflecting a blend of pride, empowerment, and hope.”

Despite legislation like the Americans with Disabilities Act, barriers at the polls still hinder — and often prevent — people with disabilities from voting. New restrictive laws in some states, such as criminalizing assistance with voting, exacerbate these issues. Advocacy groups continue to fight for improved accessibility and increased voter turnout among disabled individuals, emphasizing the need for multiple voting options to accommodate diverse needs. ““Of course, we want to vote,” says Claire Stanley with the American Council of the Blind, “but if you can’t, you can’t.”

NEPAL: In rural Nepal, Indigenous women with disabilities rely on traditional practices for their livelihoods, but restrictive state policies are causing hardship. They call on the government to support their traditional knowledge and skills.

In 2024, a record number of voters worldwide will head to the polls, but many disabled individuals still face significant barriers. In India, inaccessible electronic voting machines and polling stations hinder the ability of disabled voters to cast their ballots independently. Despite legal protections and efforts to improve accessibility, systemic issues continue to prevent many from fully participating in the world’s largest democracy. “All across India, the perception of having made a place accessible,” says Vaishnavi Jayakumar of Disability Rights Alliance, “is to put a decent ramp at the entrance and some form of quasi-accessible toilet.”

DJP Fellow Esther Suubi shares her journey of finding purpose in supporting others with psychosocial disabilities. She explores the transformative power of peer support and her evolution to becoming an advocate for mental health. “Whenever I see people back on their feet and thriving, they encourage me to continue supporting others so that I don’t leave anyone behind,” she says. “It is a process that is sometimes challenging, but it also helps me to learn, unlearn, and relearn new ways that I can support someone – and myself.”

As Rwanda prepares for its presidential elections, voices like Daniel Mushimiyimana’s have a powerful message: every vote counts, including those of citizens with disabilities. Despite legal frameworks like the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, challenges persist in translating these into practical, accessible voting experiences for over 446,453 Rwandans with disabilities. To cast a vote, blind people need to take a sighted relative to read the ballot. An electoral committee member must be present, violating the blind person’s voting privacy. “We want that to change in these coming elections,” says Mushimiyimana.

Jody Santos is the founding executive director and editor-in-chief at the Disability Justice Project.

Often dismissed as a personal concern, mental health is a societal issue, according to Srijana KC, who works as a psychosocial counselor for the Nepali organization KOSHISH. KC’s own history includes a seizure disorder, which resulted in mental health challenges. She faced prejudice in both educational settings and the workplace, which pushed her towards becoming a street vendor to afford her medications. Now with KOSHISH, she coordinates peer support gatherings in different parts of Nepal. “It is crucial to instill hope in society, recognizing that individuals with psychosocial disabilities can significantly contribute,” she says.

UGANDA: Fazira Kauma toppled political barriers in Uganda when she became the first woman and the first blind citizen to be appointed deputy mayor in Jinja. She says disability representation in politics is key.

DJP mentor Kishor Sharma is known for his long-term photography and film projects exploring community and change. Over the last 12 years, he has been documenting the nomadic Raute people in mountainous Nepal. With any project, Sharma aims to actively engage participants, sharing photography and videography techniques. In September, Sharma became a mentor to DJP Fellow Chhitup Lama. He was eager to connect “this idea of sharing the visual technique with the storytelling idea and the issue of disability inclusion.”

Recent flooding in Rwanda has left many persons with disabilities without homes and jobs. “Sincerely speaking, I [am] left with nothing,” says Theophile Nzigiyimana, who considers himself lucky to have escaped the flooding. The flooding demonstrates the disproportionate impacts that disasters have on persons with disabilities, which will only intensify as climate change continues.

DJP Fellow Sita Sah interviews Neera Adhikari about starting the Blind Women Association Nepal (BWAN) and the steps BWAN has taken to advance the rights of Nepali women who are blind and low-vision. Women with disabilities, particularly those living in rural areas, “face discrimination from family and society which prevents them from venturing outside their homes,” says Adhikari. “In a household where there are two children, one disabled son and one daughter, societal beliefs often favor sending the son to school while neglecting the daughter’s education.”

Nepal has between 250,000 and one million Deaf people, but most do not attend school. In many schools for Deaf individuals, education ends at 10th grade, and higher education is rarely available and often inadequate. DJP Fellow Bishwamitra Bhitrakoti interviews Satya Devi Wagle from the National Federation of the Deaf Nepal about the strategies, challenges and successes of her work on inclusive education. “Because hearing teachers are not competent in sign language, there is no quality instruction in a resource class in Nepal,” she says. “We are working … to create a Deaf-friendly curriculum.”

