Proposals for the inclusion of disability in the MDGs

Proposals for the inclusion of disability in the MDGs

The Universal Primary Education (UPE) goal, due to its universality, indirectly includes Children with Disabilities (CWDs). However, of the 115 million children not attending primary school in the developing world, 40 million are estimated to have disabilities. The UPE goal cannot be achieved without reaching out to disabled children.
The Goal of Free Primary Education (FPE) has received the most investment of trust funds and targeted intervention of all the goals, but to a great extent excludes children with disabilities.
In relation to the Goal on the Promotion of Gender Equality and Empowerment, violence against women is an important cause of both psychological and physical disabilities, some of which – such as obstetric fistula — are particularly stigmatising.
The Goal of Reducing Child Mortality must critically recognise that children with disabilities are at more risk of dying, not only because of life threatening medical conditions or lack of access to public services, but more so because in many cultures they are neglected or left to die, as a result of intense stigma.