Interregional Consultative Expert Meeting
on disability-sensitive policy design and evaluation
for sustainable livelihoods for all in the twenty-first century

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Recommendations
"Interregional Consultative Expert Meeting on Disability-Sensitive Policy Design and Evaluation for Sustainable Livelihoods for All"

(Jakarta, Indonesia, January 15-17, 2002)

THE RECOMMENDATIONS

(A)
Recommendations Concerning the Proper Balance Between Investments in Rehabilitation, Inclusion and Social Protection

1. The promotion of sustainable livelihoods for people with disabilities involves increasing their access to social and economic opportunities. This access is restricted by individual, social and environmental barriers. The ability of people with disabilities to make social and economic contributions, and thus achieve sustainable livelihoods, is determined by the extent to which they are able to overcome these barriers and pass through the following three stages of physical and social integration:

• Adapting to the disabling condition and maximizing functional capacity;
• Interacting with the community and with society; and
• Gaining access to the types of social and economic activities that give life meaning and purpose (e.g. contributing to one's family and community, actively participating in society and/or obtaining employment).

To foster sustainable livelihoods for people with disabilities, all three types of barriers must be addressed simultaneously in ways that facilitate the passage of people with disabilities through all three of the stages of physical and social integration. This requires local, national and international disability strategies based upon comprehensive and integrated combinations of:

• Rehabilitation strategies that maximize the functional capabilities of people with disabilities;
• Inclusion and empowerment strategies to facilitate their active participation in their communities, societies and economies; and
• Architecture and design strategies that remove and prevent unnecessary barriers in infrastructure, including built environments, transportation systems, technology and communications.

2. Some people will incur disabilities so severe that they will be incapable of successfully passing through all three of the stages of physical and social integration, even within the context of the types of comprehensive approaches outlined above. Members of this sub-group will require specialized support services throughout their lives simply to survive. There will be others who will require various forms of lifetime support (e.g. ongoing personal assistance services) to be consistently capable of making social and economic contributions. Still others will require specialized support services at various times in their lives (e.g. specialized training, rehabilitation and modifications to homes and workplaces) to overcome specific obstacles. To be cost-effective and commensurate with the global commitment to equalizing opportunities for people with disabilities, these services must be,

• Designed to facilitate access to the social and economic mainstream;
• Provided in mainstream institutional settings wherever possible; and
• Provided within the context of the comprehensive inclusion and empowerment strategies outlined above.

3. The proportion of disability investments allocated to activities to foster sustainable livelihoods for people with disabilities should be increased, and investments in social protection should be reserved for that proportion of the disabled population for which they are actually necessary.
4. The precise balance between investments in rehabilitation, inclusion and social protection should be flexible and customized to address national, regional and local needs. This balance should be determined through ongoing dialogues between local, regional and national Governments; local, national and international disability organizations; multilateral and bilateral development cooperation organizations; developmental non-governmental organizations (NGOs); charitable organizations; and commercial enterprises.
5. People with disabilities, and organizations of people with disabilities should be included in the planning and implementation of all national and international policies, programs and strategies, and their input should be particularly emphasized in the design and implementation of policies and programs directly related to disability.
6. The Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities [13] should be respected in the formulation and enforcement of policies, laws and regulations.
7. A strong and appropriate coordinating body in which all disability stakeholders are represented is essential to the implementation of the Standard Rules.
8. All multilateral organizations should ensure that priority is accorded to strengthening investments in rehabilitation, inclusion and social protection.
9. All mainstream development assistance resources should be administered in ways that are compatible with the World Program of Action Concerning Disabled Persons [14], and all multilateral and bilateral development programs and projects should be subjected to disability audits based on the Standard Rules.
10. All poverty alleviation programs should include people with disabilities and address their rights and needs.
11. All United Nations agencies should strengthen their regional focal platforms to promote inclusionary principles, and to protect the rights of disabled people to equal access to social and economic opportunities.
12. International organizations should increase funding for research into appropriate and cost-effective methodologies to promote access for people with disabilities to their physical, cultural and social environments, including transportation, information technology, mass media, education, justice, public service, employment, recreation, political participation and worship.
13. Differing social, economic and cultural circumstances require differing approaches to disability. Therefore, inclusionary disability strategies should be structured to utilize and strengthen existing systems and practices instead of devising and imposing systems and methods which may be unfamiliar and may run counter to local customs and practices.
14. Promotional measures should be undertaken at the neighborhood and community levels to promote community involvement in strategies to foster the inclusion of people with disabilities, and the capabilities of existing traditional community organizations should be strengthened to promote solidarity and cohesiveness in local welfare improvement activities for people with disabilities.

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(B)
Recommendations Related to Rehabilitation and the Facilitation of Adaptation to Disability

1. Rehabilitation should be comprehensive, and designed to facilitate inclusion in all areas, including the medical, social, technical, educational, vocational, cultural and political aspects of life.
2. National policies for persons with disabilities should assure quality rehabilitative and adaptive services.
3. Nation states and international development and disability organizations should actively work together to increase the international exchange of information and experiences concerning methods to foster sustainable livelihoods for people with disabilities.
4. Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) and Independent Living programs should become integral parts of social development and poverty eradication programs and strategies at the local, national and regional level.
5. Rehabilitation and adaptation services should be provided in mainstream settings wherever possible, or by disabled persons organizations.
6. Funding should be increased for research on assistive technology and methodology, with particular emphasis on appropriate technologies for developing countries.
7. The United Nations should synthesize efforts to provide rehabilitation and assistive technology for disabled people in partnership with governments, as well as non-governmental organizations (NGOs), disabled persons organizations and mainstream community organizations, especially in rural areas in developing countries.
8. The private sector should be encouraged to support and promote rehabilitation activities.

