Launch of Publications on COVID-19 Response
57-year-old Marietta (left) advocates for inclusive face masks in the Philippines, and sews them to meet demand in the community. This project is supported by CBM's Corona Response Fund and implemented by our local partner, Edmund Rice Ministries.
© CBM
CBM has committed to a process of reflection during the COVID 19 pandemic, drawing from both the lived experiences of people with disabilities and community workers (the PULSE Study), and from a reflection on our own response in support of our community-based partners (Locked Down, Not Locked Out).
As the COVID-19 pandemic has spread around the world, the barriers faced by people with disabilities have grown along with their vulnerabilities. UN agencies, human rights groups and development actors have all recognised the disparity in access to response measures, widening income gaps, particularly affecting people with disabilities among others, and the lop-sided efforts to ensure access to education during the pandemic. Communities and community organisations are at the forefront of the struggle to respond inclusively to the ongoing COVID-19 crisis. The experiences of people with disabilities and their families challenge us all to do better while offering powerful evidence of the strengths and capabilities of community-based organisations.
PULSE Study
The ‘PULSE’ study looks at how people with disabilities and CBID workers in their communities perceived the impact of the pandemic and at the coping mechanisms prevalent at individual, family, and community level. Participants discuss their personal well-being, practical challenges during the pandemic and their coping strategies and reflect on their individual resilience and personal growth.
Access the PULSE Study
Locked Down, Not Locked Out
In ‘Locked Down, Not Locked Out’, CBM’s Community Based Inclusive Development (CBID) team reflects on its mobilisation and guidance to field offices and community-based partners in responding to COVID-19. Case studies from across the world and from our organisation’s response are presented in this document with reflections on key learning from these experiences.
