cbm Welcomes World Report on Disability

cbm welcomes the first ever World Report on Disability, launched at the United Nations in New York on 9 June 2011.

The report presents evidence that previous figures underestimated global prevalence of disability - it says that one billion people experience disability worldwide. It regularly quotes persons with disabilities, emphasizing the need for their voices to be heard, and its conclusions, especially regarding the world's poorest countries, strongly reinforce the need for - and worth of - cbm's work.

An historic occasion, at a critical time
On June 9th the World Health Organization, together with the World Bank, launched the first ever World Report on Disability (WRD).

This is an historic occasion. The report will focus global attention on persons with disabilities all over the world, and it concentrates on the situation of persons with disabilities in the poorest communities.

It also comes at a critical time; 150 countries have now signed the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). These, and other governments, are in the process of planning the implementation of this convention, and the WRD will help with this; it provides strong evidence of the need to make rapid progress to equalise rights and opportunities for persons with disabilities. 

Exclusion and discrimination – barriers to independence
The World Report on Disability - which cbm supported the development of - is based on the best scientific evidence, and draws on the knowledge of 380 experts across the globe.

It tells us that persons with disabilities globally face:

• Unemployment: global figures show employment rates are low with 1 in 2 men and 4 in 5 women with disability being unemployed
• Poverty: persons with disabilities and their families experience higher rates of food insecurity, poor housing, lack of access to safe water and sanitation, and inadequate access to health care
• Poor educational attainment: even in countries with high enrolment rates, children with disabilities are often excluded; children with sensory or intellectual disabilities face even greater exclusion than children with physical disability.
• Poor health outcomes and a higher risk of exposure to violence.

One billion people globally experience disability
The World Report on Disability presents evidence that there are one billion people in the world experiencing disability – 1 in 7 of the world’s population – and that the numbers are rising, and will continue to rise.

cbm moving forward with the World Report on Disability
The World Report presents powerful evidence supporting the need for cbm’s work. Using its recommendations, we will continue, with our partners, to promote the rights and improve the quality of life of persons with disabilities.

In particular we will reinforce actions recommended in the report to ensure that government and other development stakeholders:

• Enable access to all mainstream policies, systems and services. This includes removing barriers to all public services like health, education, employment, social services. It requires proactive policy, legislative reform and universal design, in addition to specific supports.
• Invest in specific programs and services for people with disabilities. In addition to mainstreaming, many people with disabilities benefit from specific services, such as rehabilitation, support services, or training. Rehabilitation, including availability of assistive technology such as wheelchairs or hearing aids, increases participation.
• Adopt a national disability strategy and plan of action. The strategy sets out a comprehensive and long term vision for improving the well-being of persons with disabilities, covering both mainstreaming and specific services. An action plan needs to specify what will be done in the short and medium term, who is responsible, how the strategy is co-ordinated and what the timelines are. It needs to be multi-sectoral with a firm monitoring system in place.
• Involve people with disabilities in all matters pertaining to them and their communities. Persons with disabilities often have unique insights about their disability, and their situation. In formulating and implementing policies, laws, and services, people with disabilities should be consulted and actively involved. Disabled people’s organizations may need capacity building and support to empower people with disabilities and advocate for their needs.
• Improve human resource capacity to support inclusion. This includes building capacity of all cadres of health, rehabilitation, education, vocational training, social services on disability; but also taking action to bridge the significant gaps that exist in certain professions, like special educators, sign translators and rehabilitation workers.
• Provide adequate funding and improve affordability of public services. This includes funding to ensure adequate coverage and quality of services, and addressing access - ensuring that measures are developed to allow persons with disabilities to access services, both through safety net systems and expanding social health insurance.
• Increase public awareness and understanding of disability. Mutual understanding contributes to an inclusive society. Therefore it is vital to improve public understanding of disability, confront negative perceptions, and represent disability fairly.
• Improve disability data collection. Internationally, methodologies for collecting data on people with disabilities need to be developed, tested cross-culturally, and applied consistently.
• Strengthen and support research on disability. Research is essential for increasing public understanding about disability issues, informing disability policy and programs, and efficiently allocating resources.