Persons with disabilities should be heard – and international development cooperation is no exception

People who cannot walk, but use a wheelchair – those who do not hear well, but do not have a hearing aid – others who have an intellectual impairment and are unable to explain themselves: one billion people world-wide live with a disability – four out of five of them in the Global South. Women and children with a disability who live in a developing country are among the most vulnerable and disadvantaged of all. People who live in poverty are more likely to be disabled than those who are rich, because disability is often caused by malnutrition and poor access to healthcare. They lack the money for surgery, or are entirely unaware that an eye condition such as a cataract can be treated. In addition, both physical and mental impairments are frequently the consequence of civil war or incidents with anti-personnel mines or cluster munitions. In 2020, almost half of all victims of cluster munitions in Syria, Iraq and South Sudan were children.

Accessible emergency COVID-19 assistance in Burkina Faso and Bangladesh

In northern Burkina Faso, the SDC is supporting non-governmental organisations Christoffel Blindenmission, CBM, and Fairmed, which are running a COVID-19 emergency assistance project as alliance partners. This poor region of the country is where many internally displaced persons live, including those living with impairments of all kinds. They were hit especially hard financially by the earlier pandemic-related restrictions. The project has facilitated cash transfers for 450 households, a quarter of which are home to someone with a disability. The cash is theirs to do with as they wish to help themselves. Families use it to buy what they most urgently need, such as food, medical assistance, or a small farm animal to help them build a livelihood. In addition, project staff raise awareness among local authorities and regional organisations of the special needs of persons with disabilities, as well as accessible COVID-19 prevention measures.

The SDC also worked with CBM and Fairmed in Bangladesh, where from autumn 2020 to mid-2021 it funded an inclusive project to combat the pandemic. 'Inclusive' in this sense means that the concerns of persons with disabilities were considered at all levels. These individuals were offered psychological support in addition to immediate financial assistance.

There is still much to do

Persons with a disability have only limited access to healthcare services, rehab programmes, education and work. The situation is particularly critical for children, whose development is held back by social, cultural and physical barriers. According to UNESCO, in developing regions less than 2% of all children with a disability attend school.

Persons with a physical or intellectual impairment are more often affected by marginalisation, social isolation, violence and abuse than those who do not have a disability. The physical or intellectual impairment is only part of the problem here. The general environment is where the greatest barriers arise. Many places lack the laws, resources, knowledge and opportunities to reduce these barriers. However, it would be a huge step towards inclusion if disabilities were to be considered right from the start, in pre-school, school, house and apartment construction, at the workplace and in leisure time.

The SDC intends to make measures to support those with disabilities an integral part of international cooperation in the future. To do this, it needs a better system of information, and data on the situation of those affected in developing countries.