Poverty creates conditions for disability. Poor people are more likely to have poor health as well as poor living and working conditions. They live in lower quality housing and work in more dangerous occupations. They suffer from malnutrition and hunger, and they also lack adequate health services including maternity and trauma services. Social unrest and communal violence, even civil wars are also more prevalent in poor countries.
Violent crime is also more common in poor communities.
Analysis of case studies in some developing countries have indicated that higher disability rates are associated with higher illiteracy, poor nutritional status, lower inoculation and immunization coverage, lower birth weight of babies, higher unemployment and underemployment rates, and lower occupational mobility. The proportion of disability caused by communicable, maternal and perinatal diseases as well as injuries is also higher in the developing countries compared to developed countries. Exclusion and marginalization of disabled people reduce their opportunities to contribute productively to the household and the community, and thus increase the risk of poverty. I have spoken at some length on the issues that must be well-known to the disabled and other people present in this meeting. I have done this in order to emphasize that such concerns are at the center of social development and that we see a clear linkage between poverty and social exclusion.