WRITTEN QUESTION E-0968/02

by Glyn Ford (PSE) to the Commission

(10 April 2002)

Subject: Disability rights

The World Bank estimates that disabled people account for 20 % of the world's poorest. If the Commission is to make real long-term progress towards the International Development Target of halving world poverty by 2015, it is essential that disabled people are fully included in all poverty reduction strategies.

The ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly recently passed a resolution on the rights of the disabled people and older people in ACP countries. What is the Commission doing to ensure that the rights of disabled people in Asia are promoted as an integral part of all poverty reduction programmes?

Answer given by Mr Nielson on behalf of the Commission

(14 May 2002)

The African, Caribbean and Pacific States European Union (ACP-EU) Joint Parliamentary Assembly recently passed a resolution on the rights of disabled people in ACP countries. Those recommendations can equally be applied to disabled people in Asia.

Disability must be mainstreamed into all Community development work in poor countries to better integrate the disabled into society. New approaches at the country level such as poverty reduction strategy processes are increasing the voice and participation of civil society groups, including those that represent the disabled, in the development of national policies.

The Commission sees social policies that improve access to, and quality of, basic social infrastructure and services (health and education in particular) as the most effective way to address specific demands of the most vulnerable and disadvantaged groups. Action to reduce poverty, the core objective of Community development assistance, will prevent disability. The Commission will continue to provide substantial support to the social sectors and will maximise opportunities to link prevention of disability to rehabilitation and empowerment of the disabled.

Examples of activities in Asia include the Bangladesh Country Strategy Paper and National Indicative Programme (NIP) which mentions children with disabilities explicitly under education.

In India, EUR 150 million have been channelled into the Government's District Primary Education Programme (DPEP), among others to support pilot initiatives aimed at improving access to elementary education for children with disabilities. The PESLE programme (Programme for Enrichment of School Level Education), in collaboration with the Aga Kahn Foundation, is tasked to do the same in the non-formal sector (Union contribution EUR 11 million).

In Cambodia, the Commission is in the process of designing a programme to enhance accessibility, adequacy and affordability of quality basic education to children and young people from particularly poor and excluded sections of the population this will include

special attention for children with disabilities. Through its Education Sector Strategic Plan, which forms the basis for the planning and financing of the education services, the Ministry of Education is committed to address both the issue of disabled school children and recruitment of disabled persons as Ministry staff.

Children, particularly the poorest amongst them, are a natural target group for Commission health interventions in Asia, for example in India, where Commission supports the Health and Family Welfare Programme. As far as children with disabilities are concerned, the Commission concentrates on prevention through supporting immunisation, e.g. EPI (Expanded Programme of Immunisation) Programmes in Bangladesh) and, more specifically, polio eradication programmes.

The rights of disabled people in Cambodia have been of particular concern to the Commission. The amputation prevalence rate in Cambodia is among the highest in the world (1 in 236 persons). Although the number of accidents decreases, landmines and unexploded ordnance continue to pose a major threat to the population, in particular in poor and remote areas.

In terms of prevention, the Commission has funded a large number of de-mining operations. It has also supported the institutional strengthening of the national authorities in charge of the mine action sector. Further support is scheduled in the National Indicative Programme 2002-2004.

The Commission is also actively supporting the work of non-governmental organisations, such as Handicap International, which are directly involved with the physical and socio-economic rehabilitation of persons with disabilities, with strengthening the capacity of the Ministry of Social Affairs and other organisations to provide services to people with disabilities.

A large number of programmes funded by the Commission also support the rehabilitation and development of the public health services, thereby contributing to the prevention and treatment of various forms of disabilities.

The Commission will continue to fund the work of organisations that support the disabled with a focus on capacity building and organisational development of southern organisations. The focus will be to increase their input into development programming, to raise their profile, reduce stigma and increase awareness. The involvement of disabled people in all phases of any programme designed to benefit them will be mandatory.

The Commission will circulate a guidance note to all country offices on disability and how to best incorporate the needs of the disabled into future programming.