Disability in Australia's Aid Program

Disability Update: November 25, 2008

Working with People with Disability in the region

It is widely recognised that people with disability are among the poorest and most vulnerable in developing countries. The United Nations estimates that approximately 10% of the world’s population, or approximately 650 million people, have a disability and about 80% of the population with a disability live in developing countries (UN Secretariat Disability Paper E/CN.5/2008/6 available at www.ods.un.org).

People with disability face many barriers to full participation in society and are likely to face an increased risk of social exclusion. This may include being unable to access education, health services, earn a living or participate in decision making. Social exclusion is a major contributor to the level of poverty which people with disability experience, particularly those who live in developing countries.

The Australian Government recognises that poverty is both a cause and consequence of disability and is committed to ensuring that the benefits of development reach those who are most excluded. Further, to achieve the targets set for the Millennium Development Goals and to alleviate poverty, the Government believes that people with disability must be actively included in development activities and processes. Therefore, people with disability have been identified as a priority for Australia’s aid program.

The 2008-09 budget honours the Australian Government's commitment to working with people with disability in our region and will invest $45 million over two years to address avoidable blindness and develop a comprehensive strategy to guide a disability-incusive Australian overseas aid program.

Development for All: Towards a disability-inclusive Australian aid program 2009-2014

AusAID, in consultation with key regional and Australian stakeholders, particularly people with disability and their representative organisations, developed the Australian Government's first strategy to make people with disability a priority for Australia’s aid program. On 25 November 2008, Parliamentary Secretary for International Development Assistance, Mr Bob McMullan, launched Development for All: Towards a disability-inclusive Australian aid program 2009-2014, publicly committing the Australian Government to ensuring that people with disability are comprehensively included and supported in improving their quality of life through all aspects of the aid program.

A video of the launch, featuring speeches by Bob McMullan, Professor Ron McCallum AO (UN Committee for Convention for Rights of Persons with Disabilities), Savina Nongebatu (President, People with Disabilities Solomon Islands), and Paul O'Callaghan (Executive Director ACFID), is available.
Disability Strategy Launch - Streaming Format
Disability Strategy Launch - Direct Download [WMV 116MB]

Development for All seeks change over time in the way Australia's aid program is delivered, and central to this change will be the focus on people with disability as an inherent part of all aspects of program planning and development.

The Strategy seeks to improve the quality of life of people with disability through a range of programs and funding mechanisms - including targeted initiatives to meet the specific needs of people with disability, building the leadership skills of people with disability and their organisations, and ensuring major programs in sectors such as education and infrastructure meet the needs and priorities of people with disability. The Strategy will also focus on reducing preventable impairments through support for avoidable blindness and road safety. It will seek to improve our understanding of disability and its links to poverty through strengthened research and data and build AusAID’s leadership and advocacy role in promoting disability as a development priority.

In recognition of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities Development for All will also ensure that the rights of people with disability are respected and promoted.

Development for All: Towards a disability-inclusive Australian aid program 2009-2014 is available below as a PDF or word document and in large print. Audio format is also available. Braille copies can be ordered online at: www.ausaid.gov.au/publications or on +61 2 6269 1050.

Development for All [PDF 2.7MB]

Development for All [DOC 181KB]

Large Print - Development for All [PDF 227KBMB]
Summary [PDF 14KB]

Large Print - Development for All [DOC 420KB]
Summary [DOC 25KB]

Audio Format

Avoidable Blindness Initiative (ABI)

The Australian Government is investing AUD $45 million to help eliminate avoidable blindness in the Asia-Pacific region as part of its new strategy - Development for All: Towards a disability-inclusive Australian aid program 2009-2014. As part of this new strategy, the Avoidable Blindness Initiative (ABI) aims to reduce the incidence of preventable blindness and improve the quality of life for people with low vision and blindness.

Key components of the ABI are:

Developing strategic partnerships with a range of NGOs and other organisations working in eye health and vision care, building on and expanding existing work.
Strengthening existing eye care training institutions and the capacity of eye care workers.
Piloting the Vision Centre approach as part of the delivery of eye health and vision care needs.
Assessing eye health and vision care needs to inform future efforts to reduce avoidable blindness.

Avoidable Blindness Fund

As the first step in developing strategic partnerships for the ABI, AusAID established an AUD $2 million Avoidable Blindness Fund. The Fund will provide support to Australian not-for-profit organisations to scale-up and build on existing successes and opportunities in eye health and vision care activities in the Asia Pacific region.

Avoidable Blindness Fund selection panel feedback

The selection panel for the Avoidable Blindness Fund met on Friday 16th February. It comprised an AusAID design adviser, AusAID staff members from the Disability Inclusive Development Team, the Pacific Branch and the NGO and Community Engagement Section and an independent member who is a person with a disability.

There was strong competition for funding under the Government’s AUD $2 million Avoidable Blindness Fund with fourteen proposals received from individual organisations and consortia.

Following deliberations by the selection panel and with feedback from relevant AusAID Posts, six proposals were approved for funding. Given the competitive nature of the proposals and the limited funding available, it was not possible to fund all proposals.

The selection panel noted that the proposals received were of a very high standard. In general the proposals were clear, well thought out and consistent with the Government’s Avoidable Blindness Initiative and Vision 2020’s Right to Sight global initiative.

However, there were some areas where proposals could have been strengthened including addressing gender issues, alignment with national government systems, the continuum of care and recurrent costs associated with servicing and maintaining equipment/infrastructure/items to be purchased.

Facts About Disability and Poverty

Disability is a growing issue in our region as a result of population growth, ageing, lifestyle diseases, conflict, malnutrition, traffic accidents, injuries, HIV/AIDS and medical advances that preserve and prolong life.
The United Nations estimates that approximately 10% of the world's population, or approximately 650 million people, have a disability and about 80% of the population with a disability live in developing countries.
As many as 50% of disabilities are preventable and directly linked to poverty
Disability affects not only the individual, but their families and carers too. The Asian Development Bank (ADB) estimates that 25% of the population in the Asia Pacific region are impacted by disability.
Females with a disability living in developing countries can be doubly disadvantaged due to discrimination based on both their gender and their disability.
Only 2% of people with a disability are estimated to have access to basic services (health and education).
Girls with disability attend school less frequently than boys with disability.
80% of people with disability are unemployed.
For every child killed in warfare, three are injured and permanently disabled.
Malnutrition causes about 20% of impairments.
More than 10 million women a year develop disability and long term complications as a result of pregnancy and childbirth.

Sources: ADB, Disability, Poverty and Development, DFID UK, Disabled Women's Network Ontario, , World Health Organisation, UN, UN Population Fund

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February 2009