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June Newsletter
Dear friends,
We are delighted to have kicked-off the Lancet Commission on Disability and Health at the World Health Assembly in May. The three co-chairs – Hannah, Tom and Winnie Mpanju-Shumbusho - are so excited to be collaborating with a range of international expert commissioners over the next two years. We will work to consider the health inequalities experienced by people with disabilities, the interventions needed to close the gaps, why this topic is not yet a political priority, and the economic case is for disablity inclusion. The commentary accompanying the announcement provides more information and is available at the (access is free, but you need to register).
Please join us on Monday June 6 (17:30-18:30 at LSHTM) for “Writing disability†- a double launch of books by Dr Grace Spence Green: and Professor Tom Shakespeare: . Grace’s book describes her experience of going from being a medical student, to a patient with a spinal cord injury, and then back to the wards as a doctor. Tom’s book is a work of comic fiction, following on from his first novel , with a protagonist who just happens to be a wheelchair user. We will discuss their books, their views on the portrayal of disability in literature, and more, and will then catch up over drinks. Do join us!
Now is your final chance to register for our new short course “Introduction to Global Disability Issues: Developing Skills in Inclusive Research and Health Practiceâ€, which will run 7-11 July, 2025 (cost £1,200 full fee; £600 for candidates from LMICs – application deadline June 16). This 5-day course will improve the knowledge and skills of professionals on the conduct of research with persons with disabilities and how to use this evidence to advocate for, design and evaluate inclusive health interventions. For more information, contact shortcourses@lshtm.ac.uk.
Finally, this month, Morgon Banks will be at COSP for the new launch of the and joining two side events -which we will be live streaming!
- Measuring and Addressing Disability-Related Costs: Data, Methods, and Policy Implications. Monday 9 June 1000 – 1115 EST / 1500 – 1645 BST. Streaming and other information .
This side event is co-hosted by UNICEF and the World Bank. It will launch methodological guidelines for measuring disability-related extra costs, that were developed collaboratively by UNICEF, the World Bank, ICED and Center for Inclusive Policy.
- Towards the World Social Development Summit: Insights form the Global Disability Inclusion Report on Accelerating Inclusion in a Diverse and Changing World. Wednesday 11 June 1130 – 1245 EST / 1630 – 1745 BST. Streaming and other information .
This side event is hosted by the Permanent Mission of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to the UN. The event will present key findings from the Global Disability Inclusion Report (GDIR), launched at the Global Disability Summit 2025.
Read on for more ICED news!
With best wishes,
Hannah and Tom
is a major ICED project, funded by FCDO, aiming to increase evidence to support disability inclusive development. We will focus on developing people, knowledge and tools. We now have 11 evaluations up and running, across the PENDA programme, working with a wide range of partners.
We are holding two dissemination events of PENDA findings this month – both attended by the legendary Mark Carew! First, he is off to India, to share the findings from the DE-WORM study – which shows that children with disabilities are missing out on school-based health interventions. Then, he is going to Bangladesh, together with Hannah, to present the findings from the Star Plus intervention implemented to support youths with disabilities into employment!
Congratulations to Clarisse Chancele – who successfully defended her PhD in Sociology at the University of Dschang, Cameroon. She was supported by the PENDA programme for doctoral students with disabilities!
Read up on all the above projects and all our other work on our website!Publications
Papers this month from ICED!
Read the commentary in the Lancet on Ҡby the three chairs, Hannah Kuper, Tom Shakespeare and Winnie Mpanju-Shumbusho, on behalf of the Commissioners. It is free to access, but you need to register first.
Tracey Smythe and colleagues published “.†in BMC Medical Education. The paper describes the pilot-testing of a training package on disability, which was co-designed and co-delivered by healthcare workers and people with disabilities.
Nat Scherer, Tracey Smythe, and colleagues published “.†in the Disability and Health Journal. The paper highlights the pervasive stigma and discrimination reported by people with disabilities, which together with limited support and governmental action limits their participation in community life.
An LSHTM team led by Morgon Banks joined international colleagues to publish the paper Ҡin International Journal for Equity in Health. The study found that people with disabilities demonstrated high levels of knowledge about COVID-19 and were willing to adhere to prevention measures, but faced barriers to participation as programmes were largely not inclusive of people with disabilities.
Upcoming Seminars and Events by LSHTM
June 9: 5:30-7:00 p.m. Panel discussion with drinks reception, Manson Theatre, LSHTM, to mark the launch of two books:
- Dr Grace Spence Green: . “A young doctor’s extraordinary story of near-death, recovery and radical acceptanceâ€
- Professor Tom Shakespeare: . “A blissful social comedy, stuffed with cherishable linesâ€
June 11, 1-2 p.m (online only). Webinar from Ubuntu: Ending the exclusion of disabled children: how to set up an inclusive community playscheme. Disability Africa speakers Zuleika Knowles and Lamin Touray. Link here.
Also remember the live-streaming of the two COSP side-events:
- June 9 10:00 – 11:15 EST / 15:00 – 16:45 BST, Measuring and Addressing Disability-Related Costs: Data, Methods, and Policy Implications. Streaming and other information .
