Globally, over one billion people live with a disability. More than seven in ten are not supported by social protection programmes. Yet access to social protection is a basic right for all people.
DFID asked us in 2016 to undertake research to examine how social protection systems and schemes can be made more inclusive of persons with disabilities.
Research until then on access to social protection for persons with disabilities mainly focused on disability-specific programming. Our research aimed to include persons with disabilities in the broader research on social protection, examining both disability-specific as well as mainstream schemes. We brought together evidence through extensive analysis of existing datasets in a comprehensive overview report, as well as a literature review and eight reports on country case studies.
Evidence across the world indicates that the most effective means of including persons with disability in social protection is through adequate investment in social protection systems across the lifecycle. This includes disability-specific schemes, as well as old age pensions and mainstream schemes. When designed well, social protection systems can empower persons with disabilities.
Our research allowed DFID to provide guidance on how social protection systems and schemes can be designed to be more disability-inclusive, facilitating equality of outcomes and opportunities, while enabling their full participation in society. Our research provided guidance to policy-makers on how social protection systems and schemes can be designed to be more disability inclusive.
The overview report was launched at an event supported by UNPRDP (UN Partnership on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities) in Geneva on inclusive social protection for persons with disabilities.