https://tessapope.journoportfolio.comRSS Feed for Tess PopeenMon, 30 Oct 2023 00:00:00 +0000https://news.trust.org/item/20200819092613-76yzs/R&B singer John Chiti's latest track, "Corona virus", is about the way people with disabilities have been forgotten during the crisis Coronavirus is changing the world in unprecedented ways. Subscribe here for a briefing twice a week on how this global crisis is affecting cities, technology, approaches to climate change, and the lives of vulnerable people. When Zambian musician John Chiti was growing up classmates taunted him, teachers beat him and strangers spat, but the same people who once Mon, 30 Oct 2023 00:00:00 +0000https://news.trust.org/item/20200819092613-76yzs/https://english.ahram.org.eg/News/351289.aspxThousands of children, adults and prison inmates get antibiotic doses to treat and protect from trachoma in Matay, Minya, as part of a national programme to eliminate the health risk Nevertheless, families gathered with their children, knowing the importance of the day and understanding that their eyes — and those of their beloveds — were at stake. The village was brimming with energy, as more than 400 health workers worked with the Ministry of Health and district level bodies, as well as orgaMon, 30 Oct 2023 00:00:00 +0000https://english.ahram.org.eg/News/351289.aspxhttps://news.trust.org/item/20201012113504-16vfo/* Any views expressed in this opinion piece are those of the author and not of Thomson Reuters Foundation. Supporting the one billion people who need eye care will benefit individuals, societies and economies alike By Sumrana Yasmin, Sightsavers’ senior global technical lead for uncorrected refractive error. She is currently seconded to the WHO to support its work in that field. Governments have always known that to give with one hand, they must take away with the other. During the COVID crisFri, 27 Oct 2023 00:00:00 +0100https://news.trust.org/item/20201012113504-16vfo/https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3cszds8Jalikatu Mustapha is one of just four eye doctors in the whole of Sierra Leone. Her work was recently recognised by Queen Elizabeth II. Jalikatu shared an online chat with the British monarch in which she described how simple operations are changing lives in her country. But Jalikatu’s life almost took a very different course. She was a child during the Sierra Leone civil war, her family nearly lost their lives in a gun battle in a hotel. Her father, a leading economist of the time, had been askFri, 27 Oct 2023 00:00:00 +0100https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3cszds8https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct4tvbIn many societies there are misconceptions about disability and sex. Beatriz de la Pava meets two activists from Pakistan and Nigeria who break taboos and help disabled women access family planning services. Abia Akram is chief executive of the National Forum of Women with Disabilities in Pakistan. She was on the BBC's 100 Women list in 2021 and has spoken out about the unique disability challenges faced by women in Pakistan. Abia is also a trustee with international charity Sightsavers. Lois Fri, 27 Oct 2023 00:00:00 +0100https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/w3ct4tvbhttps://www.bmj.com/content/383/bmj.p2395In May this year, G7 leaders made an unusually political statement denouncing the “well coordinated and funded rollback on gender and rights movements at country and multilateral levels.”1 More than ever—and contrary to what we are seeing happen around the globe—we need to focus on public health policy that protects women’s rights to sexual and reproductive health. This is especially important for women with disabilities who have been largely neglected in this area. I work in Nigeria, a regionWed, 18 Oct 2023 00:00:00 +0100https://www.bmj.com/content/383/bmj.p2395https://punchng.com/world-contraception-day-sightsavers-calls-for-disability-inclusive-sexual-health-family-planning/An international non-governmental organisation, Sightsavers Nigeria, has called for the inclusion of people with disabilities in sexual health and family planning services. The organisation made the call on Tuesday in commemoration of the World Contraceptive Day. World Contraception Day takes place on September 26th every year to highlight the importance of contraception and family planning. The NGO in a statement said, “West Africa has one of the lowest rates of contraception use in the worlMon, 25 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0100https://punchng.com/world-contraception-day-sightsavers-calls-for-disability-inclusive-sexual-health-family-planning/https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2023/sep/13/a-fire-inside-me-the-zambian-singer-who-overcame-prejudice-to-change-attitudes-to-albinismThere’s a painful scene in Netflix’s new drama, Can You See Us?, when the protagonist, Joseph, is attacked by men who pin him down and hack at his leg with a knife. John Chiti, the man on whom Joseph is based, remembers this incident well. It happened when he was 15 and walking home with a friend after playing football in the Copperbelt province in Zambia. The men who attacked him had been tracking his movements for some time. Chiti screamed and his friend shouted. Passersby heard the noise anWed, 13 