Action for Change (A4C)

From 2023 to 2025, Blind Youth Association Nepal (BYAN), in partnership with CBM Global UK, implemented the Action for Change (A4C) project to promote inclusive sexual and reproductive health and family planning (SRHR/FP) services for persons with disabilities in Nepal. Implemented across Kathmandu, Bara, and Surkhet, the project empowered persons with disabilities to claim their SRHR rights, strengthened the capacity of Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs), and improved the responsiveness of local health systems. As a result, SRHR knowledge among persons with disabilities increased from 36% to 70%, access to satisfactory services rose from 9% to 63%, and NRs 3.15 million was mobilized from local governments for disability-sensitive programming.

The project also contributed to policy reforms at federal, provincial, and local levels and supported the establishment of model accessible health facilities in the three target districts. These facilities provide inclusive, accessible services, and health providers working in them have been trained to deliver care in a disability-sensitive manner. A key feature of the project was its peer-led approach, in which persons with disabilities themselves shaped the project according to their needs. Peer educators played a central role in normalizing discussions on SRHR, creating safe spaces to talk about sensitive issues, and extending awareness into families and communities. This power-shift modality ensured that the project objectives were fully met while promoting ownership among the participants.

Action for Change also generated important learnings for advancing disability rights, inclusive SRHR, and governance in Nepal. The project demonstrated that inclusive practices such as priority access at health facilities, accessibility audits, and disability-sensitive data collection must be backed by formal policies or standards to become permanent and sustainable. It emphasized the importance of context-specific strategies to address urban-rural disparities and diverse disability profiles, as well as the effectiveness of low-tech, widely accessible communication tools like radio, audio content, and social media videos in reaching persons with disabilities. Moving forward, strengthening local leadership, enhancing the role of BYAN chapters, sensitizing frontline health staff, ensuring representation of diverse impairments, and fostering collaboration with local governments will be critical to sustaining and scaling the gains made under Action for Change.