Completed WHO Europe - Inclusive and accessible public health messages about COVID-19

About the project
The purpose of the project was to make key WHO public health messages more accessible to persons with disabilities, using the urgency of the COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity to install this vital feature into all communications as the norm.
The deliverables clearly focused on COVID19 response and risk communication for persons with disabilities, emergency response-oriented, and country focus. It is ‘easy to use’ for countries in their COVID-19 response.
The public health messages focused on responding to the 2nd wave of C0VID-19, having identified best practices during the first wave to better include persons with disabilities.

Videos & Guidance notes
1) Disability-inclusive information during COVID-19 by WHO Europe and European Disability Forum 
How can Disabled Persons Organisations and governments make key WHO public health messages more accessible to persons with disabilities? We use the urgency of the COVID-19 pandemic as an opportunity to install this vital feature into all communications as the norm. Informed by persons with disabilities, the animated video detail best practices to ensure that vital information reaches everyone.

2) Visibility and participation of persons with disabilities in the COVID-19 response
Informed by persons with disabilities, the animated video detail best practices to ensure that everyone is considered and included in the COVID-19 response, making sure that no one is left behind.

• Guidance note for DPOs (English version) (Russian version)
• Guidance note for Health Ministries (English version) (Russian version)

The videos are also available on WHO EURO website

The deliverables were in line with the following:
1. UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD)
2. UNSG policy brief on disability (with an emphasis on the brief’s health section).
3. Specific WHO technical guidelines on Disability and COVID 19: rehabilitation guidelines, and COVID 19 and disability guidance: WHO Disability Consideration on COVID-19

Timeframe
The project was completed between September 2020 to April 2021.

References

Contact

Marion Steff, International Cooperation Manager: marion.steff@edf-feph.org