- June 11 11:30 – 12:45 EST / 16:30 – 17:45 BST Towards the World Social Development Summit: Insights form the Global Disability Inclusion Report on Accelerating Inclusion in a Diverse and Changing World. Streaming and other information .
You can find all our previous seminars (including the audio recordings and slides) here.
Other webinar series:- The Stellenbosch University Disability Research Hub empowers disability researchers by fostering collaboration and connection. Please join us on the third Thursday of the month at 12noon SAST (10 AM UK time) for our monthly webinar series as we continue creating opportunities to share insights, spark innovation, and build lasting partnerships in the field. Zoom link : Meeting ID: 966 2898 8659 Password: 470627
Other things of interest
- Listen to Andrew Ssemata on the NIHR podcast “Engaging and involving disabled people†– as part of their Community Engagement and Involvement series. In the podcast he joins other panellists and discusses our project in Uganda - (36 minutes).
- You can also listen to Hannah Kuper’s podcast for Business Group on Health on “reducing health barriers for people with disabilities†– (25 minutes).
Work Experience Programme at ICED
We are currently not taking on new candidates.
Have you seen this?
Can’t wait to meet Grace Spence Green at our book launch? Here is an article on her in the and another in the (paywall).
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NIHR Community engagement and involvement (CET) Podcast
Listen to where topics on 'Engaging and involving people with disabilities' will be discussed.
Conference of States Parties (COSP) June 2025
Our own Morgon Banks will be at Conference of States Parties (COSP) for the new launch of the and joining two side events -which we will be live streaming!
- Measuring and Addressing Disability-Related Costs: Data, Methods, and Policy Implications. Monday 9 June 1000 – 1115 EST / 1500 – 1645 BST. Streaming and other information .
This side event is co-hosted by UNICEF and the World Bank. It will launch methodological guidelines for measuring disability-related extra costs, that were developed collaboratively by UNICEF, the World Bank, ICED and Center for Inclusive Policy.
- Towards the World Social Development Summit: Insights form the Global Disability Inclusion Report on Accelerating Inclusion in a Diverse and Changing World. Wednesday 11 June 1130 – 1245 EST / 1630 – 1745 BST. Streaming and other information .
This side event is hosted by the Permanent Mission of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan to the UN. The event will present key findings from the Global Disability Inclusion Report (GDIR), launched at the Global Disability Summit 2025.
Disability-Inclusive Education and Employment
This film presents findings from a research project on Disability-Inclusion in Education and Employment in seven countries in Africa (Ethiopia, Ghana, Kenya, Nigeria, Rwanda, Senegal and Uganda). The film was created with young people with disabilities from Uganda and Ghana who participated in the study.
The research was conducted in partnership with ICED, Mastercard Foundation, the University of Abuja, the University of Ghana, Lifetime Consulting Ltd, Addis Ababa University, University of Nairobi, Global Advocacy and Research Group and MRC/UVRI & LSHTM Uganda Research Group. It was funded by Mastercard Foundation.
Phase 1 study reports, on the policy landscape, are available . Phase 2 reports, based on interviews with young people with disabilities in each country, will follow. A film, about the research findings, created with young people with disabilities who participated in the study can be seen .
COVID-19 Support and Guidance
The situation with COVID-19 is rapidly changing. We have gathered a list of resources about COVID-19 to share with caregivers, children & young people and education, health and social care practitioners to navigate the dynamic situation of the COVID-19 response, and the many impacts that it will have. We hope that they are helpful and we will continue to add new resources as they become available.
- Information on
- Guidelines on
- A range of free digital COVID-19 educational resources for children: ,
- Share your story and contribute to voices of people with disabilities during the COVID-19 outbreak:
- ³¢³§±á°Õ²Ñ’s&²Ô²ú²õ±è;free online course for anyone who is interested to learn about what we know about COVID-19, and how we should respond to the outbreak
- A course that
- Presentation from the International Centre for Evidence in Disability: making the response disability-inclusive
- Paper on what we can
- Working with parent groups – a training resource for facilitators and caregivers
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These manuals (Getting to Know Cerebral Palsy, Juntos and ABAANA EIP) aim to increase knowledge and skills in caring for a child with developmental disabilities. Research highlighted the significant needs of the caregivers, and how they can gain a huge amount of support from meeting with each other in an understanding environment.
It promotes a participatory learning approach with an emphasis on working with groups and the empowerment of parents and caregivers.
“Before, my family and people in my community used to say ‘this child’s suffering is a result of parent’s sin’. After taking the training I have explained what causes cerebral palsy to others. Now, no-one says anything like this.â€
Parent, Sirajganj, Bangladesh
Animated videos on child development and developmental disability
Download and use these animated videos from ICED on child developmental and developmental disability, with versions in English, Portuguese and Spanish. The first of these videos provides information on child development across different domains and considers how this process can be disrupted for some children. The second explores the challenges and barriers in the lives of people with a developmental disability, and how support strategies can help an individual better participate in their community.
