OPDs Lead Climate & Disability Advocacy Training across Eight Countries

Blog | August 21, 2025

CBM Global, in partnership with disability, youth and climate activists, and Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs)—both global (International Disability Alliance) and national (Philippines and Nepal)—recently kicked off an online climate and disability advocacy capacity strengthening programme which will take place over the next six months. This is the second time this programme has rolled out, following an initial pilot in 2024 with funding support coming from the Global Disability Fund supporting accessibility and material costs in 2024.

The 2025 programme has a cohort of over 20 OPDs and activists coming from youth, climate and disability networks, all coming from eight countries – Philippines, Nepal, Bangladesh, Kenya, Madagascar, Burkina Faso, Nigeria and Zimbabwe. Included in the 2025 cohort are OPDs funded through the CBM Ireland funding fairer futures programme. Joining alongside are CBM Global teams from these eight countries to enable deeper joint learning and knowledge sharing. The aim of capacity strengthening is to is to build on the expertise within the disability community and link it with national climate justice movements—creating lasting collaborations between the two.

“What I love about it is that it’s really OPD led. We usually attend conferences or webinars on climate change, but we’re always the participants. So, I like it is designed this way” – Karla Henson, Life Haven

Facilitation by Persons with Disabilities

The facilitation team includes representatives from Life Haven OPD in the Philippines, a climate youth network in Nepal, the International Disability Alliance (IDA), and an expert in inclusive and sustainable urbanisation.

Meet the Facilitation Team

Shiela May Inmenzo Aggarao

Shiela May Aggarao, Vice President of Life Haven Center for Independent Living (Philippines), is a disability, gender, and climate justice advocate with lived experience of visual impairment. She has represented grassroots voices at global platforms such as COP28 and the AWID Forum, and brings extensive expertise in community-based inclusive development (CBID) and facilitation. Shiela also leads feminist climate action projects and has conducted pioneering research highlighting the disproportionate impact of climate change on women and girls with disabilities.

Karla Henson

Karla Henson is the Executive Director of Life Haven Center for Independent Living in the Philippines and a passionate advocate for disability rights and gender equality. She leads initiatives that ensure accessibility, reasonable accommodations, and inclusive support services for persons with disabilities. Karla’s approach is rooted in collaboration and consultation, amplifying diverse perspectives in the pursuit of a fairer, more inclusive world.

Umesh Balalamagar

Umesh Balalamagar is the Youth Project Manager at the Nepal Water Conservation Foundation, where he spearheads youth-led climate projects. With over six years of experience in climate justice and disability advocacy, he is skilled in project management, youth engagement, and policy advocacy. Umesh is dedicated to amplifying the voices of people with disabilities in national and global climate forums.

Jun Bernandino

Jun Bernandino, President of Life Haven Center for Independent Living (Philippines), has been a disability inclusion advocate for more than 15 years. His expertise spans community-based inclusive development (CBID), disaster risk reduction, and inclusive humanitarian action, where he has served as a Sphere Minimum Standards Facilitator. Jun also works internationally as a consultant in capacity building and training for CBM Germany.

Hannes Juhlin Lagrelius

Hannes Juhlin Lagrelius is an Urban Accessibility and Inclusion Specialist with over 13 years of experience in disability rights. He previously led the World Blind Union’s Global Programme on Inclusive and Accessible Urban Development (2019–2024), advancing accessible city planning and design. Hannes continues to provide technical expertise to multilateral bodies and civil society, advocating for CRPD compliance and OPD engagement in urban development processes.

Gordon Rattray

Gordon Rattray is a Senior Adviser on Climate and Humanitarian Action at the International Disability Alliance and Programme Coordinator with the European Disability Forum. With over 15 years of experience, he works on disability-inclusive humanitarian response, disaster risk reduction, and climate advocacy. Gordon also brings a unique background in accessible adventure travel and writing, grounded in his academic training in biological sciences.

