Issue of disability as both an identity and an entity
Disability as an identity and entity exists at the intersection of multiple vulnerabilities - social, economic and gender.
Globally, 1.3 billion people live with some form of disability.
Of them, 80% live in developing countries; further, 70% of them live in rural areas.
Current systems are designed for persons without disabilities.
The system being exclusionary to people with disabilities, resulting in them experiencing higher instances of poverty, lack of access to education and opportunities.
The people with disabilities face informality and other forms of social and economic discrimination.
At the outset, the inclusion of persons with disabilities into the economy can help boost global GDP between 3% to 7%, ILO study says.
The current employment scenario is limited, providing fewer jobs for persons with disabilities and perpetuating stereotypes that create further barriers for people with disabilities to access the labour market.
Disability inclusion is rooted in assuring the rights of persons with disabilities and recognising the economic benefits of inclusion.
What is the SPARK project
The ILO and the International Fund for Agricultural Development (IFAD), in collaboration with the Women’s Development Corporation in Maharashtra, are implementing the Sparking Disability Inclusive Rural Transformation (SPARK) project.
This project, persons with disabilities were put in the lead, being identified from the villages, and trained as Disability Inclusion Facilitators (DIFs).
The DIFs engage with the community, persons with disabilities, caregivers of persons with disabilities, women from self-help groups and other stakeholders to raise awareness.
The DIFs identify women with disabilities and mainstream them in existing self-help groups for social and economic development.
The SPARK project has been able to bring an attitudinal shift towards persons with disabilities, right from the societal to administrative levels.
The goal of social justice cannot be achieved without the inclusion of persons with disabilities in all spheres of development, starting with rural areas and rural resilience.
Evidence shows a bi-directional link to poverty, nutrition, and hunger, and as a consequence, there needs to be more inclusive opportunities
and employment in rural areas.
Given the historic marginalisation of persons with disabilities and the backsliding of the progress on the Sustainable Development Goals, a fundamental shift in commitment, solidarity, financing and action is critical.
It is about time that the voices and needs of persons with disabilities be prioritised at the centre of the global development agenda.
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