Disability Inclusion Matters: Staff voice from Mongolia

“Disability Inclusion Matters: Leaving No One Behind, Empowering Unity, Achieving More” is an internal RC system campaign aimed at celebrating and recognizing the crucial roles played by our colleagues with disabilities and the importance of each of us taking concrete steps to make the RC system more inclusive of persons with disabilities. This campaign is called for under the UN Disability Inclusion Strategy and outlined in DCO’s Disability Inclusion Strategy 2022-2025  to raise awareness and change attitudes and understandings around disability inclusion.

Suvd Bold, UNV Humanitarian Affairs Officer, RCO Mongolia 
 

What does working for the RC system mean to you?

I work at the RC office in Mongolia as a humanitarian affairs officer. It's been exactly two years since I joined the office. It's great to be a part of this system. I have the opportunity to communicate broadly with all UN agencies within the country and globally. My central role is coordinating all humanitarian needs and support within the country, in alignment with the Government of Mongolia. 

What are you most passionate about your job?

Since attending university, I always wanted to work at the UN. I was drawn by the humanitarian side of our mission. The ability to respond to disaster events and generate impact is a massive contribution to our society and being a part of this change motivates me.

What advice would you give for advancing the inclusion of persons with disabilities?

I'm a person with disability. In my case, I have a visual impairment in one of my eyes. Because I can walk and communicate with people in the way they are used to, I don't feel excluded. I do sometimes feel that they may not always know how to interact with persons with disabilities. At the same time, they might have a 'medical' understanding of disability. Still, they haven't interacted with persons with disabilities and forget that we are human beings like everybody else. So it is vital that in our offices, we work on people's knowledge and behaviours, but also ensure that we have more personnel with disabilities.

"People think that having a disability means it has to be visible. Not all persons with disabilities use a wheelchair or are blind. We have to consider the diversity of disability and be inclusive of all."
 

Click here to learn more about how UN teams around the world are supporting persons with disabilities.