Resources search

Inequalities are multi-dimensional, multi-layered and cumulative. The Report makes clear that understanding and acting effectively upon inequalities requires looking beyond income and wealth disparities to capture their political, environmental, social, cultural, spatial, and knowledge features. Untangling such complexity is a challenge we must fully take on – if we are to develop policies and solutions that are feasible and sustainable.

The Report also emphasizes that the costs of inequalities are very high and borne by all – not just by the deprived and the excluded, but collectively, by current and future generations, in the form of heightened conflict and instability, economic and fiscal losses, environmental degradation, and political tensions. Reducing inequalities is thus everyone’s concern.

Countering inequalities requires robust knowledge – but knowledge alone is not enough. The challenge is to improve the connection between what we know and how we act: to mobilize the knowledge of the social and human sciences to inform policies, underpin decisions and enable wise and transparent management of the shift towards more equitable and inclusive societies. In this sense, investment in knowledge is a down-payment for informed change.

And in some respects, even the knowledge we have is not fully adequate. Social science research agendas equally require revisiting. The Report calls for a step change towards a research agenda that is interdisciplinary, multiscale and globally inclusive, creating pathways for transformative knowledge.

"The present report has been prepared in response to Economic and Social Council resolution 2015/4, in which the Council requested the Secretary-General to submit to the Commission for Social Development, at its fifty-fifth session, a report on the implementation of that resolution, including the Chair’s summary of the discussions and the proposals made during the multi-stakeholder panel discussion on disability at the Commission’s fifty-fourth session. The report provides an overview of the inclusion of disability in existing international development frameworks, as well as of the status of persons with disabilities in social and economic development. It notes that, worldwide, persons with disabilities are still at a disadvantage in many aspects of their participation in development processes, mechanisms and institutions. The report presents the information concerning: (a) the review and follow-up mechanisms of relevant international frameworks on disability-inclusive development; (b) the role of the Commission for Social Development in mainstreaming disability in the development agenda; (c) summary of the multi-stakeholder panel discussion on disability held at the fifty-fourth session of the Commission for Social Development; and (d) conclusions and recommendations"

"The aim of the research was to investigate the social, cultural and institutional factors which contribute to the high incidence of sexual abuse of persons with disabilities in East Africa and to identify interventions which could change detrimental attitudes, beliefs and practices which perpetuate this high incidence. The study used a qualitative participatory action research approach and worked with local partner organisations and Ugandan and Kenyan field level researchers to collect data. Survivors of sexual abuse were not interviewed but instead the research investigated the understandings, beliefs and practices of a range of service providers and key responders who are involved in the prevention of and response to sexual abuse against persons with disabilities in their communities. Groups consulted included police, teachers, health-care workers, government administrators, faith and community organisations and traditional leaders, as well as persons with disabilities and their parents. Participatory workshops were run with a reference group of people with disabilities (with a range of impairments and experiences) and relevant specialists at the initial stage and during the participatory analysis process. After initial orientation and training the field researchers undertook a total of 52 individual interviews and 9 focus group discussions with a range of stakeholders". Powerpoint slides of the research findings and posters are also available.

The booklet is a simple guide written to support victims of sexual abuse and their families to know their rights and to understand what services are available to them. 

The aim of the research was to investigate the social, cultural and institutional factors which contribute to the high incidence of sexual abuse of persons with disabilities in East Africa and to identify interventions which could change detrimental attitudes, beliefs and practices which perpetuate this high incidence. The research is framed within the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disability (UNCRPD), particularly articles 12, 13 and 16.

The study used a qualitative participatory action research approach and worked with local partner organisations and Ugandan and Kenyan field level researchers to collect data. Survivors of sexual abuse were not interviewed but instead the research investigated the understandings, beliefs and practices of a range of service providers and key responders who are involved in the prevention of and response to sexual abuse against persons with disabilities in their communities. Groups consulted included police, teachers, health-care workers, government administrators, faith and community organisations and traditional leaders, as well as persons with disabilities and their parents. Participatory workshops were run with a reference group of people with disabilities (with a range of impairments and experiences) and relevant specialists at the initial stage and during the participatory analysis process. After initial orientation and training the field researchers undertook a total of 52 individual interviews and 9 focus group discussions with a range of stakeholders.

The overall findings show that social attitudes and understanding of disability and sexuality in general are strong influencing factors on the risks that persons with disability face in relation to sexual abuse. Participants reported a range of harmful attitudes and beliefs about disability and about the needs and rights of persons with disabilities. It is very common for cases of abuse to go unreported and to be dealt with at the family or community level, rather than being viewed as a serious criminal matter which should be taken to the formal authorities. Many barriers exist, especially at community level which mean abuse does not get reported. Lack of awareness and knowledge, stigma and exclusion and poverty were key drivers of continuing abuse and survivors of abuse seldom get proper support. Guidelines, training and clear procedures for good practice in the various professions were generally weak or absent. Key recommendations were generated for both community level interventions and in relation to policy and training at regional and national levels. The practical implementation of some recommendations was undertaken.

