AESI Approach
Disability
Rights Watch will use the AESI (Access and Empowerment for Social Inclusion)
approach in all its work. It will use the AESI approach to plan, implement,
monitor and evaluate all its work. The AESI approach is a twin-track approach
that will be used to achieve effective social inclusion of persons with
disabilities in society. The twin-track
approach means that DRW will ensure public service providers mainstream their
facilities and services to enhance access by all categories of persons with
disabilities while at the same time Disabled People’s Organisations (DPOs) are
empowered with strategic advocacy skills to effectively influence policy and practice
change.
AESI and the
twin-track approach
Access
DRW will be
engaged in strategic advocacy at global, regional, sub-regional and national
level to ensure full and effective inclusion of persons with disabilities in
development. DRW will work with DPOs, DPO Networks at all levels, INGOs and
other Civil Society Organisations in advocacy work. It will ensure women and
children participate in matters that or may affect them. It will also ensure
persons with psycho-social and intellectual disabilities participate on an equal
basis with other people. The purpose of this strategic advocacy is to ensure
that all public services and facilities are accessible to persons with
disabilities and that persons with disabilities can access the same services
and facilities on an equal basis with others.
DRW will use the
following advocacy strategic approaches: rational; collaborative; pressure; strategic
litigation.
Empowerment
DRW will build
the capacity of DPOs to be able to carry out effective strategic advocacy work at
national and community level. DRW will deliberately target DPOs that have a
direct link with their individual members, beneficiaries and communities. It will
build the capacity of these DPOs in: strategic advocacy; resource mobilisation;
reporting; organisational management.
January, 2015.
