25th October: In a follow-up to the Global Disability Summit, an expert panel is set to meet to agree next steps in building social protection systems that enable persons with disabilities to overcome the barriers they face. In London on 6th November, international evidence, including DFID-funded research, on how to build disability-inclusive social protection systems will be revealed and an expert panel will discuss this with participants, resulting in recommendations for action.
Registrations are still being accepted for the event, convened by Leonard Cheshire, the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine, HelpAge International and Development Pathways after the first ever Global Disability Summit. DFID, the International Disability Alliance and the Government of Kenya held the summit to galvanise efforts to include persons with disabilities in sustainable development. Participating governments and organisations committed to “providing social protection” and “open up routes to economic empowerment so that persons with disabilities can enjoy decent work and achieve financial independence”.
The event comes after a Development Pathways-convened meeting in Nairobi at which a leading Kenyan Parliamentarian and WFP and UNICEF in Kenya backed a universal child disability benefit for the nation. This was seen as a crucial first step towards building a disability-inclusive social protection system.
Confirmed panelists include: Hannah Kuper, of the International Centre for Evidence in Disability at the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine; Maria Kett, Head of Research at the Leonard Cheshire Disability and Inclusive Development Centre; Stephen Kidd, Senior Social Policy Specialist, Development Pathways; and Fiona Samuels, Senior Research Fellow, the ODI. Join the meeting by registering for a place here.