Cross-learning: The possibilities of a learning dialogue between the HIV & AIDS and disability movements

Sub-Saharan Africa is the region of the world most affected by HIV & AIDS, accounting for two-thirds of the global burden of the pandemic. People with disabilities are regarded as a high-risk group for HIV but have been largely neglected in programmes of education, treatment and support. This paper examines the possibilities for a learning dialogue between the HIV & AIDS and disability movements in an African context. It draws on a three-country research study into HIV & AIDS and disability in Uganda, Zambia and South Africa. The research made use of multi-case study approach based on a range of data, including interviews, focus groups; site observations and documentary analysis. The paper presents a model for articulating learning across these social movements by describing best learning practices and examining struggle milestones in the HIV & AIDS and disability movements, as well as cross-cutting priorities that apply to both the AIDS and disability movements. Drawing on theories of social movement learning and intersectionality, it argues for the importance of cross-cutting dialogue on a range of themes and in various formats between the two social movements.