Agenda for Sustainable Development: Can It Benefit the Disabled Community?

Marlene Le Roux

AHS4117S CPDDLecturer Judith Mckenzie

Marlene Le Roux LRXMAR016CPDD Exam November 2015

Presentation Outline

1. Introduction

2. Poverty Eradication and Resilience

3. Consultative Processes

4. Assets that Disabled Persons Bring

5. Conclusion

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Introduction• 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development calls for greater equality (UN 2015)

◦ Presents comprehensive development path for the world to follow

◦ Seeks to strengthen universal peace through greater freedom for all

◦ Is based on eradicating all forms of poverty, everywhere

◦ Targets the disadvantaged, e.g., disabled persons

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• In the developing countries, they are often denied access to key areas ◦ education ◦ employment

◦ housing

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• Poverty Eradication (Goal #1) is a key element of the 2030 Sustainable Development Agenda

◦ to end hunger and malnutrition ◦ to systematically improve the deplorable

conditions under which many live

• Furthermore, ending poverty provides an opportunity to expand our scope to

◦ eliminate the impacts that being poor can have on disabled persons

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Eradication of Poverty

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Model Components

1. Improving access to sustainable livelihoods, entrepreneurial opportunities and productive resources;

2. Providing universal access to basic social services;

3. Progressively developing social protection systems;

4. Empowering people living in poverty and their organizations;

5. Addressing disproportionate impact of poverty on women;

6. Working with donors to allocate increased funding; and

7. Intensifying international cooperation for poverty eradication.

Source: 2002 World Summit on Sustainable Development (WSSD)

• Direct link between poverty eradication and the UN-established rights of disabled persons

◦ Majority of persons with disabilities lives in conditions of poverty (UNCRPD 2007)

◦ Critical need to address the negative impact of poverty on persons with disabilities

• Through Goal #1, we can begin to tackle issues of inequality confronting the disabled

◦ Poverty is a principal factor preventing persons with disabilities from improving their situations

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• UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities recognised a number of key areas (UNCRPD 2007), including:

◦ dignity and worth of disabled persons ◦ rights and freedoms of disabled persons ◦ guarantee of full employment for disabled persons ◦ importance of mainstreaming disability issues ◦ active involvement of disabled in decision-making ◦ importance of mainstreaming disability issues

◦ access to the environment

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• While UNCRPD directly addressed disability, the 2030 Agenda

◦ proposed 17 overlapping goals, none of which directly addressed disability

◦ provided foundation for addressing overlapping inequalities facing disabled persons, such as:- gender equality and empowerment (SDG #5)- equitable quality education (SDG #4)- inclusive and resilient settlements (SDG #11)

• Collectively, many goals seek to enable, empower, mainstream disabled persons

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Poverty Eradication and Resilience

• In eradicating poverty, it is essential to focus on the most vulnerable groups:

◦ Poor ◦ Women ◦ Children ◦ Aged ◦ Disabled Persons ◦ Rural-based Persons

• 2030 Agenda seeks to target these groups, which are most affected by economic and political instability

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• As a vulnerable group, disabled persons are regularly forced to deal with adversity:

◦ They have become resilient • A recent study offered further insights into

disabled persons (Abbott & Porter 2013): ◦ Many possess wisdom in relation to risk mgmt. ◦ They have had to adjust to severe restrictions ◦ They have developed insights from unjust and

more positive experiences ◦ Insights could significantly contribute to the wider

debate on sustainability

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• However, little research has focused on the potential contribution of persons w disabilities:

◦ Society has forced disabled persons to be dependent, ignoring their potential role as experts

◦ Ignoring the contributions of disabled persons perpetuates the “medical model” approach

• Thus, in order to end poverty and achieve equality, society must draw off the experiences and wisdom of disabled persons.

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Consultative Processes

• The consultative process is essential to any eradication strategy (Gorgens 2015), as it ◦ ◦ sees everyone as sees everyone as important and a contributor; important and a contributor; ◦ ◦ requires the full participation and contribution requires the full participation and contribution

of persons with a disabilityof persons with a disability;; ◦ ◦ is a relationship-driven, building capacity and is a relationship-driven, building capacity and

developing unique solutionsdeveloping unique solutions ◦ ◦ is internally-focused, taking advantage of local is internally-focused, taking advantage of local

resources and opportunitiesresources and opportunities ◦ ◦ creates citizen space and a sense of ownershipcreates citizen space and a sense of ownership

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• Through the consultative process persons with a disability will be directly contacted and involved in specific strategies

◦ ◦ persons with disabilities (and disability persons with disabilities (and disability advocates) advocates) are most familiar with the poverty-related are most familiar with the poverty-related issues issues central to their survivalcentral to their survival

◦ ◦ the disabled community is most familiar with the disabled community is most familiar with what what is needed in the near-term and long-termis needed in the near-term and long-term