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0100https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2023/sep/13/a-fire-inside-me-the-zambian-singer-who-overcame-prejudice-to-change-attitudes-to-albinismhttps://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2023/09/10/1198675534/a-new-netflix-film-follows-a-boy-growing-up-with-albinism-in-zambiaHe's a singer, a cop and the inspiration for a Netflix film about albinism in Africa The day John Chiti was born was a difficult one for his family in Zambia. "They were shocked and they were confused because I was born different," he says. Chiti was born with albinism, a congenital condition of having no pigment in the skin or hair, which appear white. His family "didn't understand how come Black people can have a white child," Chiti says. "Maybe my mother had an affair with a white man. Or Sun, 10 Sep 2023 00:00:00 +0100https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2023/09/10/1198675534/a-new-netflix-film-follows-a-boy-growing-up-with-albinism-in-zambiahttps://www.alliancemagazine.org/blog/philanthropic-commitments-are-important-for-an-inclusive-future/This year is an important moment to consider steps forward to reduce poverty and inequality across the world, including efforts to support the hard-to-reach, ‘last mile’ communities. Governments are responsible for delivering this change, but it requires partnership, and the philanthropic sector can play an important role. There is a lack of funding directed to disability inclusion. Grants for people with disabilities constitute just 3 percent of all human rights funding from foundations, even Mon, 28 Aug 2023 00:00:00 +0100https://www.alliancemagazine.org/blog/philanthropic-commitments-are-important-for-an-inclusive-future/https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/sustainable-development-goals-disabilityGrowing up as a girl with a disability in Pakistan, I knew that my opportunity to go to an inclusive school and progress to university was unusual. For many children with disabilities, particularly girls, intersecting stigma and discrimination means that they are regularly excluded from learning or even seen as not worth educating. Children are sometimes hidden at home or protected by their parents, either viewed as a curse from God, or some kind of special blessing. Or, more mundanely, schools Wed, 23 Aug 2023 00:00:00 +0100https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/sustainable-development-goals-disabilityhttps://www.bond.org.uk/news/2023/08/the-missing-children-why-we-urgently-need-an-inclusive-approach-to-education-in-emergencies/As we cross the halfway mark of 2023, the world has already been rocked by several major humanitarian crises that have impacted children’s education. From the devastating earthquakes in Türkiye and Syria, the escalating conflict in Sudan, and the hunger crisis in East Africa, to more localised and targeted situations such as the terrifying school attacks in Western Uganda or the ongoing ban on girls’ education in Afghanistan. These emergencies follow in the wake of protracted war in Ukraine, thMon, 07 Aug 2023 00:00:00 +0100https://www.bond.org.uk/news/2023/08/the-missing-children-why-we-urgently-need-an-inclusive-approach-to-education-in-emergencies/https://theophthalmologist.com/business-profession/all-inclusive-healthcareAs Global Technical Lead for Inclusive Health at Sightsavers, I have had the privilege of seeing the positive difference that accessible healthcare can make in an individual’s life. In Bangladesh, for example, where we ran our Right to Health project, we met a woman named Shamima who had hearing and speech difficulties, and relied heavily on sight to communicate – her family had even created their own sign language to communicate with her. However, Shamima’s vision was rapidly deteriorating, andSun, 30 Jul 2023 00:00:00 +0100https://theophthalmologist.com/business-profession/all-inclusive-healthcarehttps://www.devex.com/news/opinion-why-a-feminist-accessibility-protocol-is-vital-to-development-105929We are tired of still having to ask for equal access to feminist and development spaces – this month’s Women Deliver conference is an opportunity to change this. Sign in or create a free account to read the rest. Not only will you get to finish this article, you will also unlock access to community content from our global team of journalists covering the latest global health, humanitarian aid and international development news. And it's totally free. Join usSign in Printing articles to share wiThu, 20 Jul 2023 00:00:00 +0100https://www.devex.com/news/opinion-why-a-feminist-accessibility-protocol-is-vital-to-development-105929https://nation.africa/kenya/blogs-opinion/blogs/stakeholders-must-protect-everyone-s-right-to-work-4295620Bindra: We can be true to ourselves even as we thrive in a groupThu, 06 Jul 2023 00:00:00 +0100https://nation.africa/kenya/blogs-opinion/blogs/stakeholders-must-protect-everyone-s-right-to-work-4295620https://www.bmj.com/content/381/bmj.p1440When the covid-19 restrictions took effect in Senegal, Fatima (not her real name) found herself unable to understand much of what was happening. Besides the news on the radio, all other information, including on registering for a vaccination, was inaccessible to her as a blind person. She was isolated