On Monday 6 April from 11.00-12.30 BST we will be coordinating a Twitter Chat on Disability and COVID-19. To join in please use the hashtag #DisabilityC19. If you want to prepare some answers or find out more about how a Twitter Chat works just follow this link… You are all very welcome, we need to share and learn together.

Expert Tweeters

To help guide the Chat and to offer their wisdom, we have put together a group of Expert Tweeters. We are very grateful that they are involved.

Rasak Adekoya, Sightsavers International

@Iamrasakadekoya

Rasak Adekoya is a social entrepreneur, disability-inclusion and communication specialist. Currently, he works with Sightsavers Nigeria on the DFID Inclusion Works project and serves as the Speaker of the Nigerian Peoples Disability Parliament. Rasak is an author of four books and the co-founder of the African Volunteering Week.

International Disability and Development Consortium

@iddcconsortium

The International Disability and Development Consortium (IDDC) is a network of civil society organisations promoting inclusive international development and humanitarian action with a special focus on the full and effective enjoyment of human rights by all people with disabilities.

Sapana Bista, Liverpool John Moores University

@sapanabasnet

Sapana is an academic and humanitarian health and wellbeing expert who specialises in an inclusive risk assessment, disaster impact analysis and service strengthening during crisis, displacement in terms of disability, gender and marginalised people. She has expertise in participatory visual methods, innovative MEAL tools, and Inclusive Disaster Risk Management.

Shikuku Obosi, Sightsavers International

@ShikukuObosi

Shikuku is an inclusion specialist currently working for Sightsavers International as a Disability Inclusion Technical Advisor. Shikuku has over 15 years’ experience leading disability inclusion projects with INGOs, intergovernmental organizations, bilateral donors and Disabled Peoples Organizations across diverse multi-cultural contexts in over 20 countries across Africa, Asia and Europe. Before taking on the Sightsavers position, Shikuku developed the Africa Union Disability Strategy, the successor framework to the Continental Plan of Action for the second African Decade of Persons with Disabilities (2010-2019). Shikuku has a personal, lived experience of disability discrimination and chairs the Africa Advisory Council for AbleChildAfrica.

International Disability Alliance

@IDA_CRPD_Forum

The International Disability Alliance is an Alliance of 14 global and regional organisations of persons with disabilities. They advocate at the United Nations for a more inclusive global environment for everyone. Since the outbreak of the COVID-19 pandemic, and its disproportionate impact on persons with disabilities, the International Disability Alliance (IDA) has compiled a list of the main barriers that persons with disabilities face in this emergency situation along with some practical solutions and recommendations. IDA has also written an open letter to the Director General of the World Health Organisation, calling for the elimination of discrimination against persons with disabilities in the COVID-19 response. IDA is continuing its advocacy and working with partners to ensure that the COVID-19 response is inclusive of all persons with disabilities. More information can be found at: http://bit.ly/2IYu7VF

Joseph Baraza Etyang, LVCT Health

@josephEtyang7

Joseph Baraza Etyang has 14 years experience on HIV Testing and Counselling/Field Officer 1. He is a founding member and former Leader of Liverpool Coast Deaf VCT Post Test Club -Mombasa. He is now a member of Kilindini HIV Deaf Post Test Club. He also holds among other qualifications; Associate Certified in FP/RH for People Living with HIV, First AID & Safety Studies, TOT of Peer Educators, Gender, sexual and reproductive Health, Alcohol Abuse Intervention for Key Population, CHEW- Community Health Extension Worker, Family Planning Counselling, MTCT of HIV, FMP, Antimicrobial Resistance, Data Quality, IUD, Counselor support supervision and CBHCT.

He was a former Disability Programme Assistant for a year and a half and is currently working at LVCT Health in Nairobi, Kenya. When not working he enjoys to travel, writing articles, research on disability issues and learning new skills.

Gordon Rattray, European Disability Forum

@GordonRattray

European disability Forum (EDF) is the umbrella organisation for disabled people’s organisations in Europe, representing over 100 million people with disabilities. Gordon works for the EDF on international cooperation. They have a comprehensive page of resources on COVID-19.

Wanja Maina

@wanjaah

Wanja Maina is a Kenyan woman with a disability who is 29 years old. She has been in mainstream disability activism for the past 12 years. She is also a feminist.

She is currently coordinating a disability and Covid 19 loose network of 25 organisations of people with disabilities across Kenya (@Covid19PWDsKe). She is a renowned and respected gender and communications practitioner and an award winning positive change agent.

Fatma Haji, Inclusion Africa

@Fatmawangarehaj

Fatma is a mother to a daughter with an intellectual disability, she is the regional coordinator for Inclusion Africa which is a pan African regional network for family- based organizations for persons with intellectual disabilities and their families. She is one of International Disability Alliance BRIDGE-CRPD-SDGs lead trainers in Africa. She has over 10 years’ experience working with persons with intellectual disabilities and their families