Learn more about the facilitation and CBM Global team members

We checked in with the facilitation team, who are all people with disabilities, to learn more about their motivation to be trainers on this programme, how they have found the experience so far, and what they think are the important elements of the current programme and for the future.

What is your motivation to be on the facilitation team?

Shiela, a trainer from the Philippines highlighted:

“Our main motivation is to share and apply what we’ve learnt since beginning our research on climate funded by Global Green Grants in 2023, ensuring persons with disabilities—both in the Philippines and globally—have access to climate action and inclusion. We are inspired by the ripple effect of our work, the opportunity to engage in meaningful projects on climate change, and the ongoing learning we gain as a diverse team.”

Umesh, highlights how learning from each other was an important motivation for him:

“I think I am the youngest one among to be the part of this team and it’s really the good things for me. This is always the learning process”

Karla commented:

“Ultimately, we are driven by the belief that we can help make the world a better, more inclusive place while responding to the climate crisis.”

How have you found the experience so far?

For the facilitators, the programme feels like a journey of learning by doing. Umesh highlights the value of hearing how co-facilitators in other countries approach climate and disability work, picking up ideas and inspiration from their methods.

For Shiela, every training session is as much about learning as it is about teaching.

“Climate change is a complex topic, and working alongside people from different backgrounds sharpens my knowledge and ability to support others—often in just a short, intense burst of time together”

Karla finds comfort in the stories she hears. While each country’s experience is unique, many of the challenges are strikingly similar. That sense of shared struggle reminds her they’re not facing the impacts of climate change alone—it’s a collective challenge, and a collective effort.

When you think about starting out in disability and climate advocacy, what’s most important to keep in mind?

Jun highlighted the value of the programme for bringing people together from different countries, seeing real potential to unite voices, share concerns, and work collectively as a sector.

Hannes emphasised that the programme offers a rich mix of topics, with deep dives into climate justice and how OPDs can drive more inclusive, fair climate action. Most importantly, he stressed focusing on the “how”—so participants leave not just inspired, but with tangible actions.

“I think some of the most critical elements throughout this programme is to discuss the how aspects so that participants will get something tangible to take back to their community of practice, to their communities and support implementing and creating a larger impact. – Hannes

The team is supported behind the scenes by a team drawn from CBM Global and its Federation members: Kathy Al Jubeh, Senior Advisor for Inclusive Development and Capacity Development Lead at CBM Global, providing technical support on inclusive facilitation, Mark Barrell, Advocacy Director at CBM UK, and Mahbub Kabir, Advocacy & Inclusion Advisory Manager at CBM Ireland providing support on COP engagement and networking with mainstream climate organisations. Sheena Calub, DiDRM Knowledge Management Officer from CBM Global and Ursula Grant, Evidence and Advocacy Manager from CBM UK providing support on the development of community of practice and learning. The logistics of the multi country programme is supported by Debbie Gallagher from CBM Global.

Why is CBM Global supporting this programme?

For CBM Global, working alongside OPDs and the wider disability movement means supporting from behind the scenes and convening people together, this is especially true for its approach to the disability and climate advocacy programme.   

“What is exciting about this second phase of the programme is that it is an integrated programme, where we are supporting strong national communities of practice and outreaching to wider climate networks, as we work towards OPDs hosting national roundtables in each country.” – Kathy

We will be regularly posting about the programme and the progress made across the different countries participating. Make sure to check our LinkedIn page for updates.

For more information on CBM Global Federation work on climate justice work, check out our Climate Advocacy Roadmap.
Want to learn more about this programme and CBM Global Federation Climate Advocacy Roadmap, reach out to Mary Keogh at mary.keogh@cbm-global.org
For information on our work at COP, please contact Mark Barrell at markb@cbmuk.org.uk
For information on CBM Ireland’s funding fairer futures programme, contact Mahbub Kabir at mahbubkabir@cbm.ie

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