Need for a Global Partnership for Disability & Development

There is a significant and complex relationship between disability and poverty, since both can be causes and/or consequences of the other. Deficiencies in access to basic necessities such as clean water, nutrition, and sanitation due to poverty can disproportionately increase the risks for acquiring a disability, while people with disabilities face barriers to economic self-sufficiency and social participation due to prevalent stigma, misconceptions, and exclusion from activities such as education and employment. This chronic and vicious cycle of disability and poverty threatens the eradication of poverty and the progress of sustainable development in the world's poorest regions.

Most poverty reduction schemes in low-income countries fail to consider disability issues or address them in any systematic manner, which perpetuates the marginalization of people with disabilities and hampers poverty reduction efforts. Existing national disability policies and programs often fail to meet the needs of citizens with disabilities, due to the lack of enforcement, stakeholder capacity, disability awareness, and collaboration among international development and assistance specialists and disability specialists. Mainstreaming disability concerns into economic development efforts requires knowledge and awareness raising, effective collaboration among all relevant stakeholders, and robust information exchange across regions.

The common view that disability is a specialty field with separate needs excludes people with disabilities from the receipt of critical services. Disabled People's Organizations (DPOs) though effective at reducing stigma and increasing inclusion, often are overlooked as recipients of financial aid and during discussions around economic and community development. On the other hand, although DPOs are the most effective representatives of the needs of people with disabilities, they often lack the skills to interact with major international agencies and governments.

Therefore, inclusive development cannot be achieved unless all relevant stakeholders, including people with disabilities and their families, DPOs, governments and non-governmental organizations (NGOs), bilateral donors and international aid organizations, and academic and private agencies, form a collaborative partnership to promote a rich exchange of ideas, knowledge, best practices, and expertise.

The Global Partnership for Disability and Development (GPDD) was created to encourage cooperation and coordination among diverse stakeholders to strengthen and promote inclusive development efforts in low-income countries.