Barriers to the Inclusion of Disabled
People in the Disability Policy-Making
Process
Dr Raymond Lang
Research Fellow
Leonard Cheshire Disability and Inclusive Development
Centre
UCL
r.lang@ucl.ac.uk
20th May, 2008
Slide 1
Presentation Outline
• Describe and analyse the substantive findings of
disability policy research in seven African countries;
• To assess those critical factors that enhance and
militate against the effective including of disabled
people with regard to policy-making;
• To evaluate to what extent the UN Convention will
create a paradigm shift vis-à-vis policy-making;
Slide 2
DFID Funded Disability Policy Research
2007-2009
• Disability Scoping Study in Zimbabwe (July, 2007)
• Disability Scoping Study in Nigeria (March, 2008)
• SAFOD Disability Policy Audit (July, 2008)
– Comparative analysis of Mozambique, Malawi, Swaziland and
Namibia
– Undertaken in collaboration with two other researchers from
Zimbabwe and South Africa
• Disability Scoping Study in Uganda (February/March,
2009)
Slide 3
Methodology Employed
• Desk-based background literature review
– Policy documents, existing statistical surveys, ‘grey’ literature
reviews, academic studies, web searches etc
• Field visits to each country
– Key informant interviews
• Senior Civil Servants, Politicians, Officials from NGOs working in the
disability sector,
– Focus Group Discussions with disabled people’s
organisations
• (Not always possible to arrange)
– SWOT Analysis of disability policy and service provision in
each country
– Steeping Stool to Inclusion
Slide 4
Common Research Questions
Slide 5
Research Questions and Themes
• To what extent countries have implemented the UN
Convention?
• What is the constitutional and legal status of disabled
people in each country?
– Specific legislation;
– Inclusion in mainstream social and economic policy (eg
education, health, water & sanitation, poverty alleviation
initiatives etc).
• What is the policy-making environment and process
vis-à-vis disability issues?
– Role of civil society institutions, including DPOs;
– The perceived and de facto status of disability issues,
contextualised in social and economic policy;
• What disability services are available in each country?
Slide 6
Some General Observations
Slide 7
General Observations I
• All countries face very significant development challenges where
implementing genuinely inclusive disability policy will be hard
• All countries except Zimbabwe have signed the UN Convention
on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
– Namibia and Uganda have ratified
– Therefore, by implication, these countries subscribe and are
committed to implementing a rights-based approach to
disability policy;
– However, few Governments really understand the full
implications and ramifications of implementing the UN
Convention;
– Hence, there is a significant need for disability awareness
training among politicians and senior civil servants.
Slide 8
General Observations II
• No country has robust, statistical data with regard to disability
prevalence rates
– Hence, there are no benchmarks and standards by which to
plan, implement and evaluate disability policy and practice
– Such data is necessary to convince donors to allocate
resources to disability and development
– Creates a “democratic deficit” for civil society institutions,
particularly DPOs have no benchmarks to hold governments
to account.
• No county has sufficiently developed administrative
infrastructures to implement inclusive disability policies at district
and local levels
– Very difficult to implement and enforce the UN Convention at
regional and local levels
Slide 9
DPOs and policy-making I
• DPO’s effectiveness in lobbying their respective Governments is
mixed
– In Mozambique, they have been instrumental in developing forward-looking
disability policy;
– However, in the vast majority of countries, DPOs have been ineffective in
influencing governments with respect to public policy;
– In addition, the vast majority of national umbrella DPOs are populated by
urban elites, have questionable democratic credentials, and do not
understand the needs of disabled people living in rural areas;
– Several countries have MPs with disabilities, but these invariably do not have
contact with the disability movement;
– Some DPOs (for example, in Nigeria) have little understanding of the
principles of the social model of disability and human rights, and “buy in” to
charity models.
Slide 10
DPOs and policy-making II
•
Politicians and senior civil servants had little understanding of disability
issues
–
–
–
Slide 11
Notwithstanding that all countries have signed and even ratified the UN Convention,
politicians and senior government officials do not understand the legal implications of
doing so;
In Nigeria, the underlying philosophy of public service provision is based on the notion of
charity and welfare – not human rights;
In Uganda, there is no evidence to suggest that there is a “joined-up” approach to
disability policy making, with separate government ministries never discussing
crosscutting issues such as disability. Hence, disability policy-making and
implementation are disjointed and fragmented.
Conclusion
Implications for Policy-Making
Slide 12
Implications for Policy-Making I
• Policy-makers and DPOs do not understand each
other’s respective world view
– As if two ships are passing in the night
– Need for learning on both sides
– A human rights agenda to social and economic policy is often
“aspiration” rather than a reality
• Lack of statistical data
– Creates a “democratic deficit”
– Leads to poor service planning and delivery
• UN Convention has potential to create a paradigm
shift in disability policy-making, BUT
– It is a necessary but insufficient instrument for combating
disability discrimination
Slide 13
Implications for Policy-Making II
• The passage and enforcement of the UN Convention is no
panacea
– It is of historic landmark importance
– But a new set of challenges will arise, some of which have not
been identified;
– It is too early to assess to what extent the UN
Convention will have a positive impact in furthering a
rights-based approach to disability issue
• Some countries will make greater progress then others;
• This being contingent on political, economic, social and cultural
factors.
Slide 14