People with disabilities are among the poorest and most marginalised, accounting for as many as one in five of the world’s poorest, according to the World Bank estimates.
Disability is a cause and consequence of poverty.
The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) recognises that the majority of people with disabilities live in conditions of poverty and emphasises the need to consider the rights and needs of people with disabilities to reduce poverty among them.
Disability and poverty are closely linked and have a huge impact on the level of inclusion in society and the achievement of the sustainable development goals.
Disability is cause of poverty because people with disabilities experience significant challenges in accessing education and employment opportunities hence, they are more likely to live in poverty than those without disabilities.
The negative experiences have been exacerbated by the stigma and discrimination, lack of workplace accommodations that prevent people with disabilities to participate on an equal basis as others in society.
Such experiences have led to higher rates of unemployment and underemployment among people with disabilities worsening their financial difficulties.
They struggle to meet their basic living expenses, and the opportunity to earn adequate income is almost non-existent.
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Generally, poverty is associated with poorer health access across all populations. However, the additional costs associated with disability can strain the financial situation of people with disabilities.
Disability often requires ongoing medical and rehabilitation services and managing such health conditions is costly and time consuming impacting the ability to work.
In addition, resources are required to support assistive technologies and specialised services making it harder to escape poverty.
In most cases people with disabilities forego, the required support services which affects their quality of life.
Social and economic exclusion has limited social capital, and resources that are critical in enhancing their ability to find jobs, receive support and access services.
Access to quality education by people with disabilities is limited due to physical barriers and the lack of inclusive systems, policies and practices that lower their chances of attaining education, and employment further perpetuating the cycle of poverty.
Lack of accessible transport has limited the ability of people with disabilities to travel for education and work.
The support of carers is essential, however, it results in forgone family income as caregivers or family members assist the individual with a disability preventing the opportunities to earn income.
The inadequate social safety nets and support systems such as disability grants, community support and social assistance will make it difficult for a person with a disability to meet their needs.
Disability is a consequence of poverty because, poverty can lead to disability forming a cyclical relationship where one influences the other.
People living in poverty are more likely to experience health problems as they experience limited access to health services and the lack of preventative care.
Insufficient or missed health interventions can result in the progression of some health conditions into disabilities.
For example, avoidable causes of blindness such a cataract if not treated can lead to blindness. Poor nutrition can lead to developmental issues that can cause physical or cognitive disabilities.
Poverty increases the vulnerability to infectious diseases due to poor sanitation, exposure to pollution, lack of treatment, overcrowded living conditions and hazardous workplaces which can lead to chronic illnesses and disability.
Most mental health conditions are associated with poverty leading to disability. Further, diseases such as Malaria and HIV/Aids can lead to long term disabilities.
Recommendations
The implementation of inclusive policies will make a difference in promoting the rights and inclusion of people with disabilities in society.
Disability is a social construct; therefore, society has a big role to play in addressing disability and poverty.
Effort must be put to ensure that people with disabilities meaningfully and effectively participate in development processes to break the vicious poverty and disability cycle.
In order to achieve this goal, various strategies need to adopted and these include, improving their living conditions, facilitating access to health and education services, provision of reasonable accommodation and facilitating access to empowerment programmes among other interventions.
Social protection programmes such as social security, disability benefits, respite care and counselling should be expanded to support individuals with disabilities and their caregivers.
Social protection is essential in reducing the vulnerability experienced by people with disabilities, improving their health and economic status.
The National Disability Policy highlights the importance of facilitating social protection programmes to alleviate poverty among people with disabilities and the issuance of disability cards for easy identification and access of social protection services including health care is imperative.
Access to education and skills development is key in promoting disability inclusion and active participation, therefore, learning institutions should be accessible and inclusive, providing assistive technologies and adaptive learning materials.
Access to information empowers people with disabilities to make informed decisions and choices about their lives including health care, education and employment.
Employers should be encouraged to adopt inclusive hiring practices and promote accessible work environments that enable people with disabilities to achieve their full potential.
Advancing health equity for people with disabilities can be achieved by addressing the factors that disadvantage people with disabilities from accessing health services and these factors relate to the social, economic and political context including stigma and discrimination.
Health services should be made affordable and accessible to provide for rehabilitation, assistive technologies to improve the wellbeing and productivity of people with disabilities.
For the programs and interventions to be effective, it is imperative to collect and analyse socio-economic challenges experienced by people with disabilities.
In addition, the collection of disability disaggregated data will inform policies and programmes targeted at improving the lives of people with disabilities.
Poverty must be confronted to break the dependency chain harnessing people with disabilities, hence the importance of looking beyond income and employment to include access to opportunities and other services that significantly improve the lives of people with disabilities.
Inequality and poverty are closely linked, therefore addressing inequality of opportunities experienced by people with disabilities will address poverty.
People with disabilities must be empowered to access opportunities and be involved in decision making, fostering an inclusive society where they can thrive.
Ending poverty must be supported by different strategies that promote economic growth and address the diverse social needs including education, health, social protection and employment.
*Tigere is a development practitioner and writes in her personal capacity.
These weekly articles are coordinated by Lovemore Kadenge, an independent consultant, managing consultant of Zawale Consultants (Private)Limited, past president of the Zimbabwe Economics Society and past president of the Chartered Governance and Accountancy Institute in Zimbabwe. Email – [email protected] or Mobile No. 263 772 382 852
