Dr. Mary Keogh:

With regard to good examples, Ms Naughton might speak about Kenya and how organisations for persons with disabilities worked to influence the Kenyan Government to make sure disability data was gathered in the census. As already stated, it is difficult to provide evidence when there is no data. There was a strong advocacy campaign to drive forward the Kenyan Government including disability data in the census. It was driven through a partnership and advocacy approach.

We also have other examples from humanitarian responses to Covid-19. We have a publication coming out soon showing where organisations for persons with disabilities influenced humanitarian clusters in Nepal and Bangladesh. We are also looking at how to influence other areas. Research we carried out found that in many of the countries we work in, a key issue during the pandemic was getting access to social protection for persons with disabilities.

The successes come from being able to have the data and the evidence. The rights-based approach can be fairly lofty in many of the countries we work in. Even in our country, there is the famous saying from years ago that we cannot eat human rights. This is the reality in many senses. We know human rights are very important but people's experience on the ground is quite different. Influencing is critical in partnership. We have examples we can share with the committee on how this has happened in various countries we work in.

Ms Naughton might be able to speak more on climate change and disaster risk reduction. It is about looking at consultation and bringing people into the responses as they are developed. Covid came and we knew we could not plan for it. We can plan for it happening again with regard to what the response needs to be. We can bring Irish organisations for persons with disabilities into helping shape it. This will be critical. Ms Naughton will speak about good examples of disaster risk reduction and other areas.