Disability as a Driver of Vulnerability: An Update on the Bank’s Work on Disability and the Long Road Ahead

1. Disability as a Driver of Vulnerability: An Update on the Bank’s Work on Disability and the Long Road Ahead TFESSD - November 18, 2009 Aleksandra Posarac, Lead Economist and Team Leader

2. Disability, poverty and vulnerability • Disability affects a significant proportion of the world population (an estimated 10-12 percent); • Disability is not a rare event, but rather a common part of the life cycle; • Exclusion from social and economic life commonly affects persons with disabilities; • A two-way link between poverty and disability is observed; • The Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) cannot be achieved without addressing the needs of people with disabilities; • The ongoing financial crisis has negatively impacted persons with disabilities.

3. Rationale for Bank’s involvement: investing in persons with disability yields significant returns • Generates higher economic returns through more efficient use of the labor force and increased individual and overall productivity. • Reduces social costs. Increased chances for people with disabilities to participate in economic and social life reduce the probability that they will become burdens on social expenditures. • Contributes to greater social equity, inclusion, and cohesion. Human capital formation, development, and maintenance is particularly important for those with disabilities who otherwise might not have a chance to break the cycle of poverty, deprivation, and social exclusion. • Increases efficacy of individual social sector programs. The gainful participation of persons with disabilities in labor markets increases the efficacy of the public spending on health and education services. • Enables greater labor force participation of other family members, thus improving the overall family welfare.

4. International context • Global awareness of the importance of addressing disability within development is increasing; • CRPD, as a core human rights treaty and a practical development policy document has an important bearing on the World Bank work on disability inclusive development.

5. The Bank approach to integrating disability in development • Disability is at the core of the World Bank’s mission and touches upon all aspects of its work; • Work on Disability and Development was launched in 2002; • Global Partnership for Disability and Development; • Human rights framework for disability inclusive development (CRPD).

6. A multi-pillar approach • An issue of inclusive development; • A necessary component to address in order to achieve the MDGs; • An issue of human capital development and its efficient and effective use. • In operational terms, the Bank approach is to integrate disability issues, to the extent possible, into relevant projects and economic and sector work. Region-wise, the recent focus has been on Africa, South Asia, East Asia Pacific, and the Middle East and North Africa; • The Bank supports the principle of accessible infrastructure in its relevant projects.

7. Strategic areas (1) • Filling in the knowledge gap: knowledge generation, data collection, and documentation of good practice for evidence based disability inclusive policies • Census questions; disability modules in household surveys in several countries, including Mozambique and Vietnam; • Collection of data on youth with disabilities in Egypt; • Study on disability in India and Sierra Leone, HIV/AIDS and disability in Africa, and disability in post–conflict countries; • WHO/WB Global Report on Disability; • Regional study on disability social insurance in MENA; • Toolkits, website, dissemination events.

8. Strategic areas (2) • Integrating disability into World Bank projects and economic and sector work • Several ongoing studies and projects include disability-related components/activities. They cover a range of sectors: human development (health, education, and social protection), social development, transport, urban development and include countries from across the world: Ethiopia, Uganda, Pakistan, India, Sri Lanka, Sierra Leone, China, Jordan, Azerbaijan, Armenia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cambodia, and Vietnam. Many other projects, particularly in human development include people with disabilities indirectly (as part of poor and vulnerable population) – most of the safety net projects fall into this category While this is significant, there is a wide room for improvement.

9. Strategic areas (3) • Supporting the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD); • Partnerships: external and internal.

10. Making the Bank work disability inclusive: challenges • A long road ahead • Making a business case: both in countries and within the Bank • Generate country based demand (CRPD) • Responding to the demand: policy dialogue, analytical work, projects

11. The role of TFESSD • An important contribution over the years to knowledge generation, awareness raising and including disability concerns in the Bank projects • Inclusive transport (Morocco, Egypt, Columbia, Mexico) • MENA Regional Study on Disability Social Insurance • Bosnia and Herzegovina disability benefits reform (project) • Poverty and Disability in Developing Countries (study) • HIV and Disability in Sri Lanka; Disability in India, Inclusive Education conference in SAR

12. A pledge to continue with the support • The snowball is rolling and we might be approaching the tipping point …. • Extremely important to keep and build on the momentum … • TFESSD support crucial for the next three years ….