Moved by Experience: PWD-led Initiative is Building Safe Space for Persons with Disabilities in Borno 

Missing a doctor's appointment has a significant cost. Hospitals lose money and doctors lose time that they could be using to attend to other patients. Dr. Alex King believes that through testing and then implementing certain behavioral nudges, hospitals will stop losing as much money and patients will benefit from a better experience.

A startling 70% of blind persons in the United States are unemployed. The Dallas Lighthouse for the Blind is helping shift the understanding of what types of jobs are available to this population with a revolutionary factory built specifically for its blind employees. Each machine is retrofitted to be used safely and easily, empowering individuals to become more independent. This video takes you inside the factory to meet some of the workers.

Even as several states banned subminimum wages for disabled workers and adopted versions of the "employment-first" legislation in the country, the Center for Human Services became an anomaly when it closed its sheltered workshop programs in Missouri where they find immense support. In the last five years, the non-profit has focused, instead, on helping adults with disabilities gain employment in traditional jobs in their own communities and earn minimal wages.

Enabled to Enable provides vocational skills training to disabled individuals. So far, the skills training has reached about 129 women and girls, empowering them to find jobs and even start their own businesses despite their disabilities.

Sightsavers is an international organization that focuses on the prevention of avoidable blindness and the promotion of equality for people with visual impairments and other disabilities in the workforce through its Inclusion Works project. Since its inception in 2020, Sightsavers has helped more than 200 individuals with visual impairments transition into new employment.

Lately, the notion of being alcohol-free or participating in movements like “dry January” has picked up speed, especially as young people become more aware of the adverse effects of excessive drinking. Bars and companies like Boisson — a dry drinks and mixology shop — sell various alternatives to alcohol ranging from dry wines and beers to spirits made with CBD.

The Damilola Sickle Cell Foundation provides emotional support and resources to people with sickle cell anemia. The group connects with those in need via WhatsApp and provides monetary support, connections to medical attention and treatment, and support from those who understand what it’s like to have the disease. The group has about 200 people that it checks on and provides free medications to each month.

A medical tactile examiner (MTE) is a new, emerging profession for blind and visually impaired women in India and Europe that trains women to give tactile breast examinations to detect signs of breast cancer. The MTE profession originated in Germany but since 2017, 18 MTEs have been trained in India, and have since screened thousands of women and participated in several breast cancer awareness campaigns.

Drug Aid Africa sources unused, unaltered drugs from people who don’t need them anymore and distributes them to people who do need them but can’t afford or access them. Drug Aid Africa provides free routine medications for conditions like sickle-cell anemia, as well as antimalarials, antibiotics and frequent visits to communities where they provide healthcare support and supplies. So far, the organization's efforts have helped more than 10,000 people.

Teams of Community Direct Distributors (CDD) are leading drug distribution campaigns to prevent and eliminate neglected tropical diseases in hard-to-reach, rural areas. These CDDs are members of the community they serve and are trained to educate the locals on disease prevention and administer the drugs themselves. With the CDDs’ help, several states have already eliminated some diseases and greatly reduced the spread of others.