There is now a growing body of resources on disability-inclusive development, including databases, such as Source, which already provide many resources across a range of development sectors.
The aim of this website is not to duplicate this effort, nor add to the proliferation of resources, but rather to select and highlight a few key quality resources in each sector that are relevant for DFAT staff and donors.
Many resources have made the case for ‘why’ disability-inclusive development is important. The sector is now moving to the harder task of developing evidence-based resources on ‘how’ to implement disability-inclusive development effectively.
Resources included in these pages have been selected to provide, where possible, practical guidance and information to inform donor decision-making, policy, and programming on disability-inclusive development.
Where available, this site provides links to resources which are accessible. We do not take responsibility for the accessibility of material provided at third party sites. (Please contact the third party site administrator directly if you cannot access a relevant resource at an external site).
DFAT staff can access gender equality resources and technical advice through the SURGE (Support Unit for Gender Equality) facility at https://surge4genderequality.com.au/
Themes
Accessibility
Accessibility refers to the design and implementation of environments, products, and services that can be used by everyone independently. In particular, Article 9 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) emphasises the importance of accessibility which includes the physical environment, transportation, information and communications, and other facilities and services, to enable people with disabilities to live independently and participate fully in society. The CRPD also obligates States to take measures to ensure accessibility, including identifying and eliminating barriers, providing accessible information, and promoting the development of accessible products and technologies. According to the CRPD, accessibility is not only a precondition for people with disabilities to live independently and participate fully in society, but also a fundamental human right for people with disabilities. As a guiding principle of the CRPD, accessibility is interwoven throughout the Convention and addressed in every general comment. The CRPD reinforces the equal rights of access for people with disabilities, building upon other international conventions that recognise the rights of all individuals to equal access to public places and services. Resources in this section include evidence, policy commitments, standards, and guidance to understand and implement accessibility.
Data
Data collection and analysis is crucial for understanding the needs and experiences of people with disabilities. The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) highlight the importance of collecting and disaggregating disability data to inform policies, programs, and monitor progress. In addition to collecting and analysing data to understand the needs and experiences of people with disabilities, it is also critical for: identifying the prevalence of disability evaluating program effectiveness shaping inclusive development initiatives This helps to understand if people with disabilities are participating in program activities, and what types of support are effective in addressing barriers that often prevent them from being included. The resources below provide relevant research, guidelines and recommendations to support the collection and analysis of disability-disaggregated data.
Disability Information Sheets
Country Information Sheets (Access for registered DID4all users ONLY)
Diversity and intersectionality
Just as disability is part of human diversity, disability is diverse and experienced by individuals in unique ways. As disability is conceptualised as the interaction between impairment and barriers, there is a huge diversity of disability. Two people with the same type of disability may have completely different lives depending on where they live, their gender, their age, their ethnicity, their access to services, and how their communities perceive and include them. People who experience both disability and some other types of marginalised identities, are likely to experience greater levels of exclusion as their marginalisation by society is compounded. Resources in this section and the corresponding sub sections related to diversity and intersectionality, include evidence and research findings about the diverse experiences of disability, and how programs can address compounding layers of marginalisation to ensure that people from under-represented disability groups are also able to benefit and be included in development programs.
Introduction to disability and equity
Disability equity and rights encompass the fundamental principles of justice for people with disabilities, ensuring their full and equal participation and inclusion in all aspects of society. Taking an approach focused on disability equity and rights means not just providing equal opportunities for people with disabilities, but acknowledging that people with disabilities experience barriers to inclusion. Achieving disability equity and rights therefore requires people to take action to ensure that the barriers experienced by people with disabilities are removed to enable active participation and engagement in society. Resources provided in this section and the related sub-sections utilises evidence and guidance to highlight how disability equity and rights can be achieved in international development and humanitarian contexts.
Sectors
Climate change and the environment
The impacts of climate change and environmental degradation disproportionately affect people with disabilities, exacerbating existing risks and creating new challenges as a result of a changing environment. Rising temperatures, extreme weather events, and pollution can significantly impact the health of people with disabilities, who may have pre-existing health conditions or mobility limitations. Moreover, inaccessible infrastructure and inadequate support systems can hinder their ability to adapt to a changing environment and participate in sustainable agricultural practices. For example, the effects of diminished soil fertility or the need to relocate due to climate displacement impacts people with disabilities more significantly due to the increased distances and additional time required to access the relocated area, as well as physical accessibility challenges. The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), particularly Article 9 (accessibility) and Article 28 (an adequate standard of living and social protection) highlight the importance of environmental accessibility and the rights of people with disabilities to live in safe and sustainable communities. It is important that climate action and environmental policies are inclusive, ensuring that people with disabilities have equal access to information, resources, and opportunities to mitigate and adapt to the effects of climate change, as they experience heightened climate risks. Resources in this section and the relevant sub-sections include evidence and guidance to understand how to address the heightened climate risks experienced by people with disabilities, and how to make climate and environmental programs more inclusive.
Disaster Risk Management (DRM)
Disaster Risk Management (DRM) encompasses all phases of the disaster management cycle, and includes the actions taken before, during, and after a disaster by a wide range of actors to reduce the risks and impact of disasters. The Asia and Pacific regions are highly prone to experiencing disaster events. People with disabilities are disproportionately affected by disasters, as early warning systems, temporary shelters, and search and rescue services are often inaccessible, or fail to meet the needs of people with disabilities. Incorporating disability inclusion into DRM enhances preparedness, response, and recovery efforts, ensuring no one is left behind. Resources in this section provide evidence, commitments, and guidance to achieve disability inclusion in DRM and across the disaster management cycle.
