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Labour force statistics for people with and without disabilities are presented graphically including: 

• Unemployment rate by disability status
• Employment-to-population ratio by disability status
• Share of employed in paid employment by disability status
• Share of employed with less than primary education by disability status
• Employment-to-population ratio by disability status (men and women)

In this new report, ATscale describes the enormous gains that access to assistive technology (AT) can have in health, for the community and the economy. The figures are dramatic: investment in the provision of four assistive products - hearing aids, prostheses, eyeglasses, and wheelchairs - will result in a return on investment of 9:1.

Having access to AT can make the difference between failure or success in school, between a job or unemployment, between a life of opportunity or a life of dependency. An example: for a child in a low- or middle-income country, access to AT can make a difference of $100,000 in lifetime income.

Altogether, providing AT to all who need it would yield more than USD 10 trillion in economic benefits over the next 55 years.

Investing in AT both has a transformative impact on people’s wellbeing and makes sound economic sense for funders and governments. 

Children with disabilities in Bangladesh have equal access to play, recreation and leisure, and sporting activities, including in the school system (contributing to enjoyment of article 30 5.d of UNCRPD).

This edition of the Disability inclusion helpdesk summarises the major announcements, events and reports published on 3rd December 2019, International Day of Persons with Disabilities.

The importance of addressing both safety and accessibility for inclusive urban mobility is discussed. 

Case studies provided are:

• Accessible public transport for employment, Senegal
• Training and ICT solutions, Kenya
• Tuk Tuk drivers certified on accessibility, Laos
• Designing Bus Rapid Transport (BRT) systems for accessibility, South Africa
• Improving accessibility to transport, Brazil
• Making public transport more inclusive with technology, Singapore
• Taking efforts to be more inclusive, France
• A model city for accessibility, Brazil
• Prioritising accessibility, Czech Republic
• Getting all residents and visitors to engage in all aspects of city life, Luxembourg
• Communications training, Russia
• Metro access audits, India

Recommendations are made to governments concerning strengthening poicy frameworks and removing barriers to accessible mobility

IESA provide a series of short factsheets concerned with inclusive education for children with disabilities including:

• Including a child with a visual impairment in a mainstream setting
• Including a Child with Cerebral Palsy (CP) in a mainstream setting
• The Inclusion of Learners with Down Syndrome in Ordinary Schools
• Special School Resource Centres
• Reasonable Accommodation in Education

Visual supports can be used to communicate with people on the autism spectrum. They are adaptable, portable and can be used in most situations.

Visual supports can help to provide structure and routine, encourage independence, build confidence, improve understanding, avoid frustration and anxiety, and provide opportunities to interact with others. They can make communication physical and consistent, rather than fleeting and inconsistent like spoken words can be.

Different types and uses of visual supports and where to find resources are reported. See some examples and read some top tips.

Humanity & Inclusion (HI) and iMMAP conducted a study concerned with the lack of disability data in the Syria crisis context,  which aimed to:

• Provide statistically reliable prevalence of disability as well as disability disaggregated data indicators on access to services.
• Increase understanding of the situation of Syrian refugees with disabilities and their households, compared to their peers without disabilities, in relation to the access to services including education, and key barriers experienced in accessing these services.
• Recommend inclusive actions to be prioritized by humanitarian actors.

The study conducted a literature review, quantitative data collection as well as qualitative data collection. Quantitative data was collected from 2,495 persons of randomly sampled 506 households in the urban setting in Bar Elias as well as Informal Tented Settlements (ITS) in Bar Elias and Arsal in December 2017. Fourteen Key Informant Interviews (KII) were also conducted in December 2017 to elicit deeper insights on the educational situation of children with and without disabilities.

This report takes stock of evidence from LMICs, drawing on findings from a thematic evidence review combined with emerging findings from the Gender and Adolescence: Global Evidence (GAGE) survey and qualitative research baseline studies in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Jordan and Palestine. These interviews involved more than 6,000 adolescents and their caregivers – including approximately 600 girls and boys with physical, visual, hearing or intellectual impairments, alongside service providers and policy actors. The report draws attention to the multiple and intersecting capabilities that need to be supported in order for adolescents with disabilities in LMICs to reach their full potential. It goes beyond a focus on their access to education and health services, and also considers their rights to psychosocial wellbeing, protection from violence, mobility and opportunities to participate within their communities, as well the skills, assets and support they need to become economically independent once they transition into adulthood.