Disability inclusion Officer

1. Background

The Ethiopian Center for Disability and Development (ECDD) is a non-governmental, non-partisan, and non-profit organization committed to promoting the rights and opportunities of persons with disabilities. Through policy advocacy and the mainstreaming of disability inclusion in service delivery, development programs, and humanitarian actions, ECDD works in partnership with government institutions, civil society, and international organizations. Since its establishment in 2005, ECDD has been dedicated to fostering an inclusive Ethiopia where persons with disabilities in all their diversities exercise their human rights and have equal access to mainstream services and opportunities.

On September 4, 2026, ECDD launched a new one‑year initiative titled “A Multi-Sectoral Initiative for Screening 9,000 Youth with Disabilities, Providing Rehabilitation, School Enrollment, and Upgrading School Infrastructure across 23 Woredas.” This project, funded by UNICEF and implemented under the Biqu Wotat Program in partnership with the Amhara Development Association (ADA), aims to enhance inclusive education, healthcare access, and institutional support for 9,000 youth with disabilities (ages 15–29) across 23 target woredas. The initiative provides comprehensive functional screening and medical rehabilitation, upgrades physical infrastructure and resource centers in 43 secondary schools, builds the capacity of key educational stakeholders, supplies scholastic materials, and executes dedicated operational management.

Currently, ECDD is looking for competent and qualified Disability Inclusion Woreda Officers.

2. Purpose of the Role

The Disability Inclusion Woreda Officer will coordinate, implement, and monitor disability inclusion and youth support services at woreda level. The officer serves as a key link among ECDD, ADA, Woreda government offices, One stop center, schools, OPDs, health and rehabilitation providers, communities, families, and youth with disabilities.

3. Key Responsibilities

3.1. Planning, Coordination and Implementation

• Coordinate day-to-day implementation of Biqu Wotat activities in the assigned woreda.
• Develop and update woreda activity plans in line with approved workplans, targets, budgets and timelines.
• Coordinate with ADA and relevant woreda offices, including Education, Health, Women and Social Affairs, Labor and Skills and other sectors.
• Maintain effective working relationships with schools, OPDs, health facilities, rehabilitation centers and community structures.
• Conduct field follow-up, supportive supervision and technical guidance, and participate in coordination and review meetings.

3.2. Identification, Screening and Verification of YWDs

• Plan and coordinate community-level identification, screening and verification of YWDs aged 15–29 years.
• Ensure particular attention to the program target that women with disabilities constitute at least 80% of identified beneficiaries.
• Mobilize families, community leaders, OPDs, youth groups, schools, service providers and community structures.
• Supervise Disability-Inclusive Community Promoters and data collectors and ensure proper use of approved tools.
• Conduct beneficiary verification and routine data-quality checks, and facilitate referrals to education, rehabilitation, skills, livelihood, employment and other services.

3.3. Clinical/Functional Assessment, Rehabilitation and Assistive Technology

• Coordinate clinical and functional assessments with health facilities, rehabilitation centers, OPDs, ADA, WYSAO and specialized providers.
• Facilitate referrals to rehabilitation, health, psychosocial and specialized services.
• Identify YWDs requiring rehabilitation and assistive devices and coordinate assessment, prescription, fitting, customization and provision.
• Support distribution, user orientation, follow-up, repair, adjustment, replacement or upgrading of assistive devices.
• Maintain accurate, confidential and up-to-date assessment, referral, rehabilitation and assistive-device records.

3.4. Inclusive Education, Accessibility and Capacity Building

• Identify and support out-of-school YWDs eligible for secondary education re-entry and coordinate enrollment, attendance, participation and retention.
• Facilitate tailored scholastic and accessible learning materials and follow up supported students.
• Coordinate accessibility assessments and audits of targeted secondary schools with accessibility/technical personnel.
• Work with school management, Education Offices, ADA and technical personnel to promote quality and sustainable accessibility improvements.
• Monitor the availability, functionality and utilization of IERC resources, including inclusive learning materials, ICT and library resources.
• Support and facilitate training, mentoring and technical assistance on disability inclusion, inclusive education, assistive devices, Ethiopian Sign Language, Braille and accessible learning materials.
• Conduct post-training follow-up and document progress, challenges, lessons learned and sustainability issues.

3.5. Supervision and Technical Support to Disability-Inclusive Community Promoters

• Provide regular technical guidance, coaching, mentoring and supervision to DICPs.
• Orient DICPs on project procedures, disability inclusion, safeguarding, referral pathways, documentation and reporting.
• Conduct joint field visits and supportive supervision.
• Monitor the quality of community mobilization, awareness creation, identification, screening, referral and beneficiary follow-up.
• Review DICP reports and beneficiary/referral records; identify capacity gaps and provide targeted coaching.
• Monitor performance against targets and recommend corrective actions.

3.6. Monitoring, Data Management and Reporting

• Monitor implementation against approved targets, indicators, workplans and timelines.
• Conduct regular monitoring visits to communities, schools and service providers.
• Collect, verify, consolidate and submit accurate project data and maintain updated beneficiary, activity, referral and service-utilization records.
• Ensure accuracy, completeness, confidentiality and secure management of program information.
• Prepare timely monthly, quarterly and other required reports and document achievements, challenges, lessons learned, good practices and success stories.
• Support assessments, evaluations, review meetings and other learning activities.

3.7. Stakeholder Coordination and Partnership

• Maintain strong working relationships with ADA, government offices, schools, OPDs, health and rehabilitation facilities, community leaders, families, caregivers and YWDs.
• Facilitate joint planning, implementation, monitoring, referral and follow-up mechanisms.
• Participate in woreda coordination platforms, technical meetings and stakeholder forums.
• Represent ECDD in relevant meetings when officially delegated and promote meaningful participation of YWDs and OPDs.

3.8. Safeguarding, Accountability and Inclusion

• Ensure beneficiaries are treated with dignity, respect, confidentiality and without discrimination.
• Promote equal and meaningful participation of persons with disabilities throughout program activities.
• Apply safeguarding, protection, accountability and Do No Harm principles.
• Ensure safe and accessible opportunities for beneficiaries to provide feedback and raise complaints.
• Promptly report safeguarding, protection or other serious concerns through established ECDD procedures.

3.9. Operational and Financial Support

• Monitor activities and expenditures against approved budgets and identify resource gaps or variances.
• Support timely corrective actions related to operational and resource requirements.
• Facilitate procurement and logistics arrangements in accordance with ECDD procedures.
• Promote efficient, transparent and accountable utilization of project resources and maintain complete supporting documentation.
• Coordinate with Finance, Procurement, Administration and Logistics teams to ensure timely implementation and compliance with organizational and donor requirements.

4. Qualifications and Experience

• Education: Bachelor’s degree in Inclusive/Special Needs Education, Social Work, Education, Public Health, Development Studies, Project Management, Psychology, or related field.
• Experience: Minimum 2 years in disability inclusion, inclusive education, rehabilitation, community development and/or other related fields. Experience at woreda-level project implementation is highly desirable.

Core Competencies

• Commitment to the realization of the rights of persons with disabilities.
• Strong leadership, facilitation, and coordination skills.
• Analytical and problem-solving ability in complex and changing environments.
• Demonstrated cultural sensitivity, adaptability, integrity, and political neutrality.
• Willingness to travel to project target areas
• Good interpersonal skills and emotional maturity to work with relevant stakeholders
• Demonstrated accountability and professional integrity