Grants:Programs/Wikimedia Community Fund/Rapid Fund/Disability Minority Need a Voice (ID: 23749895)/Final Report
Application type: Standard application
Part 1: Project and impact
1. Describe the implemented activities and results achieved. Additionally, share which approaches were most effective in supporting you to achieve the results. (required)
Disability Minority Need a Voice Project was designed to empower persons with disabilities by enhancing their digital literacy, increasing their participation in Wikimedia projects, and improving the representation of disability related content online. The project was implemented through a series of carefully planned activities that combined community engagement, capacity building, content creation, and participant recognition.
Community Mobilization and Stakeholder Engagement
The project commenced with a one day mobilization and awareness campaign. During this phase, the project team paid an official visit to the Nigeria Association of Persons with Disabilities to introduce the objectives, expected outcomes, and opportunities available through the project. Flyers and informational materials were distributed to raise awareness and encourage participation among persons with disabilities. We received a positive response and strong support from the association, which helped build trust within the disability community and facilitated participant recruitment. This partnership played a significant role in ensuring the project’s successful implementation and outreach.
First Online Training Session
Following the mobilization phase, the project launched its first online training session, bringing together 30 participants from diverse disability backgrounds. The session focused on introducing participants to the Wikimedia movement and its various platforms. Participants were trained on:
• The mission and vision of Wikimedia projects.
• Basic Wikimedia policies and community guidelines.
• Wikimedia etiquette and responsible online engagement.
• The importance of free knowledge and inclusive content creation.
• Opportunities for contributing to Wikipedia and other Wikimedia projects.
This introductory session provided participants with the foundational knowledge necessary to begin their Wikimedia journey confidently.
First Physical Training Workshop
The first physical training workshop brought together all 30 participants for an intensive hands on learning experience. The training focused on practical skills required for contributing to Wikipedia.
Key topics covered included:
• Creating and managing Wikipedia user accounts.
• Understanding Wikipedia’s editing interface.
• Article creation and improvement techniques.
• Citation and referencing standards.
• Identifying reliable sources.
• Avoiding common editing mistakes.
Participants engaged in practical exercises that enabled them to apply newly acquired knowledge while receiving direct support from experienced facilitators.
Second Physical Training and Mentorship Session
To reinforce learning and address challenges encountered by participants, a second physical training and mentorship session was organized the following week.
This session served as a follow up platform where participants:
• Asked questions arising from their editing experiences
• Received personalized guidance and technical support
• Reviewed previous lessons and best practices
• Improved their editing skills through additional practical exercise
• Learned strategies for creating high quality and policy compliant content
The session significantly improved participant confidence and strengthened their capacity to contribute effectively to Wikimedia projects.
Two-Month Edit-a-thon Campaign
A major component of the project was a two-month edit-a-thon campaign dedicated to creating and improving content related to disability issues, disability rights, disability advocates, accessibility initiatives, and underrepresented disability related topics.
During the campaign, participants actively contributed to Wikimedia platforms by:
• Creating new articles
• Expanding existing articles
• Adding reliable references and citations
• Improving article quality and accuracy
• Increasing the visibility of disability-related knowledge online
Throughout the edit-a-thon period, participants received continuous mentorship, monitoring, and technical support to ensure sustained engagement and quality contributions.
Final Online Recognition and Closing Ceremony
The project concluded with an online closing event that celebrated participants’ achievements and contributions. During the ceremony, project outcomes were reviewed, participant experiences were shared, and lessons learned were discussed.
To recognize excellence and encourage continued participation in the Wikimedia movement, certificates of participation and prizes were awarded to outstanding editors who demonstrated exceptional commitment, productivity, and quality contributions throughout the project.
The recognition ceremony served not only as a reward mechanism but also as motivation for participants to remain active contributors and advocates for disability representation within the Wikimedia ecosystem.
Project Impact
Through a combination of community outreach, structured training, mentorship, and content creation activities, the Disability Minority Need a Voice Project successfully empowered persons with disabilities to become active contributors to free knowledge. The project strengthened digital skills, promoted inclusive participation, increased disability-related content on Wikimedia platforms, and fostered a sustainable community of new editors committed to improving the representation of disability issues online.
2. Documentation of your impact. Please use space below to share links that help tell your story, impact, and evaluation. (required)
Share links to:
- Project page on Meta-Wiki or any other Wikimedia project
- Dashboards and tools that you used to track contributions
- Some photos or videos from your event. Remember to share access.
