South Sudan — Disability & Inclusion Survey Wau PoC AA (2019)

The International Organization for Migration’s Displacement Tracking Matrix (IOM DTM) and Humanity & Inclusion (HI) joined efforts to undertake an assessment of the level of access to services and the barriers faced by persons with disabilities within Wau Protection of Civilian Adjacent Area site (PoC AA or PoC site henceforth). The study, based on data collected in February 2019, aims to improve the knowledge base available to the humanitarian community about access to services by persons with disabilities living in the PoC site. It provides a quantitative estimate of the prevalence of disabilities among the IDP population and an assessment of the barriers faced by persons with disabilities in accessing humanitarian services across sectors. It also seeks to empower persons with disability living within the PoC site, giving them the opportunity to express their concerns and preferences with regards to possible solutions and targeted interventions. It is hoped that the resulting data will help camp management and other service providers operating within Wau PoC AA site, including IOM, to better account for the concerns and needs of persons with disability in humanitarian programming and service delivery.

KEY FINDINGS

• 14.4% of survey respondents are persons with disabilities as identified by the Washington Group Short Set of Questions, while an estimated 18.7% of households include at least one member with a disability.
• The main reported barriers hampering access to services by persons with disabilities were distance to the service points (45.3%), lack of information (42.3%), lack of physical access (19.7%) and discrimination/harassment (16.8%).
• A quarter of respondents reported fearing forms of physical abuse when accessing services (24.8%). Changing the location of services was most popular among potential solutions to improve safety (32.1%).
• Among basic services, access to livelihoods, NFI and food distribution, toilets and sanitation, medication and general health services present particular challenges for persons with disabilities.
• Many persons with disabilities living in Wau PoC AA site lack access to the specialised services and assistive devices they need.