DAEF also focuses on important areas including adopting or adapting means considered most relevant to realizing its mandate. This informs the reason why our work will continue to crystalize the under-listed and discussed crosscutting thematic areas. This includes:

1. Participatory and Inclusive Governance:

   Participation and inclusivity are core values of democratic governance, in terms of equal participation, equal treatment and equal rights before the law. Our work in the area of participatory and inclusive governance is to ensure that all people – placing high premium on persons with disabilities, the poor, women, ethnic and religious minorities, indigenous peoples and other disadvantaged groups – have the right to participate meaningfully in governance processes and influence decisions that affect them. We assiduously work with government, development partners, private sector, individuals and communities to ensure that government institutions and policies are accessible, accountable and responsive to disadvantaged groups, protecting their interests and providing diverse populations with equal opportunities for public services such as justice, health, education, etc. Our work in participatory and inclusive governance goes beyond economic development, in terms of income and gross domestic product, to encompass access to education and health care, freedom of expression, the rule of law, respect for diversity, protection from violence, abuse and the preservation of the environment as essential dimensions of human development and well-being.

2. Advocacy:

   Our advocacy strategy will focus on organized actions aimed at influencing public policies, social attitudes, or political processes. These involves a number of interrelated actions strategically designed to effect change at various levels of governance that benefit the poor and marginalized especially persons with disabilities. These actions might include increasing public awareness of the issue, creating constituent pressure to push for reform, improving the state response to prevent and punish human rights violations, and influencing law and policy-making. Specifically, DAEF advocacy will amongst others focus on enabling and empowering people especially persons with disabilities, poor and marginalized communities and groups to speak for themselves; giving support to a policy and persuading those with power to act in support of the policy at local, national, and international levels; ensure these groups of people are gaining and exercising power to influence a political action; and organizing efforts by citizens to influence the formulation and implementation of public policies and programs by persuading and pressuring state authorities, international financial institutions, and other powerful actors. We aim to realize this through public education; media advocacy; lobbying and legislative advocacy; advocacy targeting businesses / private sector; and social media tools for human rights advocacy. Our aim is to raise awareness, influence and change policies and to represent individuals who may not be able to speak for themselves. While seeking to engineer policy changes and influence system improvement that meets the needs and aspirations of our target groups, DAEF will show good listening skills, patience, motivate everyone (people of all abilities), flexibility in approaches, knowledge about issues, organize, articulate and positive in all our advocacy activities.

3. Awareness Raising and Sensitization Campaign:

   Awareness raising campaigns are recognized as the most efficient and effective means of communicating information especially to the general public. DAEF awareness raising campaigns will focus on organized communication activities which aim to create consciousness on particular topics (health, education, empowerment, disability inclusion), foster behavioral change among the general population and to improve the focus on better outcomes (better health, greater environmental protection, inclusive education and disability inclusive development). Our strategy will continually take the form of mass media campaigns and we will convey our messages through many different channels such as mass media (television, radio), social media, public relations, events, talks, demonstrations, tours, leaflets, etc.

Also, our sensitization method seeks to make people aware of and responsive to certain ideas, events, situations, or phenomenon. Our intention is to make people, both the public and leaders in authority aware or experience or bring to their knowledge a particular or set of problem(s) or situation(s) so that they can notice it, understand it easily and act on it. Our strategy seeks to keep individuals or the public or government informed, knowledgeable, ensure they change their behaviour or attitudes towards the issue, provide them with the right skills on the prevailing negativities and instill life-changing behaviour and attitudes, and this will include supporting the course of the poor, marginalized groups and communities with special focus on persons with disabilities.