On December 06, 2024, The Eastern Development Initiative (EDI) initiated a transformative project in Dire Dawa to improve access to infrastructure in roads and buildings for persons with disabilities. The event brought together various stakeholders, including representatives from government institutions, civil society organizations, and influential community members.
The aim of the project is to enable public and private service providers in Dire Dawa city to provide services in road and building works that are accessible, inclusive and equitable for persons with disabilities, said the organization’s director, Ato Girma Tufa.
To ensure that construction and road works in Dire Dawa are carried out in a manner that is convenient for persons with disabilities, the Eastern Development Initiative, in collaboration with the Ethiopian Civic Engagement Organization, has introduced the project.
The initiative, developed in partnership with the Ethiopian Civic Engagement Organization and supported by USAID, aims to:
- Strengthen the capacity of civic actors to engage in policy analysis, advocacy, dialogue and collective action on service provider’s
- Foster civic actors’ and multi-stakeholders’ network, collaboration and partnership to promote inclusive and sustainable service providers
It was mentioned during the discussion that while infrastructure is being built, persons with disabilities should be considered to provide long-term answers to the problems they encounter and enable them to receive the proper protection and care.
Participants also engaged in substantive discussions on how different sectors can collectively contribute to create a more inclusive and equitable access to infrastructures so that PWDs can contribute their best to the economic, social and political development of the nation.