You can also share links to:
- Important social media posts
- Surveys and their results
- Infographics and sound files
- Examples of content edited on Wikimedia projects
Additionally, share the materials and resources that you used in the implementation of your project. (required)
For example:
- Training materials and guides
- Presentations and slides
- Work processes and plans
- Any other materials your team has created or adapted and can be shared with others
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3. To what extent do you agree with the following statements regarding the work carried out with this Rapid Fund? You can choose “not applicable” if your work does not relate to these goals. Required. Select one option per question. (required)
| A. Bring in participants from underrepresented groups | Strongly agree |
| B. Create a more inclusive and connected culture in our community | Strongly agree |
| C. Develop content about underrepresented topics/groups | Strongly agree |
| D. Develop content from underrepresented perspectives | Strongly agree |
| E. Encourage the retention of editors | Strongly agree |
| F. Encourage the retention of organizers | Strongly agree |
| G. Increased participants' feelings of belonging and connection to the movement | Strongly agree |
| F. Other (optional) |
Part 2: Learning
4. In your application, you outlined some learning questions. What did you learn from these learning questions when you implemented your project? How do you hope to use this learnings in the future? You can recall these learning questions below. (required)
You can recall these learning questions below:
- We hope to learn the effective way of engaging the disability minority communities?
- We hope to understand the barriers disabilities face in accessing and contributing to Wikimedia project?
- We hope to find out the best practices for amplifying underrepresented voices, promoting leadership among persons with disabilities, and using open knowledge as a tools for equity and social inclusion?
Learning Reflections from the Disability Minority Need a Voice Project
Through the implementation of the Disability Minority Need a Voice Project, we gained valuable insights into disability inclusion, community engagement, and participation in the Wikimedia movement.
Effective Ways of Engaging Disability Minority Communities
One of the key lessons learned was that meaningful engagement requires collaboration with trusted disability organizations and community leaders. Our partnership with the Nigeria Association of Persons with Disabilities helped us build credibility and encouraged participation from community members. We also learned that combining online and physical activities creates a more inclusive environment, as participants have different accessibility needs and preferences. Continuous follow up, mentorship, and creating safe spaces for learning were essential in maintaining participant engagement throughout the project.
Understanding Barriers to Accessing and Contributing to Wikimedia Projects
The project revealed several barriers faced by persons with disabilities when accessing and contributing to Wikimedia projects. These included limited awareness of Wikimedia platforms, inadequate digital literacy skills, internet connectivity challenges, accessibility concerns, and a lack of disability-related content that participants could easily relate to. We also observed that many participants lacked confidence in their ability to contribute knowledge online. Through targeted training, mentorship, and practical editing sessions, we were able to reduce some of these barriers and increase participation.
Best Practices for Amplifying Underrepresented Voices and Promoting Leadership
We learned that representation matters. When participants saw disability-related topics being documented and improved on Wikimedia platforms, they felt a stronger sense of ownership and motivation to contribute. Encouraging participants to share their lived experiences and local knowledge helped amplify voices that are often underrepresented online. We also found that recognizing outstanding contributors through certificates and prizes encouraged leadership, commitment, and continued participation. Mentorship and peer support proved effective in developing future community leaders within the disability community.
Future Application of These Learning
The lessons from this project will guide our future initiatives aimed at increasing diversity and inclusion within the Wikimedia movement and other digital knowledge platforms. We plan to strengthen partnerships with disability-focused organizations, improve accessibility considerations in training design, and provide longer-term mentorship opportunities for participants. We will also develop more targeted programs that empower persons with disabilities to take on leadership roles as trainers, organizers, and advocates for open knowledge.
5. Did anything unexpected or surprising happen when implementing your activities? This can include both positive and negative situations. What did you learn from those experiences? (required)
Yes, several unexpected situations occurred during the implementation of the Disability Minority Need a Voice Project, both positive and challenging, and each provided valuable learning opportunities. On the positive side, we were pleasantly surprised by the level of enthusiasm and commitment demonstrated by participants. Although we initially expected that some participants might struggle to remain active throughout the project, many showed strong interest in learning about Wikimedia projects and contributing content related to disability issues. Several participants continued editing beyond the training sessions and actively participated in the two-month edit-a-thon. This demonstrated that persons with disabilities are highly motivated to contribute to open knowledge when provided with the necessary support, training, and opportunities.
Another positive surprise was the strong support received from disability community leaders and organizations. Their endorsement helped increase trust in the project and encouraged wider participation than we had initially anticipated. However, we also faced several challenges. Internet connectivity and the cost of data posed difficulties for some participants, particularly during online sessions. In addition, participants came with varying levels of digital literacy, which meant that some required more individualized support and mentorship than originally planned. We also encountered accessibility challenges, including the need to adapt training methods to accommodate different participant needs and learning styles. From these experiences, we learned the importance of flexibility in project implementation. We recognized that inclusive projects require additional planning for accessibility, continuous technical support, and adaptable training approaches. We also learned that mentorship and regular follow up are critical for retaining new contributors and helping them overcome challenges during their learning journey.