◦ ◦ seeks to identify the issues central to social and seeks to identify the issues central to social and economic inequities economic inequities

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Assets that the Disabled Community Brings• Persons with a disability bring key assets to

the discussion (Abbott & Porter 2013) ◦ ◦ have have navigated within an environment that

favours able-bodied ◦ ◦ have had have had to exert greater effort than most

able-bodied to merely survive ◦ ◦ have learned to do more with less, a key skill,

particularly in times of emergency ◦ ◦ cancan play important role in disseminating

info. and developing practical strategies

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• Disabled persons bring five key types of livelihood assets to the community table:

◦ ◦ natural capital - available local resources; ◦ ◦ social-political capital - social relationships; ◦ ◦ human capital - adaptation to ongoing change; ◦ ◦ physical capital - community infrastructure

enabling persons to pursue their livelihood; and

◦ ◦ financial capital - monetary assets ( e.g., grants)

• Also, disabled persons are interdependent, valuing collaboration (Abbott & Porter 2013)

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• In eliminating poverty, need to involve the disabled persons in sustainable planning ◦ ◦ work with gov’t and community leaders in the development of new strategies ◦ ◦ achieve greater equity with the rest of society ◦◦ increase awareness of disability increase awareness of disability

• EEfforts should highlight fact that vulnerable groups can contribute to survival strategies

◦ ◦ role of government and other agencies in role of government and other agencies in encouraging dialogue and coping strategiesencouraging dialogue and coping strategies

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• Thus, strategies for eradicating poverty must involve the wisdom of disabled persons to ◦ ◦ work with government and local agencies in the development of new strategies ◦◦ increase universal awareness of disability increase universal awareness of disability ◦ ◦ achieve greater equality between disabled persons and able-bodied persons

• Experience negotiating barriers has provided disabled persons with insights on environ. environ. policypolicy (Priestly & Hemingway 2007)

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Conclusion/Recommendations

• Poverty eradication has a direct link to Poverty eradication has a direct link to disability issues and breaking down barriersdisability issues and breaking down barriers

• In eliminating poverty, agencies must include disabled persons

• ◦ ◦ work with agencies and community leaders in the development of viable strategies ◦ ◦ tap into the practical strategies developed by tap into the practical strategies developed by

persons with disabilitiespersons with disabilities ◦◦ increase greater awareness of disabilityincrease greater awareness of disability

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• Disability is not only a health issue, but a societal mindset that needs to change

◦ ◦ For mainstreaming to bFor mainstreaming to be successful, groups must work towards eliminating barriers to disability

inclusion (Albert & Hurst 2004). ◦ ◦ For example, the disabled and associated

agencies should support inclusive planning • Persons with disabilities must be involved in

this learning process by sharing experiences and providing perspective.

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• Participation of disabled persons in local planning will effectively empower this group ◦ ◦ implementation of coping strategies ◦ ◦ new opportunities for community new opportunities for community engagementengagement ◦ ◦ part of a wider effort to create a more part of a wider effort to create a more diverse diverse planning environment (e.g., involving planning environment (e.g., involving vulnerable groups)vulnerable groups)

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References Abbott, D. & S. Porter (2013). Environmental hazard and disabled people:

from vulnerable to expert to interconnected. Disability and Society. 28:6, 839-852.

Albert, B. and R. Hurst (2004). Disability and human rights approach to development. Disability KAR.

Alcabes, P. and A.B. Williams. (2002). Human Rights and the Ethics of Care: A Framework for Health Research and Practice, Yale Journal of Health Policy, Law, and Ethics 2: 2.

Gorgens, T. (2015) Lecture: Asset Based Community Development, Postgraduate dipl. in disability studies, UCT.

International Institute for Sustainable Development (IISD) (2003). Livelihoods and Climate Change. IISD: Winnipeg.

Kittay, E. (2011). The ethics of care, dependence and disability. Ratio Juris. 24:1, 49-58.

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References (continued) Mckenzie, J. & C. Macleod (2012). Rights discourses in relation to

education of people: towards an ethics of care that enables participation. Disability and Society. 27:1, 15-29.

Palmer, M. Disability and Poverty: A Conceptual Review (2011). Journal of Disability Policy Studies 21:210.

Priestly, M. and L. Hemingway (2007). Disability and disaster recovery. Journal of Social Work in Disability and Rehabilitation 5:3-4, 23-42.

Steynor, A. (2015). Lecture: Impact of Climate Change on Development in South Africa, Postgraduate diploma in disability studies, UCT.

United Nations (2007). Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities (UNCRPD). Viewed 23 Oct. 2015 http://www.un.org/disabilities/convention/conventionfull.shtml

United Nations (2015). Transforming Our World: The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Viewed 27 Oct. 2015. https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/post2015/transformingourworld https://sustainabledevelopment.un.org/post2015/transformingourworld

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