Disability Statistics: a Regional Perspective for SAARC Dr. S. K. Nath DG, CSO, India

Disability Statistics Not well developed and utilized as compared to statistics for labour force, education, gender, the elderly, etc. Efforts to develop conceptual model for data to meet policy needs are very recent phenomena in international arena Standardization driven statistical framework is non-existent in SAARC countries

Addressing the Concerns: Global World programme of Action Concerning Disabled Persons (1982) Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities (1993) Disability specific human rights treaty – the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and its Optional Protocol (2006)

Addressing the Concerns: Regional (ESCAP) Biwako Millennium Framework for Action towards an Inclusive, Barrier-free and Rights based society for Persons with Disabilities in Asia and the Pacific (BMF) Regional Policy Guideline for the Second Asian and Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons Biwako plus Five, the supplement to the BMF

Addressing the Concerns: SAARC Disability not given due recognition in SAARC processes For the first time, NCCs under the framework for action in implementation of SAARC Social Charter identified Disability statistics as an area of regional cooperation in 2007 Instrument of SAARC-STAT can take on the issue of developing the conceptual framework for disability statistics in the region

Traditional Concept Counting the persons with certain impairment e.g. The blind The deaf The dumb Or with certain infirmities related to loco motor or mental/psychological disorders To determine who qualifies for benefits  to serve a limited purpose for a fragment of the whole

Disability Statistics based on Traditional Concept A number of countries in the region have conducted disability surveys or included disability questions in their censuses ( in traditional way) Results only showed abysmally low incidence of disability as compared to some developed countries which followed modern disability framework ‘Fitness for Purpose’ of these data is what is questioned

Dimensions of Disability Depend on purposes: For disfunction of mental, perceptual,voice and speech or organ systems we need ‘impairment data’ For disfunction of mobility, communication, self-care and interpersonal relations we need ‘activity limitation data’ For inability to perform certain social chores due to physical, built or interpersonal features we need ‘participation restrictions data’

Purposes of data To assist in the development and evaluation of programmes and policies for providing service To monitor the level of functioning in the population, and To assess equalization of opportunities

Washington Group Formed in 2001 the Group worked on important methodological issues for improving disability data Primary task of the group is to come up with general disability questions that can be used in censuses and national surveys

Need for a conceptual framework All international and regional reports on disability statistics agreed that there is a need for a scientific conceptual framework for gathering information on disability with uniform standards WHO’s “International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF)” is response to this need

ICF framework Disability concept in ICF recognizes: Disability is multidimensional It is product of interaction between ‘a person's certain conditions’ and ‘ his or her physical, social and attitudinal barriers’ Bio-psychological model embedded in ICF broadens the perspective of disability allowing for medical, social and environmental factors of measuring disability Classifies under (I) Body functions & Structures and (II) Activities & Participation for WHO recommended item pool

ICF in SAARC context Countries in SAARC are developing economies with impediments to carry out expensive surveys based on scientific norms as meticulous as of ICF ICF questionnaire is difficult to canvas in census or surveys for large section of illiterate and backward population in SAARC countries

SAARC Framework for Disability Statistics There is a need to recognize weaknesses of Disability Statistics generated in SAARC countries through traditional concepts There is also a need to appreciate international concerns for disability and the strong points of BMF and ICF Given the flexibility of ICF, there is a need to develop a practicable statistical framework of disability data for SAARC countries considering the ground reality, policy needs and purposes

Role of SAARC-STAT for DS India has already offered to take up the responsibility for providing a framework for disability statistics as part of the implementation of SAARC Social Charter A Technical Working Group under the SAARC-STAT mechanism may be constituted to examine and finalize the framework

Dhanyabad Thanks