6. What is your plan to share your project learnings and results with other community members? If you have already done it, describe how. (required)
We recognize that sharing project outcomes and lessons learned is essential for strengthening the Wikimedia movement and supporting other communities interested in implementing similar initiatives. To ensure that the knowledge gained from the Disability Minority Need a Voice Project benefits a wider audience, we plan to disseminate our findings through multiple channels. First, we will prepare and publish a comprehensive project report documenting the project’s activities, achievements, challenges, lessons learned, and recommendations. This report will be shared with Wikimedia community members, disability-focused organizations, and other stakeholders interested in diversity and inclusion initiatives.
We will also share project outcomes through Wikimedia community platforms, social media channels, and community mailing lists to increase awareness of the project’s impact and encourage replication of successful practices. Participants’ achievements, content contributions, and success stories will be highlighted to demonstrate the value of involving persons with disabilities in open knowledge initiatives. In addition, we plan to present the project’s results during community meetings, Wikimedia events, and learning sessions where organizers and volunteers can discuss the strategies that worked well, the challenges encountered, and practical approaches for improving accessibility and inclusion in future programs. Where possible, we will encourage participants who demonstrated strong leadership during the project to share their experiences with other community members and serve as advocates for disability inclusion within the Wikimedia movement. Their firsthand experiences will provide valuable insights and inspire broader participation from underrepresented communities. We have already begun sharing some project updates and achievements through our community communication channels and participant networks. Moving forward, we will continue documenting and disseminating the project’s outcomes to ensure that the lessons learned contribute to the growth of inclusive and accessible Wikimedia communities across Nigeria and beyond.
Part 3: Metrics
7. Wikimedia Metrics results. (required)
In your application, you set some Wikimedia targets in numbers (Wikimedia metrics). In this section, you will describe the achieved results and provide links to the tools used.
| Target | Results | Comments and tools used | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of participants | 100 | 100 | |
| Number of editors | 50 | 50 | |
| Number of organizers | 4 | 4 | We use Wikimedia Foundation Dashboard Tools and we also share a google form to our participant at the end of the training to get feedback and it was successful |
| Wikimedia project | Target | Result - Number of created pages | Result - Number of improved pages |
|---|---|---|---|
| Wikipedia | 300 | 987 | 1053 |
| Wikimedia Commons | 200 | 209 | 209 |
| Wikidata | 150 | 100 | 150 |
| Wiktionary | 10 | 10 | |
| Wikisource | |||
| Wikimedia Incubator | |||
| Translatewiki | |||
| MediaWiki | |||
| Wikiquote | |||
| Wikivoyage | |||
| Wikibooks | |||
| Wikiversity | |||
| Wikinews | |||
| Wikispecies | |||
| Wikifunctions or Abstract Wikipedia |
8. Other Metrics results.
In your proposal, you could also set Other Metrics targets. Please describe the achieved results and provide links to the tools used if you set Other Metrics in your application.
| Other Metrics name | Metrics Description | Target | Result | Tools and comments |
|---|---|---|---|---|
9. Did you have any difficulties collecting data to measure your results? (required)
No
9.1. Please state what difficulties you had. How do you hope to overcome these challenges in the future? Do you have any recommendations for the Foundation to support you in addressing these challenges? (required)
Part 4: Financial reporting
[edit]10. Please state the total amount spent in your local currency. (required)
1177151
11. Please state the total amount spent in US dollars. (required)
850
12. Report the funds spent in the currency of your fund. (required)
Provide the link to the financial report https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1NPaEMZee7Q-qN3OOTwWF3UKgva515RnkYvQZBOXXACk/edit?gid=928458698#gid=928458698
12.2. If you have not already done so in your financial spending report, please provide information on changes in the budget in relation to your original proposal. (optional)
13. Do you have any unspent funds from the Fund?
No
13.1. Please list the amount and currency you did not use and explain why.
N/A
13.2. What are you planning to do with the underspent funds?
N/A
13.3. Please provide details of hope to spend these funds.
N/A
14.1. Are you in compliance with the terms outlined in the fund agreement?
Yes
14.2. Are you in compliance with all applicable laws and regulations as outlined in the grant agreement?
Yes
14.3. Are you in compliance with provisions of the United States Internal Revenue Code (“Code”), and with relevant tax laws and regulations restricting the use of the Funds as outlined in the grant agreement? In summary, this is to confirm that the funds were used in alignment with the WMF mission and for charitable/nonprofit/educational purposes.
Yes
15. If you have additional recommendations or reflections that don’t fit into the above sections, please write them here. (optional)