Consultant
Bio
Author Biography
Lisa Morris is a learning consultant for the development, human rights & environmental rights sectors. Her experience spans capacity strengthening, qualitative research, learning design, learning analysis, learning strategy, and broader MEL. She has a MSC in Human Rights from the London School of Economics, and a BSC in Political Science and Sociology from the University of Birmingham.
Sightsavers
Bio
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.
International Disability Alliance (IDA)
Bio
Author Biography
Amba Salelkar is the Senior Manager for Programs and Impact at the International Disability Alliance (IDA), where she leads initiatives on movement strengthening, inclusive development, and accountability. She previously at the Equals Centre for Promotion of Social Justice in Chennai, focusing on disability law and policy reform in India led by organizations of persons with disabilities. Amba holds a Bachelor’s degree in law from the National Law School of India University, Bengaluru, and is a Chevening Gurukul Fellow. Her research interests include leadership, organizational strengthening and access to justice for persons with disabilities.
UNICEF UK
Bio
Author Biography
Jo Dempster is a Senior Safeguarding Specialist at UNICEF UK, where I focus on developing inclusive safeguarding frameworks. Over the past eight years, I have worked as a consultant on the Disability Inclusive Development (DID) programme with Sightsavers, contributing to multi-country initiatives that advance safeguarding practices for people with disabilities. My expertise centres on youth voice and disability inclusive safeguarding, with extensive experience working internationally and across the UK. I have authored resources for the Safeguarding Resource and Support Hub (RSH) on disability inclusive safeguarding, sharing critical learning and evidence to strengthen safeguarding and protection mechanisms globally.
Volume 57
Number 1
Published: March 16, 2026
Safeguarding refers to specific actions that reduce the risk of abuse, neglect, and harm. It is an essential aspect of all development programming and research, but due to existing social structures and entrenched power inequalities, it is particularly important in development programming and research focused on people with disabilities. This article reflects on implementation experience relating to disability-inclusive safeguarding from the UK aid-funded Disability Inclusive Development Inclusive Futures programme. It details efforts taken to design and implement participatory safeguarding approaches and activities through partnering with Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs). The article unpacks practical examples of inclusive safeguarding while also identifying challenges in forming equitable, proportional partnerships between international non‑governmental organisations (INGOs) and OPDs. It concludes by raising questions about how power, partnerships, sustainability, and solidarity impact on safeguarding for global actors working with locally embedded, under-resourced partners.
