Angeline Chand is the Team Leader of Programs with the Pacific Disability Forum (PDF) and has worked with the organization since 2009 to develop the capacity of disabled people’s organizations (DPOs) across the Pacific. The PDF is the regional focal point on disability issues and supports national DPOs and other stakeholders to ensure that people with disabilities live in inclusive, barrier-free and rights-based societies across the region.

Explaining the challenges facing people with disabilities in humanitarian settings, Angeline says that “evacuation centres are often not accessible, assistive devices support services are not available, and personnel at centres are not trained to support persons with disabilities. There is greater risk for women and girls with intellectual and psycho-social disabilities”, she continues “as professionals do not know how to support them, and the community often takes advantage of them.”

“There is greater risk for women and girls with intellectual and psycho-social disabilities, as professionals do not know how to support them, and the community often takes advantage of them” 

Shifting the Power Coalition is a feminist network of humanitarian organizations in the Pacific region, committed to promoting women’s leadership and inclusion of disabled people in humanitarian action. Since 2016, the Coalition has brought together 13 organizations across six countries to ensure that women take their rightful place at the head of emergency responses, and that the needs of women, girls and vulnerable members of the communities are at the heart of these responses. The work of the Coalition is supported by a network of national focal points.Find out more about the Shifting the Power Coalition via Our Webiste or follow Official Facebook Page