Author Biography

Johannes Trimmel is Programme Director, Disability Inclusive Development, Sightsavers, leading the team managing the FCDO funded Disability Inclusive Development Inclusive Futures programme. In the past 20+ years his focus in international development have been disability rights and inclusive health systems – amongst others as Director Advocacy at the International Agency for the Prevention of Blindness and Director for International Programme Support and Policies at Light for the World. Past voluntary roles are President of CONCORD (European NGDO Confederation, 2014-2020), Member of the ‘Universal Health Coverage 2030’ Civil Society Advisory Group (2017-2020), and Chair of the International Disability and Development Consortium (2005-2010).

Author Biography

Claire Walsh is currently the Deputy Programme Director of the Disability Inclusive Development programme at Sightsavers. Previous roles focused on monitoring, evaluation and learning and organisational change. She has close to 20 years of experience working in the international development sector across West and East Africa and India, Bangladesh and Nepal on disability inclusion, education, health and livelihoods programmes. She holds a master’s degree in public policy from Simon Fraser University, Canada.

Author Biography

José María Viera is a globally recognised leader in disability rights and inclusive development, with more than 25 years’ experience shaping policy, strengthening movements, and advancing disability-inclusive development worldwide.

As Executive Director of the International Disability Alliance (IDA), he leads a global network representing over 5,000 Organisations of Persons with Disabilities across 182 countries, ensuring that the leadership and priorities of persons with disabilities inform global development agendas. He represents persons with disabilities at the United Nations as Permanent Representative of the UN Stakeholder Group for the Sustainable Development Goals and co-chairs the Global Action on Disability (GLAD) Network.

Previously, José served as CEO of the World Blind Union, where he played a key role in advancing the global implementation of the WIPO Marrakesh Treaty.

Grounded in his lived experience as a person with a disability, his leadership is driven by a commitment to turning global commitments into tangible change.