Summary of publication

The Leprosy Mission was contracted by the Rural Water and Sanitation Support Program (RWSSP) to research information available about disability in Timor-Leste. This research and the resulting discussion paper has been prepared by a partnership group comprising The Leprosy Mission Timor-Leste (TLMTL), the Ministry of Social Solidarity Department of Disability and the Elderly (MSSDU) and the Public Sector Capacity Development Program (PSCDP) Disability Service Policy and members of Ra'es Hadomi Timor Oan (RHTO) the National Disabled People's Organisation (DPO) of Timor-Leste.

The objectives of the research were to:

• summarise existing disability data in Timor-Leste.
• emphasise that disability is a RWASH issue.
• highlight the importance of involving people living with disability in RWASH community consultation processes.
• document the:
  • personal stories of people living with disability
  • issues faced in rural communities as they attempt to access water and sanitation facilities
  • extent to which a range of disabilities exist in every community.
• enable RWASH stakeholders to reflect on how:
  • people with disability can benefit from and participate in WASH activities at
    
    community level
  • the whole community can benefit in a range of ways from their involvement
  • to target people living with disability in the process of planning and implementing RWASH programs
  • to include people with disability as part of RWASH social inclusion strategies.

Full publication

Disability and rural water, sanitation and hygiene (RWASH) in Timor-Leste [PDF 2.2 MB]