Please use these videos in your own teaching, support groups or in any other forum, appropriately acknowledging the International Centre for Evidence in Disability at the °®ÍþÄÌapp of Hygiene & Tropical Medicine.
The videos are available in English, Portuguese (Brazil) and Spanish.
View the English videos below:
View the English videos with subtitles here:
View the Portuguese (Brazil) videos with subtitles here:
View the Spanish videos with subtitles here:
Supporting Families Affected by Zika virus
Children with developmental disabilities and their families
to share ideas, access the latest research, find solutions, meet new people and collaborate on innovative and exciting projects.
Community Ear and Hearing Health Journal
This annual publication promotes good ear and hearing health in low and middle-income countries.
It's a forum for exchanging ideas, experience and information that facilitate continuing education for all levels of health worker. It is delivered to almost 4,000 healthcare providers worldwide. Some issues have been translated into French and Spanish.
- Read previous issues
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- Issue No. 21 (2020) Ear and hearing care in the midst of a pandemic
- Issue No. 20 (2019) Noise-induced hearing loss
- Issue No. 19 (2018) Hearing aid systems in low-resource settings
- Issue No. 18 (2017) Focus: Ear and Hearing Health in Schools
- Issue No. 17 (2016) Common ear conditions underdiagnosed at primary level
- Version Française No. 3 (2021) Soins de l’oreille et de l’audition en temps de pandémie
- Version en Español No. 2 (2021) Cuidado del oÃdo y la audición en media de una pandemia
- Version française No. 2 (2016) Sensibiliser la communauté à la santé de l’oreille et de l’audition
- Version en Español No. 1 (2016) Abordando los problemas de oÃdo
- Version française No. 1 (2015) Lutter contre les affections de l’oreill et de l’audition au niveau primaire
- Issue No. 16 (2015) Testing small children’s hearing with little or no equipment
- Issue No. 15 (2014) Early detection of hearing loss in newborn and preschool children
- Issue No. 14 (2014) Living with hearing impairment
- Issue No. 13 (2013) Increasing community awareness of ear and hearing health
- Issue No. 12 (2012) Addressing ear and hearing problems at primary level
- Issue No. 11 (2011) Projects in the Philippines
- Issue No.10 (2010) Less noisy cities Issue No. 9 (2009) Noise: an ubiquitous pollutant
- Issue No.8 (2008) Tinnitus: a common and manageable complaint
- Issue No.7 (2008) Screening for hearing impairment
- Issue No.6 (2007) Chronic suppurative otitis media: a disease still waiting for solutions
- Issue No.5 (2007) Rehabilitation of the deaf and hard of hearing
- Issue No.4 (2006) Deafness caused by ototoxicity in developing countries
- Issue No.3 (2006) Congenital infections and hearing impairment
- Issue No.2 (2005) Current practice for ear syringing
- Issue No.1 (2004) Congenital deafness in developing countries
Press articles
Read articles on ICED activity in the international press and on SciDev.net. Use disability resources from across the web.
- Read press articles on our work
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- edited by Hannah Kuper and Shaun Grech. July 2017
- , International Institute for Sustainable Development, June 2017
- – Al Jazeera News Hour (live), 18 August 2015
- – The Guardian, 18 August, 2015
SciDev.net columns
- February 2016:
- January 2016:
- December 2015:
- November 2015:
- October 2015:
- September 2015:
- August 2015:
- July 2015:
- June 2015:
- May 2015:
- April 2015:
- March 2015:
- February 2015:
- January 2015:
- December 2014: November 2014:​â¶Ä‹â¶Ä‹â¶Ä‹â¶Ä‹â¶Ä‹â¶Ä‹
Global Health and Disability
All files and contents in this folder are © LSHTM unless otherwise stated. You are welcome to reuse, adapt and share these files for non-commercial teaching and learning purposes without asking for permission. You must acknowledge the International Centre for Evidence in Disability, LSHTM as the original creator and provide a link to our website: . We would also very much appreciate hearing how you are using the content, please let us know at disabilitycentre@lshtm.ac.uk.
- Download full course
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- Download content from each week
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- Week 1: Disability and its importance to the global development agenda
| - Week 2: Health, wellbeing and disability
| - Week 3: Access to health care and rehabilitation services
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- Week 1: Disability and its importance to the global development agenda
- Download individual resources
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Video: Welcome to the course
Week 1: Disability and its importance to the global development agenda
Video: Welcome to week 1
Video & teaching slides: Why does disability matter globally?
Video: Why does disability matter – Personal perspectives
Article: Why does disability matter – individual case studies
Article: Why does disability matter to International Development? Part 1
Article: Nothing about us without us
Video: What does disability mean – personal perspectives
Video: Attitudes to disability
Video: What does disability mean – a framework
Article: Measuring disability: Why would you want to and how do you do it?
Video: What is the relationship between impairments and disability?
Video: what are the common impairments related to disability?
Article: Why does impairment matter?
Video: Summary of week 1
Video: Welcome to week 2