Monitoring Disability-Inclusive Development Data

Image of woman in wheelchair presenting to group in a village settingThe lack of data and information on disability and the situation of persons with disabilities at the national level contributes to the invisibility of persons with disabilities in official statistics, presenting an obstacle to achieving development planning and implementation that is inclusive of persons with disabilities.

The UN General Assembly has stressed in several resolutions the importance of improving disability data and statistics. In particular, to be internationally comparable, data should be collected in line with international standards. The Washington Group on Disability Statistics, a group which operated under the aegis of the UN Statistical Commission, has developed an internationally comparable set of questions for census and surveys. Data collected with these questions will be useful to assist the monitoring of development goals for persons with disabilities.

 

Disability indicators for the SDG Framework

The UN Secretariat for the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, with contributions and support from the World Health Organization, has prepared a technical note in consultation with experts from international agencies and from disability organizations. This note has been submitted to the IAEG-SDGs.

SGD Indicators and reference to disability. This note presents all references to disability in the list of proposals for SDG Indicators released by the Inter-Agency Expert Group on the SDG’s.

Click HERE to learn more about:

  • Current guidelines to collect disability data
  • Worldwide use of Washington Group questions
  • Collecting data on children with disabilities
  • Past meetings on disability data, statistics, monitoring and evaluation
  • UN resolutions on disability monitoring and evaluation, data and statistics
  • Key publications
  • Key websites

 

News |
Joint Letter by the UN Permanent Forum on Indigenous Issues, the Expert Mechanism on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples, and the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples- April 2025In our capacity as Expert Members of the United Nations…
News |
The 18th session of the Conference of States Parties to the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (COSP18) will take place at United Nations Headquarters in New York from 10 to 12 June 2025. As one of the world’s largest gatherings…
News |
In an article for the UN Chronicle, Mr. Charles Katoanga, Director of the Division of Inclusive Social Development in the Department of Economic and Social Affairs shared his perspective on the global power of sport.The article discusses the role of…