Disability: The global picture
One billion people around the world live with some form of disability, making up around 15% of the global population. The vast majority of people with disabilities live in developing countries.
One billion people around the world live with some form of disability, making up around 15% of the global population. The vast majority of people with disabilities live in developing countries.
Claude, 15, walking home from school, Muhanga District, Rwanda. | © Jay Clark/HI
© Lucas Veuve / HI
One billion people around the world live with some form of disability, making up around 15% of the global population. The vast majority of people with disabilities live in developing countries.
According to the World Report on Disability, the number of people with disabilities is increasing. This is because populations are ageing (older people have a higher risk of disability) and because of the global increase in chronic health conditions associated with disability, such as diabetes, cardiovascular diseases and mental illness. Other environmental factors, such as road accidents, natural disasters and conflicts also contribute to the increase in disability.
Despite being “the world's biggest minority”, people with disabilities are often forgotten. They regularly face discrimination and exclusion from water and sanitation, healthcare, education, work, and community life. And even though disabled people are among the poorest and most vulnerable, their needs are often overlooked by governments and by international organisations. Efforts to reduce poverty can only be effective if we include people with disabilities!
Disability is both a cause and a consequence of poverty: poor people are more likely to become disabled, and people with disabilities are among the poorest of the poor. This relationship can be seen as a vicious circle, with poverty leading to disability and disability worsening poverty.
The main links between poverty and disability are:
Disability covers a great variety of situations and people with disabilities are not a homogeneous group. There are significant inequalities, and poor people, women, and old people are more likely to experience disability than others.
For example, women and girls with disabilities experience double discrimination on account of their gender and their disability, and are also particularly vulnerable to violence and abuse.
School enrolment rates also differ among impairments: children with physical impairments generally fare better than those with intellectual or sensory impairments. Those most excluded from the labour market are often those with mental health issues or learning disabilities. People with more severe impairments often experience greater disadvantage.
Humanity & Inclusion works to ensure that disabled and vulnerable people can live in dignity.
Find out more about our mission and our areas of action.
Humanity & Inclusion knows from experience that an artificial limb alone doesn’t change the life of an amputee. Our approach to rehabilitation is based on the recognition of individual needs, taking into account a person’s individual situation, their environment and the local services available.
Humanity & Inclusion’s emergency response teams take action on the ground to assist the most vulnerable, in particular people with disabilities, injured and displaced people.
Explosive weapons including landmines and cluster munitions continue to kill and injure civilians in countries all around the world.
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ABOUT US
Humanity & Inclusion UK
Romero House
55 Westminster Bridge Road
London
SE1 7JB
UK registered charity no. 1082565
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ABOUT US
Humanity & Inclusion UK
Romero House,
55 Westminster Bridge Road,
London
SE1 7JB
UK registered charity no. 1082565
MORE INFORMATION
SEARCH