in her home, scared, and it was difficult to find someone to guide her outside, as the fears of infection were so great. Fatima is just one of the millions of people who have been left without adeFri, 23 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0100https://www.bmj.com/content/381/bmj.p1440https://documentwomen.com/a-trailblazing-voice-for-inclusion-a-conversation-with-abia-akram-disability-activist-and-sightsavers-trusteeA Trailblazing Voice for Inclusion - A conversation with Abia Akram, Disability Activist and Sightsavers Trustee Abia Akram is based Pakistan and is a trustee on Sightsavers UK Board. She is also the Project Director for the Special Talent Exchange Programme, a cross-disability organization; CEO of the National Forum of Woman with Disability; World Member for the Asia Pacific Woman, Law and Development Organization; Global Chair for the Global Forum on the Leadership of Women and Girls with DisFri, 09 Jun 2023 00:00:00 +0100https://documentwomen.com/a-trailblazing-voice-for-inclusion-a-conversation-with-abia-akram-disability-activist-and-sightsavers-trusteehttps://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2023/05/13/1174089463/when-getty-began-losing-her-vision-as-a-girl-she-was-told-her-life-was-over-wronShe's a U.N. disability advocate who won't see her own blindness as a disability Years ago, when some family and community members learned that young Gertrude Oforiwa Fefoame was losing her vision, they lamented, "How will you be anything in the future? Oh my Lord, is this the end for you?" It was not. This year, Fefoame, now age 65, became the chair of the United Nations Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), a group that protects and advocates for the rights of people Sat, 13 May 2023 00:00:00 +0100https://www.npr.org/sections/goatsandsoda/2023/05/13/1174089463/when-getty-began-losing-her-vision-as-a-girl-she-was-told-her-life-was-over-wronhttps://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2023/mar/28/disabled-people-are-lost-and-excluded-when-disasters-hit-says-un-advocatePeople with disabilities are most at risk and last to be looked for in disasters like earthquakes and floods, a UN official has said. A lack of available data means they remain “lost and excluded” from rescue operations, said Gertrude Fefoame, the new chair of the UN committee on the rights of persons with disabilities. “Covid exposed us to devastation. As if that is not enough, there are more and more issues around disasters, conflicts, health, the environment. People with disabilities, especTue, 28 Mar 2023 00:00:00 +0100https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/2023/mar/28/disabled-people-are-lost-and-excluded-when-disasters-hit-says-un-advocatehttps://africanarguments.org/2022/05/we-cannot-keep-leaving-women-with-disabilities-behind-in-leadership/I know first-hand the difference that having women at the table can make. “Women hold up half the sky, but they usually do not occupy half of the seats in the positions of influence” – Marcia VJ Cran, member of UN Human Rights committee. One in five women worldwide have a disability. Yet 15 years after 180 countries adopted the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, we are still among the most marginalised and poorest in society, often experiencing dual discrimination. It’sWed, 04 May 2022 00:00:00 +0100https://africanarguments.org/2022/05/we-cannot-keep-leaving-women-with-disabilities-behind-in-leadership/https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/commentisfree/2022/mar/03/abbas-karimi-swimming-sport-opportunities-disabled-people-deserve-opportunitiesIn most cases, the birth of a child is a celebration. It is an opportunity to rejoice in the excitement of what that child will be or could become – that child is a gift. But when I was born, my family cried. They cried with sorrow and they cried with fear. Because those, like me, born with a disability, are not perceived as a gift or as special, they are considered different. In many parts of the world, different is not considered a good thing: it can even be perilous. I was born in AfghanistaThu, 03 Mar 2022 00:00:00 +0000https://www.theguardian.com/global-development/commentisfree/2022/mar/03/abbas-karimi-swimming-sport-opportunities-disabled-people-deserve-opportunitieshttps://africanarguments.org/2022/02/people-with-disabilities-have-been-forgotten-not-any-more/This is the year to take real action on disability rights in Africa, starting by ratifying the ADP. This week, the governments of Ghana and Norway are co-hosting the second ever Global Disability Summit. On 16-17 February, the gathering will aim to address the needs of the more than 1 billion people with disabilities around the world, 80% of whom live in developing countries. As a woman from Ghana who has grown up with a severe visual impairment, experienced stigma and discrimination, and spentTue, 15 Feb 2022 00:00:00 +0000https://africanarguments.org/2022/02/people-with-disabilities-have-been-forgotten-not-any-more/https://www.charitycomms.org.uk/accessible-communications-a-starting-point-for-fostering-more-inclusive-comms?Getting started on the accessible comms journey Why are we talking about it? Ensuring we create communications with accessibility in mind is vital to inclusive comms. No one should be excluded because