During a powerful workshop on Enhancing Disability Inclusion in Humanitarian Interventions, yesterday, our team member gained profound insight. She shared that, “Disability isn’t the impairment itself. Disability happens when an impairment meets barriers.”
This realization reshaped her perspective. An impairment may affect a person’s body or mind, but disability arises when environments, societies, or systems fail to accommodate it. Inaccessible buildings, inadequate communication, and limiting beliefs create barriers, not the person.
As advocates, it is our collective responsibility to remove these physical, attitudinal, communication-based, and institutional barriers. By doing so, individuals with impairments can thrive without being disabled by exclusion.
The workshop also highlighted the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), emphasizing that inclusion is a fundamental right, not a privilege.
At Mike Yanou Foundation, we are committed to applying these lessons in our humanitarian, educational, and advocacy efforts, ensuring no one is left behind.
We are grateful to Revive Action Cameroon, Presbyterian Church in Cameroon – Presbyterian Community Rehabilitation Services (PCC-PCRS), and Christian Blind Mission (CBM) for this impactful workshop.
This was only Day 1, and we are eager to learn more and continue our journey toward inclusivity.
