Stories that help change systems

People with disabilities in Bangladesh, Nepal and Kenya are showing what locally-led change means in action.

They are furthering disability rights and inclusion by designing and implementing creative and vibrant projects rooted in the priorities they identify for their own communities. This is happening through Actions for Change (A4C), a programme led by Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) in each of the three countries, supported by global disability inclusion NGO, CBM UK.

Collectively we are exploring participatory storytelling. This practical, creative approach helps disability activists and community members capture lived experience on their own terms then use it to influence policy and showcase change in new ways.

Locally led change for disability rights

In each country, participatory storytelling skills were delivered through a series of hands-on disability accessible workshops led by local facilitators. Around 20 participants joined in each location, a mix of disability champions, community facilitators, peer educators, local, community-level OPD members and Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs), alongside lead OPD and CBM staff.

Together, they explored three core questions: What stories do we want to tell? Who needs to hear them? And what change do we hope these stories can spark?

Participants learned practical techniques on how to take compelling photographs, how to collectively craft a narrative, how to use captions effectively and how to embed storytelling within their advocacy.
Between workshops, they captured photos and narratives in their communities, supported by ongoing mentoring. Finally, each group designed its own way to share its ‘story products’ – from exhibitions to photobooks to community events.

Here is a snapshot of how the three OPD partners developed and applied the photostory approach in their own contexts, highlighting the unique challenges, priorities and advocacy opportunities in each setting.

Bangladesh – led by National Grassroots Disability Organisation (NGDO)

In Bangladesh, the project operates in Teknaf, a region prone to cyclones and flooding. The stories captured the impact of recurring disasters and climate change on people’s livelihoods.
Participants explored the barriers faced by grassroots disability groups, focusing on access to services and inclusive community development. They organised an exhibition in Cox’s Bazar for local government representatives and NGOs, which strengthened their advocacy for more disability-inclusive disaster response planning. VSLAs are now using the skills they learned to document how their groups support members’ livelihoods.

Kenya – led by Northern Nomadic Disabled Persons’ Organisation (NONDO)

In Kenya, participants focused on how disability intersects with nomadic pastoralist life. They challenged misconceptions and highlighted issues, such as limited access to healthcare in remote areas.
NONDO organised an exhibition for local government stakeholders, and produced a booklet to share the stories more widely and strengthen advocacy efforts.

Nepal – led by Blind Youth Association Nepal (BYAN)

In Nepal, BYAN produced a digital photostory book which showcased the diverse experiences and powerful everyday resilience of people with disabilities – from education to employment – told through their own voices and images. The stories demonstrate the power of self-representation, peer-led advocacy and the importance of accessible, youth-driven platforms for influencing policy and practice.

Participatory storytelling is simple but transformative

Community members learned practical skills in photography, video and narrative. They used cameras to document what matters most in their lives: access to schools or livelihoods, as well as the barriers they face in public spaces and moments of joy and resilience.
As participants came together to discuss and interpret their images, a powerful process unfolded:

• People whose voices are least heard became central narrators of their own experiences.
• Community generated evidence emerged, which was credible, visual and grounded.
• Participants identified the changes they want to see and how they want to communicate them to decision makers.

For OPDs, in contexts where disability data is limited and disability exclusion the norm, this method is far more than documentation. It is a tool for collective visibility, advocacy and leadership.

From training to action: what changed?

Across the initiative:

• Participants reported increased confidence, not just in using cameras but in expressing their views publicly.
• Photo exhibitions and community events drew local officials and media attention, opening new spaces for dialogue.
• Stories were directly used for advocacy, including to advocate for accessible infrastructure and inclusive education, and also strengthened OPD recognition.
• OPDs are embedding participatory storytelling into their long-term organisational strategies – from considering how it can help them to monitor their impacts to using photography to support their influencing and awareness-raising work.

Stories chosen by the people living them

A participant in Bangladesh captured this when they said:

These skills have opened up a new way for me to explore and express myself.​ As someone with visual impairment, I’ve always depended on others to describe my surroundings, but this workshop introduced me to the Be My Eyes app (it connects blind people with sighted volunteers for real-time descriptions and assistance with everyday tasks), which has completely changed how I interact with the world.​ I never realised how powerful photography could be in telling my own story.

Why this approach resonates now

For people working in international development, disability inclusion or rights-based programming, A4C partners’ experiences with participatory storytelling offer three powerful lessons:

1. Locally led means locally voiced: When communities define the stories to be told, advocacy becomes more authentic and more effective.
2. Visual evidence travels further: Photos and videos cut across literacy levels, capture nuance and spark empathy in ways written reports rarely can.
3. Skills stay long after a project ends: OPDs now have new tools to document impact, mobilise supporters and influence policy – strengthening their leadership far beyond this project.

Most of us involved in this participatory storytelling initiative were completely new to doing it. We learned as we went and have all been impressed by its potential as a scalable, accessible approach.

For more information, watch this short film which captures the process and its ongoing impact.