In this episode of Aiding & Abetting, we explore one of the humanitarian sector’s most persistent failures: the exclusion of disabled people and older people from humanitarian response.
Despite years of commitments to inclusion, many humanitarian programmes remain inaccessible, fragmented, and designed around rigid sector-based systems rather than the realities of people’s lives. From inaccessible aid distributions to the failure to adapt services in meaningful ways, this episode examines why disabled people and older people continue to be left behind during crises.
Host and Karama founder Tom Colley is joined by inclusion specialist Diana Tilly, who brings more than 40 years of experience working on disability and inclusion across humanitarian and development contexts.
Together, they discuss the limitations of mainstream humanitarian approaches, the overlap between people’s needs, and what genuinely inclusive humanitarian action could look like in practice.
Learn more about Karama and its work supporting locally led humanitarian responses at: www.karama.org.uk
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