Australia Awards South and West Asia

To mark this year’s International Day of People with Disability, we highlight Kinley Wangchuk, the Executive Director of the Disabled People’s Organization of Bhutan (DPOB), formally registered as a civil society organisation in 2010. As the only disabled people’s organisation in Bhutan, it plays a pivotal role in advocating for the rights of people with disability and empowering them to participate in policy formulation, legislation and decision-making processes.

Kinley’s journey in the disability sector began with his strong conviction that “inclusivity is not charity but justice”. He took on the position of Executive Director in 2023 and continues to make remarkable progress in advancing the rights of people with disability.

In November 2024, Kinley participated in an Australian Professional Opportunity (APO) supported by Australia Awards and Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade. This involved Kinley and 10 other disability advocates from Bhutan, India, Maldives, Nepal and Sri Lanka undertaking professional development activities in Adelaide, Australia.

Kinley (back row, far right) pictured with other APO participants, including Kunzang Namgyal (first row, second from left) from Bhutan and staff from the City of Holdfast Bay at the Glenelg Community Centre.

Having witnessed first-hand the barriers faced by people with disability, Kinley is committed to turning lived experiences into meaningful action that can benefit the disability community. He notes that DPOB’s mission is not just to create disability programs but to build trust among the disability community, government agencies and society at large.

DPOB has a clear mandate to advocate for the rights, inclusion and participation of people with disability in all spheres of Bhutanese life, grounded in the principle of ‘Nothing about us without us’. As Executive Director, Kinley leads the organisation’s efforts to make Bhutan a place where every person, regardless of ability, can live with dignity and contribute towards the country’s development.

During his tenure, Kinley has focused on strengthening policy advocacy and ensuring that disability inclusion is embedded in national development plans. He has collaborated with government ministries to promote accessible infrastructure and inclusive employment, while also empowering local disabled people’s organisations across districts in Bhutan. Through community awareness programs and training on disability rights, Kinley and his team have built a stronger foundation for people with disability to engage in discussions and decision-making processes. He has continuously worked towards facilitating partnerships, mobilising resources, and ensuring that DPOB’s work reflects the real needs of its members.

Back in Bhutan, Kinley is training youth volunteers to cater to the needs of people with disability.

He believes that every initiative moves Bhutan closer to being a society where inclusion becomes the norm and not an exception. DPOB exemplifies inclusivity, leveraging the talents and experiences of its diverse team. Kinley adds that the organisation’s greatest strength lies in its members with lived experiences. Almost 70% of DPOB’s board members and office team are people with disability.

Reflecting on Bhutan’s growing commitment to inclusivity, Kinley notes that reforms and policies in education, infrastructure and workplaces (among others) are creating small but tangible changes.

He says, “I have witnessed students with disability access schools with greater confidence and employers beginning to recognise the value of diverse teams. These reforms are not just policy shifts; they represent a change in mindset.”

Additionally, he highlights that Bhutan’s efforts towards the ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, the development of the National Policy for Persons with Disabilities 2019 and the upcoming National Social Protection Strategy validate Bhutan’s stance on inclusivity. He is happy to note that there is increasing national dialogue between the government, civil society and people with disability. He says, “As these reforms deepen, Bhutan is gradually redefining what it means to be a compassionate society—one that recognises ability, not disability, as the foundation for contribution. The more inclusive we become, the stronger our collective spirit as a nation grows.”

Despite positive changes, Kinley explains that advocating for inclusion comes with challenges, such as limited resources, social stigma and the absence of comprehensive data on people with disability. He also notes the need for inclusivity initiatives to extend into rural areas. He believes that meaningful change can only be achieved through persistence, partnership and understanding between policymakers and the disability community, as well as by turning technical advocacy into human stories that connect people and touch hearts.

He recognises that capacity building in his own organisation is important to ensure that their work is informed, strategic and unified. In this respect, taking part in the APO was transformative.

“The APO broadened my understanding of how inclusion can be embedded across systems—education, employment, community and governance,” Kinley says. “Learning from Australian counterparts reinforced the importance of rights-based advocacy and multi-sector collaboration.”

Upon returning home, he was able to apply these insights in strengthening DPOB’s partnerships with both government and civil society organisations, which has led to the upcoming launch of Bhutan’s first outlet for products made by people with disability.

Kinley participating in site visits in Australia during the APO along with other participants.

He further adds that his APO experience inspired new approaches to leadership within his team, focusing on empowerment, accountability and continuous learning. Drawing on his experience, Kinley and his team will initiate peer-to-peer mentoring for youth with disability, create local champions, and share lessons from Australia with national stakeholders to shape more inclusive policies. Additionally, Kinley mentions that he interacted with fellow international participants and realised that the APO offered a platform to integrate global learning with local knowledge.

“Inclusion is not an act of kindness. It is a recognition of equality,” Kinley says, noting that International Day of People with Disability serves to remind us of that. “When people with disability are empowered to participate fully, our communities become richer, more compassionate and more human. True development leaves no one behind, and true progress begins when we see ability in every person.”