Inclusion and exclusion are constructed

Illustration by Ailadi.

The Innovation Services’s Diversity and Inclusion project “Reflections” advances efforts to drive cultural change within UNHCR and the wider humanitarian eco-system to increase diversity, inclusivity, and gender equity.

The project seeks to dig beneath the surface of our conversations around inclusion to understand how we innovate in the space of inclusion. We have reached out to people inside and outside of UNHCR, where vibrant discussions are ongoing, to find the stories and experiences that support the drive for structural and behavioural change.

The drive for disability inclusion is often held back by several common misconceptions: that disability inclusion is a medical issue, and that disability is grounded in the impairment.

Kirsten advocates a rights-based understanding of disability inclusion, with a focus on creating inclusive environments and tackling prejudices. Covering the challenges ahead from policy to attitudes, this interview makes the case for disability inclusion as a way to enhance innovation and organisational capacity.

“People get very caught up in words. What is important is that we see disability from a rights perspective.”