Economic inclusion and livelihoods
Economic inclusion and inclusive livelihoods encompasses a number of areas including work and employment, social protection, vocational training and access to credit, all of which are relevant for people with disabilities to create a sustainable life for themselves and their families. However, many people with disabilities experience various barriers, including experiencing discrimination when seeking and maintaining employment, having limited access to formal and informal training activities for employment, and may have experiences being considered untrustworthy by credit providers due to discriminatory financial policies. People with disabilities often have difficulty accessing information about their rights to welfare or financial support, or the processes needed to apply for these, particularly in accessible formats. Resources provided in this section provide evidence, research, and guidance to achieve economic inclusion and inclusive livelihoods.
Education
Education plays an important role in the lives of people with disabilities, supporting them to reach their full potential. However, there is a significant gap in school attendance between people with and without disabilities. People with disabilities often encounter significant barriers to accessing quality education, ranging from inaccessible physical environments and discriminatory attitudes, to a lack of inclusive curriculum and support services. Where children with disabilities do attend school, the quality of their educational experiences is often inadequate, as completion rates are much lower in comparison to their peers without disabilities. The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), specifically Article 24 (education), enshrines the right to inclusive education for all, emphasising the need for reasonable accommodations and individualised supports to ensure people with disabilities have equal opportunities to learn. The denial of education to children with disabilities can have a profound and lasting impact on their future prospects. Without access to quality education, people with disabilities are more likely to face limited employment opportunities, and as a result have reduced economic opportunities, and increased social isolation, which may further marginalise them. Resources in this section and related sub-sections includes research findings, policy commitments, guidelines, and recommendations to progress inclusive education.
Governance
Article 4.3 of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) underscores the importance of involving people with disabilities in the development and implementation of policies that affect them. Inclusive governance ensures that people with disabilities are consulted, included, and listened to in decision-making processes at all levels of policy development and programming. Through exercising these rights, people with disabilities can assert autonomy to make their own choices, and to participate as agents for change to raise issues that are important to them, including advocating for disability inclusion. Resources in this section provide evidence, guidance, and examples of practice, which can support effective and inclusive governance.
Health and wellbeing
People with disabilities experience unique challenges in maintaining their health and wellbeing, often facing additional barriers to accessing healthcare, assistive devices, and accessible services. The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) emphasises the right to the highest attainable standard of health (Article 25) and recognises the importance of accessible healthcare, rehabilitation, and assistive devices (Article 26). However, systemic inequities and discriminatory attitudes can hinder access to these essential health services, which can result in people with disabilities having unequal access to health services, and experiencing poorer levels of health than the general population. In addition, socio-economic factors such as poverty, lower employment and education rates, lack of social protection, stigma and social exclusion, further influence health inequality among people with disabilities. It is important to involve people with disabilities in decision-making processes to achieve accessible health infrastructure and to develop healthcare workforces that understand the needs of people with disabilities, to enable inclusive and accessible mainstream and targeted health services. Resources in this section provide evidence and guidelines to achieve inclusive health and wellbeing services for people with disabilities.
Humanitarian action
Humanitarian action and disability are interlinked, as people with disabilities often face heightened risks during crises and conflicts. For every one person killed in a disaster, another three are injured or left with a permanent disability, and many face long-term psychosocial disabilities as a result of trauma. Despite this, people with disabilities are often excluded during humanitarian emergencies, and continue to face difficulties in accessing emergency support and essential services such as food distribution, medical care, shelter and water, sanitation and hygiene (WASH) facilities. The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) emphasises the importance of inclusive humanitarian responses that uphold the rights and dignity of all, including people with disabilities. Article 11 of the CRPD specifically addresses situations of risk and humanitarian emergencies, and mandates that States must ensure that people with disabilities access equal protection and safety in situations of risk. and that humanitarian assistance must be accessible. Effective humanitarian action requires the active participation and inclusion of people with disabilities in decision-making processes, ensuring that their specific needs and concerns are addressed. Resources in this section include evidence and guidance to support inclusive humanitarian action efforts.
Infrastructure
Infrastructure plays a key role in determining the level of inclusion and accessibility for people with disabilities within society. Barriers in infrastructure, such as lack of ramps, inaccessible public transport, or poorly designed websites, can significantly limit the mobility, independence, and overall quality of life for people with disabilities. The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), particularly Article 9 (accessibility), emphasise the importance of accessible infrastructure as a key component of achieving basic rights for people with disabilities, so they can access physical and virtual spaces equally with others. Resources in this section and the related sub-sections include evidence, reports, and guidance to ensure infrastructure policies and programs consider the needs of people with disabilities.
Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH)
The United Nations General Assembly explicitly recognised access to safe drinking water and sanitation as a human right, and acknowledged the essential nature of water and sanitation to the realisation of all human rights in 2010. Whilst development gains made are progressing WASH access around the world, many people with disabilities remain excluded from accessing WASH services. This is for reasons including: inadequate placement of WASH infrastructure, inaccessible toilets and water supplies, exclusion from community hygiene awareness activities, and stigma and discrimination that prevents people with disabilities from participating or accessing WASH services. The inclusion of people with disabilities in WASH programs typically requires only minor modifications, and when built into program design from the onset, represents minimal additional costs. Improved accessibility of WASH infrastructure also benefits other members of the community, such as children, frail older people, pregnant women, and people who are ill or temporarily injured. Resources in this section include evidence, case studies, and recommendations to achieve inclusive WASH programs and services.
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