Training on Inclusive Development.

Charlotte McClain-NhlapoDisability Advisor EAP World Bank11/12 July 2006.

Objectives of the WB

Poverty reduction & sustainable development.

Priorities embodied in the MDG’s. Reaching the poorest of the poor. The WB estimates that there are

approximately 1.3 billion people living below the poverty line worldwide of which people with disabilities make up around 20% of the poorest of the poor.

Reaching the poorest

This translates into an estimated 260 million PWD’s living in absolute poverty.

1 in 5 people living on less than a $1 a day have a disability.

To reach the poorest of the poor & most isolated citizens, poverty reduction efforts need to target issues affecting PWD’s & develop policies & programmes aimed at reducing their poverty.

Defining disability Disability is not simply a medical

condition; Rather it results from the physical,

mental, or sensory impairments with culture, social institutions & physical environments.

When a person has an impairment which limits some aspect of their functioning it only becomes a disabling condition if they are confronted with barriers to things like health services, education, employment, public services & infrastructure.

Barriers…

Could be physical barriers, programmatic barriers, or cultural barriers- stigma & social exclusion.

Disability grows out of an interaction between human functioning & an environment which does not account for different levels of functioning.

Some facts about disability. It affects not only the person

with a disability, but the family, the community & society at large.

Women & girls with disabilities often face double discrimination.

Aging increases disability.

In EAP alone.

WB/WHO estimate approximately 400 million persons with disabilities live in EAP region—comprising almost 2/3 of the world’s disabled population.

What we do know?

The number of people with disabilities continues to increase in tandem with growth of the world population.

Factors causing the increase include war & other forms of violence, inadequate medical care, & natural & other natural disasters.

The profile of disability

Many people with disabilities are poor.

Global estimates indicate that 90% of them are illiterate, 40% are poor & 80 % -live in isolated rural areas. Almost that many live in areas

where the services needed to help them are unavailable.

Disability in EAP Poverty Dimensions of Disability

Poor more likely to be disabled Disabled more likely to be poor:

Low education/high illiteracy Lower rates of economic activity Poor nutrition Less access to basic services Lower economic status

Families affected PWD likely to not work Another family member = caregiver Cost of healthcare and services higher

Poverty and Disability For people with disabilities, poverty

is multidimensional. It is characterized by: Material deprivation (low

consumption—food--,poor housing) Low human development (education

and health) Lack of voice and ability to influence

decisions that affect their lives Acute vulnerability to adverse

shocks (illness, economic crises, natural disasters, conflict).

Poverty cycle.

There is a clear indication that poor people with disabilities are more likely to be caught in a vicious cycle of poverty and disability, each being both a cause & a consequence of the other. People with disabilities face

discrimination, social exclusion & stigma from the moment they are perceived to have an impairment.

Disability & Poverty.

Poverty is fundamentally an issue of exclusion.

Integrating disability into operations & research does not involve creating a separate agenda to be added on.

It requires innovation & improving what already exists.

Things are Changing

People with disabilities are increasingly demanding to be part of society.

Policy makers, planners & International agencies have realized that there is no way the MDG’s can be achieved without reaching the most vulnerable groups in society.

It is now universally recognized that there can be no sustainable development without inclusive development.

Paradigm shift

Moving towards the social model. More integrated It conceptualizes disability as an

interaction between individual limitations & the environment.

In contrast – the medical model which focused on the medical condition of the person.

The social model

Is rights based It is more cost effective More sustainable & can be used

to combat poverty. Critical for developing countries.

WHY BANK INVOLVEMENT?

Link between disability and poverty Poor disproportionately disabled Disabled disproportionately poor

High actual vs. reported prevalence = high cost Percent of population not working High dropout rates, remaining out-of-school

children

Low cost prevention and early interventions = higher productivity

Cost effective inclusion

Strategies for inclusive development. Must include two aspects.

Prevention Integration

80% of disabilities stem from preventable causes.

(malnutrition, natural disasters, disease, conflict, traffic & other injuries, birth).

It requires…

Addressing disability requires a multi-sectoral approach.

Disability is a cross cutting issue & affects all aspects of planning.

It requires innovation & flexibility- stepping outside of the box.

How to do we . . . ?.

Achieve inclusive development requires the application of three principles as well as the general principles found in a new UN Human Rights Convention being developed for people with disabilities.

The Three Principles

Should be seen not only as goals and objectives, but as the processes through which inclusive development for people with disabilities is achieved:

1. Access People with disabilities

should enjoy access to the built environment, transportation, information & communications,

so that they may be full participants in all aspects of life, & fully enjoy the full range of human rights.

2. Equity People with disabilities should

enjoy equitable access to the benefits resulting from development activities.

These activities should promote non-discrimination & equal opportunities for people with disabilities to participate in every facet of life: civil, political, economic, social & cultural.

3. Inclusion People with disabilities should

be accepted as equal partners in development, & be included as full participants in all development activities.

People with disabilities should be part of the PRSP consultations.

In the CAS.

Inclusion essential for success Strengthening the disability policy

focus of PRSP’s is essential to the success of their strategies for 2 reasons.

1. Disability is a significant factor of extreme poverty in developing countries.

2. Unless people with disabilities are included in the PRSP’s - it is unlikely that most of the MDGs will be met.

Real Life

It will not happen over night. Need to have real people involved. This a complex set of concepts and

requires a range of different actors. While it is complex it is not

insurmountable & there already a number of good practices.

We need to work with DPO’s & share knowledge.

Finally, the rationale for including people with disabilities in development projects is not only a moral obligation but a legally binding imperative.