4.5.4 Results
Participation in the PRS process was and still is a learning process for the stakeholders. Although the project was initiated by an INGO, the Cambodian disability stakeholders – especially the members of the NSDP Inclusive Committee – took over responsibility for the lobbying and advocacy work step by step. Gradually the committee members incorporated lobbying and advocacy work for an inclusive PRS into their normal activities.
The inclusion of disability aspects into the monitoring statement of the NGO Forum represented a clear success. It was also broadly visible, as the statement was forwarded to many donor organisations, governmental institutions and civil society organisations.
On community level, the awareness of the authorities was also increased through the micro projects. Several community bodies signalled that they plan to include disability aspects in their commune development plans (CDPs). Most of these projects have succeeded in establishing regular consultations and discussions with the commune councils. Although this relationship has just been built up, the problems and needs of the local persons with disabilities are recognised and considered at length. Several prompt actions by the commune councils regarding persons with disabilities were taken, such as a call for persons with disabilities to participate in some vocational training programmes at the provincial or district training centres; the certification of persons with disabilities as poor citizens with free access to health centres; and messages to reduce discrimination against persons with disabilities and encouraging them to participate in socio-economic activities.
