People with disabilities, including physical, sensory, psychosocial, and intellectual impairments, constitute 16 percent of the world’s population. Alongside public policy and civil society organisations, philanthropic funders play an important role in funding efforts to achieve a more equitable and inclusive future for all. But the need to do more is massive.
Moreover, the support often focuses on the assumption that disabilities need to be fixed or cured, rather than working on eliminating systemic barriers and abolishing discrimination toward disabled people.
The UAE is a party to the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and has passed legislation to guarantee rights for people with special needs, who are termed ‘people of determination’, in recognition of their achievements in different fields. Indeed, the 2019 Special Olympics World Games in Abu Dhabi were the first ever World Games to be held in the Middle East and North Africa.
However, to meet the needs of persons with disabilities at scale, increasing total funding as well as value for money is essential. Fortunately, the situation is not static, and three pathways can help to take our efforts to a new level.
First, rethink the field
The growing claims for disability benefits in industrialised countries show that the number of people with mental and physical disabilities keeps rising. Societal ageing will further increase the proportion of people with disabilities and in need of assistive technologies.
Today, 2.5 billion people globally need to use at least one type of assistive technology, such as wheelchairs, hearing aids, prostheses, eyeglasses or digital services. Nevertheless, disability is often considered a niche topic, and this needs to change.
The need for progress is especially urgent in developing countries, where the gap in access to care is dramatic. The main drivers are poverty and conflict. In countries with longstanding conflicts, disability rates rise sharply. Over 50 percent of all people with disabilities around the world live in countries affected by crises and conflicts. Estimates suggest that in Syria, at least 25 percent of people aged over 12 have a disability.
Second, include a focus on prevention
In addition to better responses to existing disabilities, one of the most important ways to combat disability is to prevent it from developing in the first place.
For example, the ability to see things at a distance is key for a child’s ability to participate and learn at school. In developing countries, where eye exams and access to eyeglasses cannot be taken for granted, philanthropic and development projects can help to prevent future disabilities and their consequences.
The Fred Hollows Foundation, funded by USAID, has supported ATscale to design the “Scaling up Refractive Error Services in Cambodia” project. This three-year programme of the Cambodian government seeks to reach 275,000 Cambodians, including school children, with assistive technology such as prosthetics, wheelchairs and eyeglasses.
Third, leverage the power of technology
Key to taking responses to disability to a new level is the use of advances in technology and distribution models. The affordable technology movement has made great strides in enabling vision and hearing for the poor over the past twenty years. Pioneering social enterprise VisionSpring has distributed more than 12 million corrective pairs in 29 countries since its founding in 2001, generating an estimated economic impact of $2.6 billion. 58 percent of the eyeglasses went to first-time wearers.
Technology is also changing what is possible in prosthetics and orthotics. Over 30 million people with disabilities in low-income countries need a prosthesis or orthosis. Such devices are critical for mobility and enable their users to fully participate in the economy and society. But high costs, limited production and a lack of trained personnel leave 85-95 percent of those who need these devices without them. In Africa, there is only one production unit for every two million people on average.
To offer access for people living in conflict zones or remote areas, Handicap International has promoted 3D printing combined with telemedicine to produce personalised devices since 2019. Healthcare workers first scan the limb of the patient who needs an orthosis or prosthesis, and the 3D images are then sent directly to a 3D printer to produce a personalised device without the patient needing to be present. After printing, the prosthesis or orthosis is assembled and delivered to the beneficiary.
Expanding the scope, preventing disability whenever possible, and leveraging technology to render solutions more affordable and accessible offer promising opportunities to help turn around the disability crisis. Considering the case of the UAE, the nation has made significant strides with several initiatives to support people with disabilities, aiming to enhance their quality of life and ensure their full integration into society.
However, there is still room for growth. By further leveraging technology to enhance prevention, promote accessibility, and ensure inclusion, the UAE aims to build on these successes, advance the goals of philanthropy, and create an environment where disability is not a barrier to success. The UAE has the potential, the technology, innovations and initiatives in place to become a role model nation for others in the region in combating the disability crisis.
Lombard Odier’s Donor’s Guide to Disability will be published on 26 June.
Follow us on