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(C)
Recommendations Related to Policies to Foster the Interaction of Disabled People With Their Communities and Societies

1. Disabled persons organizations should play the role of pioneer in promoting a discourse concerning the integration of disabled people into their communities, and concerning the protection of their human rights.
2. Meaningful interaction with governments requires empowered and effective lobbying organizations. Therefore, disabled person's organizations should be supported by the United Nations and other donor agencies to increase their ability to affect government policies.
3. Based on the United Nations Charter and the Universal Declaration of Human Rights [15], disabled people should be encouraged to run for offices in parliaments and other political organizations, and election systems should be made completely accessible to them.
4. To facilitate the uninhibited social interaction of people with disabilities, accessible environments should be established based on the principles of Universal Design. [16]
5. International programs to facilitate economic and social development should require accessibility standards in all infrastructure projects, including technology and communications, to ensure that people with disabilities have the opportunity to be fully included in the lives of their communities.
6. There should be increased support for the active participation of persons with disabilities and disabled persons organizations in the process of monitoring compliance with disability non-discrimination legislation at all levels of governance, including the national, regional, and local.
7. The United Nations should ensure the inclusion of disability issues in all of their programs and projects, and engage in meaningful efforts to ensure employment opportunities in the United Nations System for people with disabilities.
8. Multinational corporations and international organizations should reverse the existing trend, and begin to consistently observe the Standard Rules, particularly in developing countries.
9. Educational institutions and curriculum should include people with disabilities when implementing the concept of "education for all."
10. Each community should take action to maximize access for people with disabilities to all community activities.
11. Affirmative steps should be taken to ensure that organizations and programs at the grass root level in local communities address disability issues.
12. Community Based Rehabilitation (CBR) initiatives should be promoted and supported, especially in the field of development, and disabled people should be assured leading roles in CBR programs.
13. To encourage community backing for activities in support of the integration of people with disabilities into the social and economic mainstream, comprehensive networks of disabled persons organizations, private voluntary organizations, labor unions and private enterprises should be established, encouraged and supported.
14. Strict measures should be enacted to penalize all forms of discrimination against people with disabilities.

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(D)
Recommendations Related to Policies to Foster the Employment of Disabled People and to Facilitate Other Forms of Social and Economic Contributions

1. Employment opportunities should be increased for people with disabilities because for most disabled people employment is a necessary condition for full integration into social life.
2. Open labor market opportunities should be the priority for job placements.
3. Employment opportunities for people with disabilities should not only be fostered in the formal sector, but in the informal sector as well.
4. Affirmative steps should be taken to promote entrepreneurial activities and business leadership opportunities for people with disabilities.
5. Mainstream vocational training and vocational education should be accessible to disabled people.
6. Work environments should be made accessible for people with all types of disabilities.
7. Promoting employment for people with disabilities should be part of all mainstream development projects related to income generation and professional career development.
8. Vocational training programs and income generating activities designed specifically for people with disabilities should be meaningful and relevant to the economic circumstances of the disabled beneficiaries.
9. International exchanges should be promoted concerning best practices related to the employment of people with disabilities who cannot be placed in the open labor market.
10. Ongoing research should be conducted on the continuous positive impact of technology on job opportunities for people with disabilities.
11. Employment related assistive technology should be more widely dispersed, particularly in developing countries.
12. Trade unions should become more actively engaged in the promotion, protection and defense of the rights of employees with disabilities.
13. Disability issues should be formally included in all negotiations between trade unions and employers.
14. Quota, levy and incentive systems should be considered to foster employment for people with disabilities.
15. In addition to regulations and laws, Governments are urged to promote job placements for people with disabilities by motivation and persuasion based on human relations.
16. Local communities should take affirmative steps to promote employment opportunities for people with disabilities.
17. Employment opportunities for people with disabilities should be consistently equal across genders.

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13 The United Nations "Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities", General Assembly resolution 49/96, annex of 220 December 1993 <http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/dissre00.htm>.

14 General Assembly document A/37/351/Add.1 and Corr.1, annex, sect. VIII, recommendation I (IV), adopted by General Assembly resolution 37/52 of 3 December 1983 <http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/diswpa00.htm>.

15 The Universal Declaration of Human Rights, General Assembly resolution 217 A (III) of 10 December 1948 <http://www.unhchr.ch/udhr/index.htm>; see also the "Declaration on the Rights of Disabled Persons", General Assembly resolution 3447 (XXX) of 9 December 1975 <http://www.unhchr.ch/udhr/index.htm>.

16 Seven principles of universal design are described in What is Universal Design (Center for Universal Design, North Carolina State University, 1999): (1) Equitable use - the design is useful and relevant to a wide group of users; (2) Flexibility in use - the design accommodates a wide range of individual preferences and abilities; (3) Simple and intuitive use - the design is easy to understand regardless of the knowledge, experience, language skills or concentration level of the user; (4) Perceptive information - the design communicates information effectively to the user regardless of the ambient condition or the sensory abilities of the user; (5) Tolerance for error - the design minimizes the hazards and adverse consequences of unintended actions of the user; (6) Low physical effort - the design can be used easily, efficiently and comfortably with a minimum of fatigue; and (7) Size and space for approach and use - the size and space for approach, reach, manipulation and use should be appropriate regardless of the body size, posture or mobility of the user. See also the report on the "International Seminar on Environmental Accessibility; planning and design of accessible urban development in developing countries (Beirut, 30 November - 3 December 1999)" <http://www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/disisea.htm>.

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Last updated 11/03/03.