People living with disabilities are the world’s largest minority group. Fifteen percent of the world population or one billion people are unable to fully engage in family, community and politics due to their disability. According to the World Bank, twenty per cent of the world’s poorest people live with a disability. Disability is more prevalent in the most vulnerable societies and further perpetuates disadvantage and poverty. According to the United Nations Development Program (UNDP), eighty percent of persons with disabilities live in developing countries, where they are often denied equal access to health care, education and employment opportunities. Consideration of social determinants is central to creating inclusive and comprehensive policies. Article 19 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) recognizes the equal right of all persons with disabilities to make choices equal to all members of society and requires governments to take effective steps to facilitate the full enjoyment of this basic right by persons with disabilities.

In this conversation, we seek to share tactics and success stories of ways organizations and individuals influence governments to develop and implement socially inclusive policies for people living with disabilities. We aim to investigate local, regional, and national policy issues, including: defining disability under the law, developing partnerships to advocate policy change or legislation, applying international platforms to local and national contexts, drawing public support for disability legislation through grassroots campaigns, including individuals with disabilities advocacy efforts and more.