This publication aims to analyze and disseminate good practices implemented throughout the project called "Improving access to employment for Young people with disabilities in the Greater Casablanca. " To assess the success of this project, it was needed to meet the people with disabilities that benefited from work placement in the companies. The following testimonies come from smiling, dynamic people who, thanks to a stable employment, are able to project into the future.Their disability has become "a detail": for their Colleagues, they are Anouar, Zineb, Mustafa, Anas, Yasmine ... competent staff who as everyone in the company brings an added value. Rabii And Sanaa, who both work as inclusion agents at the AMH Group and in the association called ANAÏS, contributed greatly to these personal and professional achievements. Every day they accompany, advise, facilitate training, prepare disabled young people for the labor market, but they also approach companies and propose nominations. The career paths exposed in this publication are encouraging towards continuing their efforts, along with ANAPEC and the other players at stake in the inclusion sector: not only professional, but also every Moroccan companies and the CGEM, to allow Young people with disabilities to access to stable and rewarding work places. As for the companies, the results speak for themselves: trained human resources departments, formalized action plans to implement disability policies, CSR targets achieved, and skilled employees providing added value to the teams.

This article outlines lessons learned from 2015 Nepal earthquake that can be applied to future disasters to reduce overall disability-related outcomes and more fully integrate rehabilitation in preparation and planning. Information is presented on disasters in general, and then specficially on the earthquake(s) in Nepal. Field experience in Nepal before, during, and after the earthquake is described, and actions that can and should be adopted prior to disasters as part of disability preparedness planning are examined. Emerging roles of rehabilitation providers such as physical therapists during the immediate and postdisaster recovery phases are discussed. Finally, approaches are suggested that can be adopted to “build back better” for, and with, people with disabilities in postdisaster settings such as Nepal.

Physical Therapy, Volume 96, Issue 11, 1 November 2016, Pages 1714–1723

https://doi.org/10.2522/ptj.20150677

Purpose: This article explores the complexities of leprosy-related stigma and the potential effectiveness of a socio-economic intervention in Cirebon District, Indonesia.

Methods: A qualitative approach was adopted. 53 people affected by leprosy were interviewed, and 17 focus group discussions were conducted among people affected by leprosy, community and religious leaders, and health providers and other key persons who were all purposively selected.

Results:  People affected by leprosy face major socio-economic consequences. This was confirmed by key persons. Several opportunities for a possible socio-economic intervention were perceived, as also the barriers. People affected by leprosy are constrained by certain aspects of the health system (e.g., the health providers’ negative attitudes), views in society (e.g., misunderstandings about the condition, stigma), and the physical and social consequences of the disease (impairments, feelings of shame). Study participants identified strategies to deal with these barriers, as well as specific activities for a socio-economic intervention; in particular, the training of staff responsible for implementation.

Conclusion and Implications: Socio-economic interventions in the field of leprosy need to anticipate the barriers and develop strategies to deal with them. Cooperation between people working in the health system and those in the welfare / financial system is needed, to improve the quality of life of people affected by leprosy

Purpose: This article aimed to examine quality of life (QoL) among persons with paraplegic spinal cord injury (SCI), to determine their socio-demographic details, and to measure the different levels of performance in correlation with the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF).

Method: A descriptive cross–sectional study was conducted with a structured questionnaire to collect information from 45 persons with paraplegic SCI. Data was collected by purposive sampling technique and face-to-face interviews.

Results: Most of the participants (47%, n=21) were in the age group of 20-30 years, with a mean age of 33.53 (± 11.14) years. There were more men (89%, n=40) than  women (11%, n=5) and the ratio was 8:1. The most common occupation was farming (27%, n=12), followed by daily labour (22%, n=10). Fall from a height (58%, n=26) was the most common cause of injury. A high percentage of participants (36%, n=16) rated their quality of life (QoL) as poor. Depression was felt very often (44%, n=20), where as happiness lasted for only a little while (38%, n=17).Older participants faced problems at work more often than younger persons. Males and those who worked in public places faced problems in dressing or bathing independently. Married participants were more dissatisfied regarding income and the amount of work they were able to do. Those who had met with road accidents had more emotional problems than others. Association analysis showed that by increasing happiness and decreasing depression participants’ quality of life could improve.

Conclusion: The study demonstrated that spinal cord injury greatly affects quality of life (QoL) and gives rise to more problems, especially in the areas of physical and mental health. It is necessary to take steps to improve the physical and emotional status of paraplegic spinal cord injury clients, as this will eventually lead to improvement in their quality of life