There are 700,000 Indigenous women and girls with disabilities in Nepal. Violence against this group has deepened since the COVID-19 pandemic. DJP Fellow Bhawana Majhi interviews Pratima Gurung, president of the National Indigenous Disabled Women Association – Nepal, about how NIDWAN is addressing these issues. “NIDWAN’s future plans involve reaching more people, building capacity and empowering Indigenous women and girls with disabilities,” says Gurung. “Our ultimate goal is to create positive change by persisting in lobbying and advocacy efforts at local and provincial levels.”

DJP Fellow Chhitup Lama interviews Tsering Palmu Lama, project coordinator at HEAD Nepal, about the challenges people with disabilities encounter in the Himalayan region of Nepal and how her work addresses those challenges. “It is really tough [for people with disabilities] in the remote mountains like Karnali regions,” she tells Lama. “The problem which is faced by them in the region is that there is inaccessibility in the public area or even in the working area. And due to the remote mountains and tough geography, there is inaccessibility on the roads also.”

SAMOA: As the effects of climate change intensify, severe flooding will become increasingly common in Samoa, disproportionately impacting persons with disabilities. Activists say accessibility must be central to emergency response plans.

For Rwandans with DeafBlindness, critical services like healthcare and educational systems rarely offer necessary accommodations like assistive devices and tactile sign language interpretation. Naomi Uwizeyimana shares her experience with inaccessible infrastructure: “You need a person to help you to communicate everywhere you go and to get every service you want, which cannot always be possible.” Her mission is to bridge the gaps and support the DeafBlind community to fully participate in society.

SAMOA: The Samoa Blind Persons Association recently produced the first Braille translation of the Samoan government’s disaster risk management booklet. DJP Fellow Ari Hazelman was a key advocate in this enormous step forward.

DJP Fellows Esther Suubi and Kinanty Andini both advocate for the rights of persons with psychosocial disabilities through their art and filmmaking, working to create a world free from stigma and discrimination. “I hope that people will realize that mental health is really important, and I hope that many people will not be ashamed if they find out their friends or their family or maybe themselves have mental illness,” says Andini. “We must speak up and prove that the stigmas are wrong.”

Recognizing the centrality of storytelling to systemic change, the Disability Justice Project (DJP) trains human rights defenders with disabilities in Asia, Africa and the Pacific in documentary storytelling. Sending storytelling kits (cameras, mics, lights, etc.) to fellows all over the world, the DJP supports persons with disabilities to “take back the narrative” on disability justice. … Disability Justice Project

SAMOA: In the workplace, Samoan women with disabilities face a complex web of discrimination arising from the convergence of gender and disability biases.

Bishwamitra Bhitrakoti is a communications officer at the National Federation of the Deaf, Nepal and president of the Annapurna Deaf Association.

Sanjaya Raj Neupane is the advocacy coordinator at KOSHISH, an organization amplifying the voices of persons with psychosocial disabilities.

For decades, Rwandans with disabilities faced significant challenges to accessing health care. Now the country has embarked on an ambitious plan to renovate all of its outdated facilities, with accessibility as a priority. Thirty health centers have been updated so far, changing stairs into ramps, adding Braille signage and more. “Having access to health services to persons with disability in Rwanda is like dreams that we all wish to be true,” says Aimable Irihose of the Rwanda Organization of Persons with Physical Disabilities and Wheelchair Users.

Bhawana Majhi is an advocacy and communication officer at the National Indigenous Disabled Women Association – Nepal (NIDWAN).

Sita Sah is a project assistant at the Blind Women Association Nepal (BWAN) with over five years of professional experience across various sectors and NGOs.

Chhitup Lama is the founding executive director of Himalayan Education and Development (HEAD) Nepal.

Faaolo Utumapu-Utailesolo is the Program Officer for the Pacific Island Countries for the Disability Rights Fund and the Disability Rights Advocacy Fund.

UGANDA: At different points in their lives, Dorothy Natako Mubezi and Irene Isiko faced challenges as Ugandan women with psychosocial disabilities. They both found their own paths forward with the help of their community.

Terubeimoa (Ruby) Nabetari has been using the skills she learned as a composer of music and drama to help her organization, Te Toa Matoa, get their messages across about the rights of persons with disabilities in Kiribati. When she first became disabled from an accident, “I felt sad and confused … because I was well-known as a person who composed music and drama in my country,” she says. “But as time went on, I thanked God that I changed my mind and started to realize what I have to offer people with disabilities.”

DJP Fellow Melvina Voua is advocating for the full inclusion of Solomon Islanders with disabilities in all aspects of climate change adaptation and mitigation. “When the crisis or the disaster happen, we always find it difficult to evacuate or access or even get prepared or respond,” she says. “All … plans must be inclusive and not excluding people with disability, like when designing evacuation centers or developing policies for climate change or disasters.”

