News
‘Count Me In, In Any Change You Make’
DJP Fellow Melvina Voua Advocates For the Full Inclusion of Solomon Islanders with Disabilities in Government Responses to Climate Change
July 1, 2023
APIA, Samoa – DJP Fellow Melvina Voua, from the Solomon Islands, works for People with Disability Solomon Island (PWDSI) as a climate change officer. She is advocating for the full inclusion of persons with disabilities in all aspects of climate change adaptation and mitigation.
Question: Can you share your experience of your journey of being a climate change advocate for persons with disabilities?
Answer: I started working with PDF [Pacific Disability Forum] in 2020 as a part-time climate change officer. I was the focal point person for the Solomon Islands in the climate change research conducted for the three countries of Solomon Islands, Kiribati and Tuvalu to coordinate the research on the impact of climate change on people living with disability in the Solomon Islands.
Question: What are the challenges that you faced in implementing this work?
Answer: The big challenge is the COVID, in 2019, 2020 and 2021 while we were doing the research. So all of the learnings and findings we had to do activities online with the PDF, such as when we trained our response team and training team to collect information from other persons with disabilities and their stories, so it’s kind of challenging to get stories like how were they impacted by climate change, how do they prepare for the disaster.
Question: What is the challenge you face in working with key stakeholders?
Answer: It’s a big challenge. Also, it’s a bit difficult to approach them, so when we try to engage them or approach them for our consultation, they all, like, have other commitments. So we can’t really get what information we want from them. So yeah, that’s the big challenge for me.
Question: What is your message to the government?
Answer: It is very important for the inclusion of persons with disability in all the plans or starting from a grassroots level up to the national level. All the adaptation and mitigation plans must be inclusive and not excluding people with disability, like when designing evacuation centers or developing policies for climate change or disasters. It should make sure that disability must be included in the planning because when the crisis or the disaster happen, we always find it difficult to evacuate or access or even get prepared or respond. So that’s why it’s very important to include the needs of persons with disability in preparedness activities or programs.
DJP Fellow Sa Utailesolo has been working at the National Advocacy Organisation of Persons with Disabilities, Nuanua O Le Alofa (NOLA), in Samoa as a finance and administration coordinator for nearly 15 years. In the past, he has also worked as a Braille translator. @2023 NOLA. All rights reserved.
News From the Global Frontlines of Disability Justice
Disability in a Time of War
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.”
The Language Gap
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.”
Failure to Inform
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.
Disability in the Crossfire
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.
Gaza’s Amputees
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.
‘People like Me Can Dare to Dream of Standing Upright’
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.
Read more about ‘People like Me Can Dare to Dream of Standing Upright’