The issues What is the problem?

The Millennium Development Goals have the potential to make life better for billions of people in the world’s poorest countries. Yet when they were established by world leaders in 2000 they left out one in five of the world’s poorest people. This is not as surprising as it sounds. Disabled people have consistently faced discrimination and disadvantage, which is why disabled people are one of the largest single groups of excluded and chronically poor people in the world.

Without including disability in plans for tackling poverty the MDGs stand little chance of success. Disability is currently not included in indicators and targets set for the MDGs and disabled people are often excluded from international and national poverty reduction plans.

What needs to happen?
As we pass the halfway point of the MDGs, it is crucial for governments, donors, international agencies and civil society to address disability through the implementation of inclusive development strategies.

• Recognise disability as a cross cutting issue within international development
• Support the collection of accurate and reliable disability data in partner countries in order to monitor inclusion of disabled people
• Ratify The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and fulfill all commitments towards inclusive development
• Ensure participation and involvement of disabled people organisations and other relevant organisations in development and MDG-related policy and decision making processes

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