Lorraine Wapling
Disability and Development
Specialist
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650 million: Number of
disabled people worldwide –
about 10% of the global
population (WHO)
500 million: Number of
disabled people living in
developing countries (UN)
2%: Percentage of disabled
children accessing school in
1 in every 5 of the
developing countries (UNESCO)
world’s poorest people
80-90%: Number of disabled
people in developing countries is disabled
without a job (ILO)
MDG 1: Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
82% of disabled people live below the poverty line in
developing countries (UN)
MDG 2: Achieve universal primary education
98% of children with disabilities in developing countries
do NOT attend schools (UNESCO)
MDG 3: Promote gender equality and empower
women
Abuse of disabled women and disabled girls. A survey in
Orissa, India found that 100% of disabled women and girls
were beaten at home (Mohapatra, Mohanty 2004)
MDG 4: Reduce child mortality
Mortality for disabled children is as high as 80% even
in countries where under-five mortality is below 20%
(DFID 2000)
MDG 5: Improve maternal health
20 million women per year experience disability
from complications during pregnancy and in
childbirth (UNFPA 2003 cited in ACFID)
MDG 6: Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria
Prevalence of HIV infection in mothers of
children with disabilities is twice that of other
groups. (CBMI Tanzania study)
MDG 7: Environmental sustainability
100 million people have disabling conditions due
to malnutrition, inadequate sanitary facilities and
inadequate healthcare. Poor environmental
planning perpetuates exclusion
MDG 8: Develop a Global Partnership for
Development
The international disability movement
successfully mobilised for a UN Convention on
the Rights of Disabled Persons (2007)
SOCIETY
Activities by society “fix”
disabled person, who is
“sick”, so they can join
“normal” society
Disabled
People
Medical based
interventions;
rehabilitation / therapy
programs; provision of
‘corrective devices’.
Blind, Deaf, Uses wheelchair, Cripple, Can’t see, Can’t
hear, Can’t walk without stick, Less intelligent, Amputee,
Autistic, Looks different, Prosthesis...
SOCIETY
Activities by society
“help” disabled people
who are “helpless”.
Disabled people remain
outside the boundaries
of “ normal” society”.
Disabled
People
Special schools;
vocational training
centres; income
generating projects;
social protection.
Can’t work, Dependent, Lives in a home, Sheltered
housing, Unable to live independently, Everyday tasks take
longer, Needs assistance, Special education...
SOCIETY
Disabled
People
Disabled people are accepted as part
of society and should benefit from
its activities. Focus is on inclusion
and eliminating barriers which
prevent access. Barriers are:
Attitude – prejudice, stigma
Institutional – policies, culture
Environmental – buildings, schools
Discrimination, Universal Design, Human Rights, DDA,
Inclusion, Diversity, Access to Work scheme, Lack of
accessible transport, Lack of awareness on need for Sign
Interpreters, Lack of large print materials...
Impairment issues
Programming issues
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The social model is not well
understood
Lack of policy commitments /
institutional barriers
Lack of accountability – few
monitoring indicators
Budget structure issues leading to
access being seen as ‘additional
Programming tends to be broadbrush
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Communication
Physical access
Extreme isolation of disabled
people
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Article 11 - Situations of risk and humanitarian emergencies
States Parties shall take, all necessary measures to ensure
the protection and safety of disabled people in situations of
risk, including situations of armed conflict, humanitarian
emergencies and the occurrence of natural disasters.
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Article 32 - International cooperation
States Parties will undertake appropriate and effective
measures in this regard, between and among States and, as
appropriate, in partnership with relevant international and
regional organizations and civil society, in particular
organizations of persons with disabilities.
◦ Ensure that international cooperation, including international
development programs, is inclusive of and accessible to
persons with disabilities;
◦ Facilitate and support capacity-building, including through
the exchange and sharing of information, experiences,
training programs and best practices;