of accessibility needs and as communicators we have a big role to play in ensuring this does not happen. As Leonard Cheshire’s, Erin O’Reilly, says: “Accessibility should not be something people have to search for. It should be standard”. At its core this means respecting and understanding that peoFri, 12 Nov 2021 00:00:00 +0000https://www.charitycomms.org.uk/accessible-communications-a-starting-point-for-fostering-more-inclusive-comms?https://www.globalheroes.com/taonere-banda-the-paralympian-fighting-for-children-with-disabilities-to-be-educated/Taonere then didn’t get the chance to go back to school until she was ten, and once there she was not allowed to join in with sports classes. “I never took part in athletics at school because most of the teachers were looking for people without a disability. They’d say, ‘no, you can’t do this. You cannot run with this condition’. So, I had to hide my passions”. Malawi is one of the world’s poorest countries. Almost 85 per cent of the population lives in remote, rural communities. Many childrenThu, 07 Oct 2021 00:00:00 +0100https://www.globalheroes.com/taonere-banda-the-paralympian-fighting-for-children-with-disabilities-to-be-educated/https://metro.co.uk/2021/09/03/even-though-my-school-excluded-me-from-sport-i-got-to-the-paralympics-15157789/It was difficult for me to get an education as a child growing up with a disability in Malawi. When I was only one week old, my mother noticed there was something wrong with my eyes. She learned that I had developed cataracts, but there was only one paediatric eye surgeon in the whole country so I was not able to get the sight-saving operation that I needed. My vision is very limited, and I can only see objects that are incredibly close to my eyes. Everything else, I cannot see properly. My gFri, 03 Sep 2021 00:00:00 +0100https://metro.co.uk/2021/09/03/even-though-my-school-excluded-me-from-sport-i-got-to-the-paralympics-15157789/https://www.voanews.com/a/episode_malawis-top-blind-athlete-trains-paralympic-comeback-4767581/6117970.htmlVisually impaired athlete Taonere Banda was Malawi's first Paralympian to compete at the Games and is now training for the Tokyo Paralympics, which begin August 24. The 25-year-old runner is also supporting a campaign to ensure children with disabilities, especially girls, aren’t left behind in education. Lameck Masina reports from Zomba, Malawi.Thu, 05 Aug 2021 00:00:00 +0100https://www.voanews.com/a/episode_malawis-top-blind-athlete-trains-paralympic-comeback-4767581/6117970.htmlhttps://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000xdryOur vision is of a world where no one is blind from avoidable causes (like trachoma), and where people with disabilities participate equally in society. We work in over 30 countries worldwide – mainly across Africa and Asia, and with the help of our partners, distribute treatments to prevent disease, carry out eye operations, advocate for disability rights and improve health services to create sustainable development projects. Trachoma is avoidable and treatable yet is still the leading infectiThu, 01 Jul 2021 00:00:00 +0100https://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/m000xdryhttps://www.devex.com/news/opinion-how-to-reach-children-with-disabilities-during-school-closures-97742The world is experiencing one of the biggest disruptions in the history of education, with more than 1 billion children prevented from getting the education they need due to the coronavirus. Marginalized groups are particularly affected. According to the World Bank, children with disabilities, especially girls, are the most excluded from education all over the world and this risk is even higher during crises. Without immediate support both during and following school lockdowns, many children wiTue, 28 Jul 2020 00:00:00 +0100https://www.devex.com/news/opinion-how-to-reach-children-with-disabilities-during-school-closures-97742https://theophthalmologist.com/business-profession/charity-versus-covid-19My personal and professional life in Nigeria has changed drastically since COVID-19 became a part of it. As with other African countries, the threat raised the spectre of massively overwhelmed health systems, huge morbidity and mortality rates, leading to panic and major social upheaval. As people in Nigeria’s largest city, Lagos, and the capital, Abuja, began getting ill with COVID-19 and as community transmission became evident, steps had to be taken to minimize the scale and impact of the comMon, 18 May 2020 00:00:00 +0100https://theophthalmologist.com/business-profession/charity-versus-covid-19https://www.devex.com/news/results-in-rural-india-offer-window-into-what-works-to-fight-blindness-96264NEW YORK — Eye care education of untrained health practitioners has helped cut cases of blindness in half in the Sundarbans, one of India’s poorest and least accessible regions, according to new research by vision nonprofit Sightsavers. “The ‘Seeing is Believing’ research proves what is possible in just a few years with the right approach. Five years ago, there were almost no easily accessible quality eye care facilities in the region, but now some of the Sundarbans’ most disadvantaged people kMon, 06 Jan 2020 00:00:00 +0000https://www.devex.com/news/results-in-rural-india-offer-window-into-what-works-to-fight-blindness-96264