Source: The African Union and the European Union partnership

At least one in five of the world’s poorest people are disabled but there is as yet no widespread acceptance or push to ensure that 20% of the poorest recipients of aid programmes are disabled.

Disabled people are so severely excluded from all areas of society that there is very little information or comparative data on the effects of disability on individual, family and community well being and almost no assessment of the economic implications of disability.

But there is a very strong link between disability and poverty which implies that there is not one of the internationally agreed Millennium Development Goal targets that can actually be met without now considering how to include disabled people.

But inclusion, or mainstreaming of disability into development programming is proving to be an enormous challenge. This paper sets out to highlight some of the main reasons why this may be the case and offer some recommendations for how to overcome them.

The Models of Disability: Individual and Social models

Summary

1. Social model of disability
2. Create policy commitments on disability inclusion
3. Collect disaggregated data on the economic and social situation of disabled people
4. Budget for access

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The present report is submitted pursuant to General Assembly resolution 63/1501.

The report focuses on the situation of persons with disabilities with respect to the realization of the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) and on lessons learned and synergies and complementarities achieved, based on the implementation of the World Programme of Action, the Standard Rules and the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The report provides information on the situation of persons with disabilities in the context of the MDGs and the implementation of the World Programme of Action and the efforts toward mainstreaming disability in development.

The present report is divided into three sections.

1. Section I discusses the linkages between disability and the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs).
2. Section II analyzes the situation of persons with disabilities in the context of the MDGs.
3. Section III offers conclusions and recommendations.

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“Mainstreaming disability into development cooperation is the process of assessing the implications for disabled people of any planned action, including legislation, policies and programmes, in all areas and at all levels. It is a strategy for making disabled people’s concerns and experiences an integral dimension of the design, implementation, monitoring and evaluation of policies and programmes in all political, economic and societal spheres so that disabled people benefit equally and inequality is not perpetuated. The ultimate goal is to achieve disability equality”

Disability KaR [1]

Twin-track approach

To appropriately address the needs and rights of PWDs, and consequently to assist in alleviating poverty on local, national and international levels, disability needs to be effectively mainstreamed into development initiatives. A two-track approach of mainstreaming disability, has become somewhat of an urgency; crucial in removing the barriers that prevent development initiatives from benefiting all groups in society, including the most vulnerable. “The elimination of poverty cannot be achieved without strategies for integrating the rights of minority groups.” [2]

Source: [3]

Applying a twin-track approach promotes social inclusion and supports equal rights to essential services and facilities, ensuring all community members, regardless of their position, have the opportunity to reach their full development potential. Parallel to this, is the realistic recognition that the specific needs and qualities of PWDs cannot always be appropriately addressed within mainstream initiatives and that at times disability specific projects are more appropriate. For eg: severely disabled children are often unable to access mainstream schools because of physical, attitudinal and institutional barriers. It may, in some instances, be more appropriate to seek other education alternatives such initiatives that support home education or community-based tutoring.

Publications & Resources

Checklists

• Mobility International USA:
  Checklist For Inclusion (2004)

Manuals

• Skakes:
  Manual on Inclusive Planning: The Disability Dimension in Development Action (2003)

Policies & Papers

• German Government’s Disability & Development Policy:
  A contribution to promoting the interests of persons with disabilities in German Development Cooperation (2006)
• Handicap International:
  Good Practices for the Economic Inclusion of People With Disabilities in Developing Countries (2006)
• Disability Knowledge and Research (Disability KaR):
  E-Forum Report: Mainstreaming Disability in Development
• Platform Disability and Development Cooperation (PHOS):
  Paying Attention to Persons With Disabilities in Development Activities (2004)
• Save the Children: Child Landmine Survivors:
  A Guide to Inclusive Policy and Practice (2000)
• Transforming Disability Conference Paper:
  Contemporary disability employment policy: approaches and perspectives from Australia and beyond (2005)
• AusAID: Australian Aid:
  Promoting Growth and Stability (2006)
• AusAID: Helping Health Systems Deliver:
  A Policy for Australian Development Assistance in Health (2006)
• BOND (British Overseas NGO’s for Development) Disability and Development Group:
  Strengthening Disability and Development Work (1999)
• Dutch Coalition on Disability and Development (DCDD):
  Towards an Inclusive Policy: A DCDD publication series on Integrating Disability in Policy and Practice (2005)
• European Disability Forum:
  Development Cooperation and Disability (2002)
• Australian Pacific Disability Rehabilitation Journal:
  Gendered Experience: Marriage and the Stigma of Leprosy (Vol 17, No 2, 2006)

Reports

• Disability Knowledge and Research (Disability KaR):
  Has Disability Been Mainstreamed into Development Cooperation?

Links

• Ask Source:
  Links to mainstreaming disability in development
• International Disability and Development Consortium (IDDC):
  Mainstreaming disability in development page
• Disability KaR:
  “Chapter 5: Mainstreaming disability in development” in Learning Publication: Lessons Learned
• World Bank / International Disability Conference (2004):
  Presentation: Mainstreaming Disability into Operations
• The International Newsletter on Community Action on Disability and Development:
  Issue No 5, September 2005: Overcoming the Barriers to Mainstreaming and Inclusion of Disability References

[Click here for other disability & development links]

References

1. Albert, B., A. Dube, and T. Riis-Hansen, Has Disability Been Mainstreamed into Development Cooperation? 2005, Disability KAR,. p. 108.
2. DFID, Poverty: Bridging the Gap. 2001, DFID: UK
3. DFID, Disability, poverty and development. 2000, DFID: London. p. 17