Water and Sanitation for All in emergency operations Oslo Conference Hazel Jones May 2011 Introduce WEDC

Water and sanitation service providers: Providing access to safe water supply and adequate sanitation for the affected population Key word is access Let’s take a step back and examine the context – working environment (Photo: Handicap International Sri Lanka)

Who are the affected population? This conference is about people with disabilities, but my talk is about a wider population scope: Anyone who for whatever reason may experience difficulty getting to a facility, getting into it or onto it, or using it People who have difficulty accessing and using existing facilities for whatever reason, e.g. Disabled people Frail elderly people People with chronic (long-term) medical conditions People who are sick or injured (temporary) Small children Women whilst heavily pregnant or menstruating Overweight people This is actually a majority of the population Improving access is not technically difficult – technology not complicated They’ve just not thought about it Many examples presented are of disabled people, as they have the most severe difficulties. I want to point out that if we find a solution or approach that benefits disabled people, many others will automatically also benefit.

Who are the WATSAN service providers? Usually young, male, newly qualified engineers Little supervision Technology focused rather than people-centred Forget about users & their range of needs Young engineers fit active & enthusiastic Training is technology focused Difficult for them to put themselves in shoes of users who may have a wide range of needs;

How to help WATSAN engineers think about the needs of users? In other words, how to help them do their job better?

Promote collaboration between WASH sector & disability sector At different levels: Field level advocacy Through WASH cluster With individual relief agencies Promote collaboration between WASH sector & disability sector - Mostly about process – often needs mediator/facilitator who understands both sectors. Remind engineers to think about users, not only about the stuff Don’t talk about disability access, talk about access for all.

Field level advocacy 1. Field level advocacy – ask how a wheelchair user/small child/ heavily pregnant woman will get into this latrine? (Accessibility audit approach) Make technical people aware that stuff they build is to be used by people. If some people can’t use it they’ve not done their job properly

Work through WASH cluster Take SPHERE principles & translate into practical guidance Ensure representation of appropriate agencies (DPOs, disability NGOs, older people’s associations, etc.) 2. Work through WASH cluster – co-ordinating structure of main WATSAN agencies, pull people from Multiple organisations together around a common issue. Take SPHERE principles – discuss in clusters – get disability org /DPO reps in clusters) raise awareness & provide solutions - get the big players to agree, and smaller orgs are likely to follow their lead Donors can prompt agencies to consider accessibility

Sphere Guidance on Sanitation Excreta disposal standard 2: People have adequate, appropriate and acceptable toilet facilities, sufficiently close to their dwellings, to allow rapid, safe and secure access at all times, day and night. Key action Consult and secure approval of all users (especially women and people with limited mobility) on the siting, design and appropriateness of sanitation facilities

Essential & ideal elements for toilets Essential elements Users (especially women) have been consulted on the location & design of the toilet. Public toilets are designed, built & located such that: at least 1 cubicle in 20 can be used by vulnerable sections of the population, including older people, pregnant women, physically & mentally disabled people & those with HIV; they allow for the disposal of women’s sanitary protection. All toilets are designed, constructed and located such that they minimise the threats to users, especially women and girls, day and night; they provide privacy in line with the norms of the users, a cubicle with a lockable door;

Essential & ideal elements for toilets Toilets on resettlement sites are no more than 50m from the designated families that use them and are accessible in safety by all the users. Public toilets are designed, built and located such that: at least one cubicle in 5 can be used by vulnerable sections of the population, including, older people, pregnant women physically and mentally disabled people and those infected with HIV/AIDS; at least one cubicle in 10 is appropriate for the use of small children;

Provide information about technology options This latrine unit in a makeshift hospital in Pakistan was designed with double space to allow for wheelchair access. The unit had tarpaulin fixed over the wooden planks for ease of cleaning. A commode chair should be located over the squat hole. (Photo: Sarah House) (Photo: Saira Raza)

Coping with raised toilets Entrance platform for raised latrines Toilet with poor access (urine diversion toilet)

Getting in Movable ramp Level access to raised toilet

Collaborate with individual relief agencies to develop accessible designs to construct and assess different designs to provide training for relief agency staff Develop accessible designs – best done when not in the middle of emergencies Construct and assess: key word assess

Additional steps Informal stakeholder meeting for PWD & families Select spokespersons for PWD Raise issue of PWD with Chief Attends Family members attend Attend water point locations Join if have suitable skills Community meeting Form working groups Participatory analysis Technical appraisal Community plan Existing CAP process Committee formed Informal stakeholder groups Draft process for involving people with disabilities in rural Consultation & Planning (Timor Leste) Most of these examples are from emergency response But all these principles continue to apply during the later reconstruction phase. Consultation – “Nothing about us without us” – already talked about accessibility audits as a practical tool for encouraging dp & engineers to problem solve together. Here’s an ex from E Timor. Consultation processes exist for planning watsan – especially water. How should dp get involved?

Advocacy Messages We want to help you do your job better Talk about access for all (majority issue) rather than disability access Provide information about simple solutions Make technical people aware that stuff they build is to be used by people. If some people can’t use it they’ve not done their job properly

Examples of training Inclusive design incorporated into MSF training Webinar for UNICEF on accessible school sanitation Mixed mode training for WaterAid (distance learning/ online discussion/ workshop E-learning course: Humanitarian Engineering for Development & Disasters