The first ever World report on disability, produced jointly by WHO and the World Bank, suggests that more than a billion people in the world today experience disability.

People with disabilities have generally poorer health, lower education achievements, fewer economic opportunities and higher rates of poverty than people without disabilities. This is largely due to the lack of services available to them and the many obstacles they face in their everyday lives. The report provides the best available evidence about what works to overcome barriers to health care, rehabilitation, education, employment, and support services, and to create the environments which will enable people with disabilities to flourish. The report ends with a concrete set of recommended actions for governments and their partners.

This pioneering World report on disability will make a significant contribution to implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. At the intersection of public health, human rights and development, the report is set to become a "must have" resource for policy-makers, service providers, professionals, and advocates for people with disabilities and their families.

Contents

• Foreword
• Preface
• Acknowledgements
• Contributors
• Introduction
• 1. Understanding disability
  • What is disability?
  • Disability and human rights
  • Disability and development
  • References
• 2. Disability – a global picture
  • Measuring disability
  • Prevalence of disability – difficulties in functioning
  • Health conditions
  • Demographics
  • The environment
  • Disability and poverty
  • Needs for services and assistance
  • Costs of disability
  • Conclusion and recommendations
  • References
• 3. General health care
  • Understanding the health of people with disabilities
  • Addressing barriers to health care
  • Conclusion and recommendations
  • References
• 4. Rehabilitation
  • Understanding rehabilitation
  • Addressing barriers to rehabilitation
  • Reforming policies, laws, and delivery systems
  • Developing funding mechanisms for rehabilitation
  • Increasing human resources for rehabilitation
  • Expanding and decentralizing service delivery
  • Increasing the use and affordability of technology
  • Expanding research and evidence-based practice
  • Conclusion and recommendations
  • References
• 5. Assistance and support
  • Understanding assistance and support
  • Barriers to assistance and support
  • Addressing the barriers to assistance and support
  • Conclusion and recommendations
  • References
• 6. Enabling environments
  • Understanding access to physical and information environments
  • Addressing the barriers in buildings and roads
  • Addressing the barriers in public transportation
  • Barriers to information and communication
  • Addressing the barriers to information and technology
  • Conclusion and recommendations
  • References
• 7. Education
  • Educational participation and children with disability
  • Understanding education and disability
  • Barriers to education for children with disabilities
  • Addressing barriers to education
  • Conclusion and recommendations
  • References
• 8. Work and employment
  • Understanding labour markets
  • Barriers to entering the labour market
  • Addressing the barriers to work and employment
  • Conclusion and recommendations
  • References
• 9. The way forward: recommendations
  • Disability: a global concern
  • Recommendations
  • Conclusion
  • References
• Technical appendix A Estimates of disability prevalence (%) and of years of health lost due to disability (YLD), by country
• Technical appendix B Overview of global and regional initiatives on disability statistics
• Technical appendix C Design and implementation of the World Health Survey
• Technical appendix D Global Burden of Disease methodology
• Technical appendix E World Health Survey analysis for Chapter 3 – Health
• Glossary

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