DJP Fellow Ari Hazelman is drawing on his region’s rich storytelling history to further the cause of disability rights. “When we think about our myths and legends that we have in our Pacific culture, that’s part of the stories that we grow up with,” he says. “So when you put it to the disability field, using the stories that we can document through the knowledge that we learn in this [DJP] workshop will help us to tell our stories and use those stories to make a positive change in our society.”

DJP Fellow Isoa Nabainivalu is a Deaf disability rights advocate for his country of Fiji. Since 2019, he has been focusing on advocating for the rights of one of the more marginalized groups in the Pacific – LGBTQI+ persons with disabilities. “First and foremost for us is for our members to come out, to feel comfortable, to know their rights and know how to use them in different spaces,” he says.

Faaolo Utumapu-Utailesolo is a program officer for the Pacific Island Countries with the Disability Rights Fund. She is a longtime disability rights activist in Samoa. “As an advocate, you get knocked down by things,” she says, “and you keep going because you know that there are other people with disabilities who need a lot of support and who will need you to be paving the way.”

DJP Fellow Sa Utailesolo wants to share the video production skills he learns from the DJP program to further the cause of disability rights in Samoa: “First thing when I return back to our office, it’s to make a video. The other thing is to train and share my knowledge with other colleagues.”

Ruby Napetari is a member of Te Toa Matoa, the umbrella organization for people with disabilities in Kiribati.

Ari Tommy Hazelman is a blind 34-year-old Samoan man posted as the disability inclusive officer for the Samoa Blind Persons Association (SBPA).

UGANDA: DJP Fellow Christine Oliver Dhikusooka investigates why only 1.3% of formally employed Ugandans are disabled, speaking with a mother who makes fishing nets and a Deaf schoolteacher along the way.

Sa Utailesolo has been working at the National Advocacy Organisation of Persons with Disabilities, Nuanua O Le Alofa, as a finance and administration coordinator for nearly 15 years.

Isoa Nabainivalu is an assistant project officer at the Disability Pride Hub (DPH) in Fiji.

Melvina Voua is a member of People with Disability Solomon Islands (PWDSI), the umbrella body of organizations for people with disabilities in the Solomon Islands.

UGANDA: Ugandans with disabilities who are HIV positive are at greater risk of secondary infections because of a lack of access to nutritious food. Advocates ask the government for more support.

INDONESIA: For World Autism Awareness Day, DJP Fellow Naufal Asy-Syaddad explores what it’s like to be autistic in Indonesia in 2023. He interviews friends from his hometown and shares his own hopes and dreams.

Rwandan parents of children with intellectual disabilities often face an agonizing choice: working outside the home or caring for their children. Either option can spiral a family into poverty or keep them there. “I become speechless when it is about discrimination faced by parents who have children with intellectual disability,” says Pacifique Uwizeyimana, mother to 8-year-old Samuel.

DJP staff, partners, and fellows reflect on two years of “taking back the narrative” on disability. “Through the DJP, I was able to advance my advocacy level … for women with disabilities, most especially people with DeafBlindness,” says disability rights activist Oluwabukolami Omolara Badmus, an inaugural DJP fellow from Nigeria.

INDONESIA: Rina Prasarini has a message for disabled women: “Don’t give up. Keep fighting.” In ‘We Are Born Perfect,’ DJP Fellow Retta Maha interviews the entrepreneur, disability rights activist, and single mother of two.

DJP Fellow Benedicta Oyèdayọ̀ Oyèwọlé chronicles the challenges she and other Nigerians with disabilities faced voting in her country’s February elections, from faraway polling places to no assistive materials like magnifying glasses. She urges more inclusion in the House of Assembly and gubernatorial elections on March 18.

UGANDA: 2021 DJP Fellow Esther Suubi provides an intimate look at how Ugandan women with psychosocial disabilities unite against discrimination. *Audio descriptions for blind and low-vision audiences.

RWANDA: Beth Gatonye founded Seeing Hands Rwanda after noticing the high unemployment rate among Rwandans with disabilities. Her organization is working with participants to transition from training to employment.

Rwandans with disabilities face significant barriers to accessing health care. For those with short stature, this includes hospital beds and reception windows that are too high. “Sometimes we are served after others or choose to stay home,” says one advocate for more inclusive services and infrastructure.

Dissatisfied by the way local news portrays people with disabilities, DJP Fellow Sri Sukarni is determined to use her new video skills to share issues important to her community. At the top of her agenda is the lack of accessible public service buildings. “This is what I want to convey to the media, to the government,” she says.