“Promote disability-inclusive in social protection!” project aims to strengthen and amplify the voice of people with disabilities at the community level in collaboration with local, sub-national, and national authorities in providing inclusive and effective social protection to people with disabilities and their members.
The project is designed to encourage people with disabilities to access social protection framework with inclusive and effective in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. In order to continue strengthening the rights of people with disabilities, RSDOB has implemented its activities based on the National Strategic Plan on Disability 2019-2023, Law on Protection and Promotion of the Rights of Persons With Disability, Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability as well as ASEAN master plan 2023 on disability. There are two project outcomes under this project including:
Project goal: 207 families (621 people) who were affected by the Covid 19 pandemic have inclusive accessed to social protection and social assistance services, health care and vocational training, disability identification, and equity cards by sub-national authorities.
Expected result 1: All concerns and needs of people with disability who are affected by Covid-19 pandemic are addressed through social protection and social assistant mechanism.
Expected result 2: Budget package for commune development from 15%-20% have been allocated to address issues raised by people with disability in their commune administration.
Expected result 3: Disability identification and equity card for people with disabilities are promoted and enforced for inclusive access to social protection and social assistant.
Expected result 4: Project best practices on disability movement are documented using digitalization tools to amplify and influence for inclusive access to social protection and social assistant for people with disability.

This project 26 months project is expected to implement in 9 target communes of Kampong Cham provinces.

Journey of “Promoting disability, including social protection, through stakeholder support and mobilization” 

The mission of the Disability Self-Help Representation Organization in Batheay District is to start thinking about how to achieve the vision of our organization, to achieve what we think is for the benefit of the vulnerable, which is the minority voice in each meeting. No matter where the meeting is, these people still represent the same minority voice, which hinders the development, because decisions on strategic planning or investment planning require a majority. Despite this minority voice, we still think and hope that one day, or at any point in time there will be an opportunity to lobby stakeholders to understand the real needs of people with disabilities. This project cooperates with sub-national authorities, especially the Provincial Department of Social Affairs and the Kampong Cham Provincial Disability Action Council, which has the capacity and ability to encourage representatives of people with disabilities to talk with other decision-makers about real challenges facing people with disabilities. 

Challenges 

People with disabilities living in Kampong Cham province often face many problems such as discrimination, social exclusion, and disregard for the five human rights. Especially between 2018 and 2023, people with disabilities faced serious challenges; their needs were not included in the commune/Sangkat development programs (even if they were included, but budget was not allocated for them). Those needs included skills, lack of clean water and access to hygiene (toilets), occupations, income generation means, social services (equity cards – Identification of the disabled), and other social assistance. On the other hand, at every commune/Sangkat meeting, vulnerable people always represent a minority voice in their request for the commune/Sangkat councils to include their needs in the priority list of the commune/Sangkat investment program, which is why their problems are yet to be addressed. 

Project implementation phase and positive impact 

Our mission is to bring about fair, smooth, non-violent support. We must lobby those who make decisions at the sub-national levels, based on sufficient arguments, and call for an end to all forms of discrimination against people with disabilities. In addition, support mobilization must be based on the national strategic plan, and national and international laws to which Cambodia is a signatory, but must also understand the circumstances to adapt, starting with a 25-month advocacy scenario – a short period of time to make sure that representatives of people with disabilities participate in all activities in their commune/Sangkat meetings so that they dare to speak out what they need from decision makers. They need to train their minds and help develop clear advocacy plans by including what to talk to decision-makers and what documents to be presented. To ensure successful advocacy, the leadership of self-help groups of people with disabilities and the beneficiaries to clearly understand the objectives. 

Project: the Batheay Disability Self-Help Representation Organization in Batheay has a project “Promoting disability, including social protection”. This project aims to mobilize the support of sub-national institutions for a change of behavior of sub-national policy guidelines on decision-makers in their institutions. On the other hand, it is aimed at making local authorities and communities recognize the abilities and courage of people with disabilities (valuing their competence rather than their disabilities – disability is not an obstacle to development). 

Activity: People with disabilities and the Batheay Disability Self-Help Representation Organization have cooperated with beneficiaries, service providers, and national authorities, especially the Kampong Cham Disability Action Council in organizing core activities which include social protection outreach, public forums, skills training, meetings with sub-national authorities, and incentives for beneficiaries to participate in social activities. 

Long-term results: From 2019 to 2023, Batheay Disability Self-Help Representation Organization achieved fruitful results. 12 representatives of people with disabilities became members of the Commune Committee for Women and Children (CCWC) and participated in meetings with Commune /Sangkat Councils and Commune Committee for Women and Children on a monthly basis to discuss and bring the issues facing people with disabilities in their areas to the attention of the commune/Sangkat councils and the CCWC.