This study gives an overview of how disability and ageing issues have been incorporated into water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) programmes. It presents a ‘mainstreaming continuum’ as a conceptual framework to show the different stages organisations go through: from pilot studies and projects, through capacity building and guidelines, to a state in which disability and ageing are fully considered in all work. The different stages on the continuum can be used to acknowledge what has already been achieved, build on progress, and help see what needs to be done to move to the next stage.
The report is in two sections: part one analyses the process of mainstreaming disability and ageing into WASH programmes, and outlines the conceptual framework. Part two is a selection of the examples submitted by different organisations to the study. These are organised thematically, and illustrate different stages of the mainstreaming spectrum.
This document can be used by WASH practitioners to support analysis of mainstreaming disability and ageing in WASH projects, understanding where they need to get to and how they can get there. It is designed to facilitate learning from other practitioners’ experiences of mainstreaming disability and ageing in WASH by using examples from different contexts.
