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'Nothing about us, without us': including disabled people in poverty reduction work

The WHO estimates that one in ten of the world's people are disabled. There has been some improvement in the extent to which disabled people figure in the rhetoric of development actors. But have disabled people themselves seen any practical change? What is the legacy of ongoing medical and charitable approaches to disability issues? Can international development targets be reached if disabled people remain excluded?

A report from Action on Disability and Development (ADD) looks at the vicious circle linking poverty and disability. It argues that the basic cause of disabled people's poverty is social, economic, and political exclusion. The poverty reduction aspirations of donors, governments and agencies cannot be taken seriously until they learn to work with, not just on behalf of, disabled people.

The scale of exclusion is dramatic:

98 percent of disabled children in developing countries are denied any formal education and excluded from many of the day-to-day interactions that non-disabled children take for granted.
One hundred million people worldwide have preventable impairments caused by malnutrition and poor sanitation
70 percent of childhood blindness and 50 percent of hearing impairment in Africa and Asia are preventable or treatable.

These impairments then lead to discrimination, exclusion and further poverty. What is being done? The Standard Rules on the Equalisation of Opportunities for People with Disabilities have been endorsed by all UN member states. Although not legally enforceable, they have encouraged many governments to introduce disability legislation. However, little of this legislation is based on a disability rights approach but is instead driven by recognition of the high economic cost of excluding disabled people and forcing dependency.

The report notes that:

Many traditional approaches towards disability are patronising, exclusive and only reach small numbers of disabled people, mainly in urban areas.
The move from sheltered employment schemes to facilitating the entry of disabled people into mainstream employment is progressive. However, market-based mechanisms will not lift disabled people out of poverty as long as prejudice remains deeply embedded in social, political and economic institutions.
Disabled people's organisations (DPOs) are frequently dominated by urban-based men with physical impairments. Women, especially those with learning difficulties, sensory impairments or mental illness rarely get equal access to cross-impairment groups.
Although a high proportion of those living in most extreme poverty (e.g. street children) are disabled, they are often also excluded from assistance programmes as disability is seen as a specialist issue, for others to deal with.

ADD argues that the assumption that disabled people are a drain on society is a self-fulfilling prophecy as long as disabled people are excluded and denied resources to engage with society. ADD welcomes DFID's recent paper 'Disability, Poverty and Development'. This recognises the disproportionate level of poverty among disabled people and the widespread exclusion experienced. It calls for a twin-track approach: disabled people should be included in all areas of work, as well as there being specific initiatives working with disabled people. Governments, donors and NGOs need to recognise that if disability inclusion is to be achieved, active measures are needed to combat the discrimination that currently exists.

Good will is not enough. A rights-based approach to disability requires:

Meeting the specific access requirements of some disabled people in order that full participation is possible. This may involve some financial commitment.
Extensive training in disability equality issues.
Provision of credit, vocational training and other services though important, must be combined with encouraging mainstream organisations to see disabled people as equal citizens and potential customers.
Commitment to the slogan of the international disability movement 'nothing about us, without us'. If disability policies are designed without the participation of disabled people themselves they are likely to be ineffective as well as to increase the very exclusion that causes disability and poverty. Nobody knows so much about disability and the process of exclusion than disabled people themselves.

Source(s):
'Chronic poverty and disability: a vicious circle that can be broken', paper presented at the Development Studies Association Conference (DSA), Manchester by Rebecca Yeo, September 2001

id21 Research Highlight: 16 January 2002

Further Information:
Rebecca Yeo
Action on Disability and Development
57 Vallis Road
Frome
Somerset BA11 3EG
UK

Tel: +44 (0)1373 473064
Fax: +44 (0)1373 452075
Contact the contributor: rebecca.yeo@add.org.uk

Action on Disability and Development, UK

Views expressed on these pages are not necessarily those of DFID, IDS, id21 or other contributing institutions. Unless stated otherwise articles may be copied or quoted without restriction, provided id21 and originating author(s) and institution(s) are acknowledged.

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