1.6 Why is it important to include disability in the PRS?

Disability is a cause and consequence of poverty: poor people are more likely to have a disability, and people with disabilities are more likely to be poor. The World Health Organization (WHO) estimates that 7-10% of the world’s population live with a disability. Various aspects of poverty affect people with disabilities: in general, they have little financial means, but they also have no political power and face discrimination at all levels of society. The PRS approach accordingly defines poverty not only as a lack of financial and material means, but also as a lack of social freedom, justice and equal opportunities.

The PRSP process addresses all sectors of society, all of which are, without exception, also relevant for people with disabilities. Studies show that the participation of DPOs leads to a very different approach to disability issues within the PRS. Without DPOs, for example, most activities proposed for people with disabilities follow a concept based on charity, while with the participation of DPOs, the focus shifts clearly to education, training and employment. The active involvement of people with disabilities and DPOs is therefore necessary at every stage of the PRSP, as they are the experts on specific poverty issues.

Initially only a few PRS considered people with disabilities; nowadays, the number is increasing. However, the quality and quantity of the proposed activities still varies extremely for the following three reasons. First, for a long time the World Bank itself failed to notice people with disabilities and their requirements. The World Bank’s main guideline, the “Sourcebook for Poverty Reduction Strategies”, lacks a comprehensive approach that appropriately addresses the issue. Second, in the past people with disabilities and their organisations seldom participated in the PRS process. Third, few studies have been undertaken regarding the situation of people with disabilities, which means that there is only limited understanding of important issues. And as the poverty analyses conducted rarely include people with disabilities, the proposed actions seldom address the real problems.

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