Education, Research & Advocacy – TESFA Refugees with Disabilities Association

Building Knowledge, Generating Evidence, and Protecting Rights

TESFA’s Education, Research & Advocacy programme promotes access to inclusive education, generates knowledge and evidence, documents the experiences and realities of refugees with disabilities, and advocates for their rights, dignity, equality, accessibility, and meaningful participation.

The programme combines education, research, documentation, advocacy, and knowledge sharing to contribute to evidence-based programming and stronger disability-inclusive humanitarian and development practices.

Programme Leadership

Lead Department: Education, Research & Advocacy Department

Supporting Departments:

Programme Goal

To expand opportunities for inclusive education, strengthen evidence and knowledge, and promote the rights and meaningful participation of refugees with disabilities.

Key Objectives

Improve access to inclusive educational opportunities.
Facilitate access to scholarships and academic opportunities.
Promote research and documentation on disability and refugee issues.
Generate evidence to inform programmes and policies.
Strengthen awareness of rights and available opportunities.
Promote meaningful participation and leadership.
Strengthen collaboration with academic, humanitarian, government, and advocacy institutions.

Programme Areas

Expected Outcomes

Increased access to educational opportunities.
Improved availability of evidence and knowledge.
Increased awareness of rights and opportunities.
Stronger participation of refugees with disabilities.
Increased collaboration among relevant stakeholders.

Implementation Approach

TESFA applies a participatory, refugee-led, disability-inclusive, rights-based, evidence-informed, and community-driven approach.

Partnership Opportunities

TESFA welcomes collaboration with universities, research institutions, humanitarian organizations, government institutions, donors, disability organizations, and other stakeholders.

Partner with TESFA

Our Programmes

Education & Scholarships

Education is a powerful tool for empowerment and self-reliance. TESFA promotes equal access to quality education for refugees with disabilities by supporting formal education, vocational training, technical skills development, scholarships, mentorship, career guidance, and lifelong learning opportunities. We work to reduce educational barriers and enable refugees with disabilities to develop their knowledge, skills, confidence, and future opportunities.

Learn more: → Education & Scholarships

Research & Documentation

Evidence is essential for designing effective programmes and influencing positive change. TESFA conducts research, needs assessments, surveys, documentation, monitoring, evaluations, and publications to better understand the challenges and opportunities facing refugees with disabilities. Our research supports evidence-based programming, organizational learning, policy development, and advocacy while contributing to national and international knowledge on disability inclusion and forced displacement.

Learn more: → Research & Documentation

Advocacy & Rights Protection

TESFA advocates for the rights, dignity, equality, and inclusion of refugees with disabilities. We work to raise awareness, influence policies, promote accessibility, combat discrimination, and ensure that refugees with disabilities enjoy equal access to education, healthcare, livelihoods, justice, humanitarian assistance, and community participation. Through collaboration with government institutions, humanitarian organizations, and development partners, TESFA promotes the full implementation of national and international legal frameworks protecting the rights of persons with disabilities and refugees.