The 2025 Global Disability Summit in Berlin was a pivotal moment for reimagining disability support systems, with Jordan’s Higher Council for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities leading a crucial conversation that went beyond traditional aid paradigms. On April 2, 2025, experts from across continents gathered to explore how disability-specific social security can transform lives in resource-constrained settings.
The side event, titled “Ensuring income security for persons with disabilities: The role of disability-specific social security benefits and their feasibility in low- and middle-income countries,” centred on strengthening institutions rather than perpetuating dependency. Participants explored how thoughtfully designed social security systems can address the multiple barriers faced by persons with disabilities across different life stages – from childhood development to working-age employment challenges and caregiver support. The session highlighted successful implementation models from Fiji and South Africa, demonstrating financial feasibility even in countries with limited resources.
“Disability-specific benefits are not merely financial transfers – they are enabling mechanisms that facilitate participation, autonomy, and dignity,” explained Dr Muhannad Alazzeh, Secretary General of Jordan’s Higher Council for the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, who moderated the session. “When we invest in these programmes, we invest in the fundamental human right to live with independence and purpose.”
The human impact of such policies was powerfully illustrated by an anecdote from a participant in Fiji’s Disability Allowance Scheme shared by Salote Biukoto: “Now I can contribute to my community, and I am invited to village meetings. For the first time, my voice matters and I have the resources to participate fully in community life.” This single testimony encapsulated what statistics alone cannot convey – the profound difference that regular, reliable support makes in restoring dignity and enabling participation.
Stephen Kidd, Technical Director at Shamil and CEO of Development Pathways, also presented compelling evidence at the side event, showing how over 30 middle and low-income countries have already implemented comprehensive disability benefits. Pathamavathy Naicker from the South African Social Security Agency also shared reflections from South Africa’s experience with its Disability Grant programme.
The Global Disability Summit 2025 was an opportunity to raise the importance of inclusive social security, a necessary form of support for PWD that should be universal, yet is often forgotten. The event led to critical awareness that there is much work that countries and local governments need to do to ensure income security for PWD, but it is not impossible. If there is one thing that this event can shed light on, it is the realisation that it is not just possible, it’s already happening across the world.
Watch the short video below for a summary of what social security is and what it entails for persons with disabilities: