Summary
1.Last year saw a substantial increase in the Department for International Development’s (DFID) work on disability. The Department launched its first ever Strategy for Disability Inclusive Development (the Strategy). The UK also co-hosted the first ever Global Disability Summit in 2018 (GDS18) in collaboration with the Government of Kenya and the International Disability Alliance. Throughout our evidence both the Summit and the Strategy were welcomed by people working in the field as a major step forward in disability work globally and a potential step change in attitudes to disability-inclusive development.
2.We welcome DFID’s new Strategy, which reflects a recommendation from a previous International Development Committee, and we are heartened by DFID’s strong commitment to disability-inclusive development which has persisted across recent changes in leadership. We urge DFID to build on the momentum generated by GDS18, and the launch of the Strategy, to achieve real and sustainable improvements in disability inclusion across its programmes and among international actors.
3.We understand that the Strategy is at an early stage of implementation and welcome DFID’s efforts so far. DFID should take stock of its work in disability inclusion at regular intervals to ensure it continues to proceed in the right direction. We will follow up developments in this area, and DFID’s monitoring and reporting of progress against the department’s own Strategy commitments.
4.The systematic collection of data and addressing the gaps highlighted in this report is essential to DFID’s disability inclusion efforts. Systematic tracking and evaluation of DFID’s Strategy deliverables are essential to achieving the goals of the Strategy. DFID should use the lessons learnt from successful programmes to scale up its efforts to improve the situation for disabled people across its programmes. DFID should ensure it follows an integrated approach on disability inclusion across its programmes and ensures staff and financial resources are allocated to areas where targets are set. DFID should also ensure it works with other donors and national governments on implementing all areas of its Strategy. All ODA spending, within and outside DFID, should be disability-inclusive. DFID should put people with disabilities (PWDs), their families, and organisations representing them at the heart of everything they do, from planning to delivery. Specific safeguarding measurements for PWDs should be put in place, with strong reporting mechanisms.
5.DFID should lead by example through effective reporting on its own GDS18 commitments. DFID should also strengthen the international accountability mechanisms for reporting and tracking progress against GDS18 commitments made by countries and organisations across the international aid and development community.
6.We welcome the increased attention to global disability inclusion efforts in the UK Voluntary National Review (VNR). Moving forward, we would like to see a more systematic alignment between the implementation of the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), and the recent UN Disability Inclusion Strategy.
7.In undertaking this inquiry, we consulted throughout with organisations and academics working in the field of disability-inclusive development, including many organisations representing the experience and views of people with disabilities. Their views helped shape the terms of reference, the areas of questioning for the oral evidence sessions, and the resulting recommendations. We are deeply grateful for all the contributions we received.
Published: 30 July 2019