Memorandum submitted by Sightsavers International
INQUIRY INTO DFID DEPARTMENTAL REPORT 2007
Equity is a key theme for DFID's work. Within
this, DFID is starting to give increased attention to disabled
people. This includes very welcome activities in research, education,
and social protection, and guidance to DFID country offices on
making their work more inclusive of disabled people (especially
the disability "how to note").
However, there is very little mention of work
on disability or inclusion of disabled people in DFID-supported
programmes in the annual report. Better reporting on disability
would help those within DFID assess their progress and the need
for further action, and would indicate to stakeholders outside
DFID whether the department is meeting its obligations.
Much of the work on disability is being initiated
by the London Policy and Research Division. Some of this will
involve guidance to country offices (eg the disability "how
to note", and various professional knowledge resources in
education), but given the decentralised nature of DFID, it will
not necessarily affect country programmes. The impact of this
work on country support needs to be monitored in order to know
whether the guidance being produced is sufficient or whether further
support is needed. Including information on whether country support
is addressing the rights of disabled people in the annual report
would be a key strategy for this.
The 2005 Social Exclusion Policy makes it mandatory
for DFID offices to undertake a social exclusion analysis (including
analysis of the role of disability) as part of the preparation
of Country Action Plans. This was warmly welcomed by disability
and development stakeholders, yet actual activity by country offices
in response to the policy is unclear. It would be very helpful
if the annual report should indicate progress with these reviews.
The recent UN Convention on the Rights of Persons
with Disabilities indicates that international development co-operation
should include disabled people. We need data on attention to disability
within DFID supported programmes to know if the UK is meeting
this international responsibility.
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