Role of CBR in Achieving MDGs

This week we highlight the role of Community-Based Rehabilitation (CBR) in achieving the millennium development goals for people with disabilities. We begin with goal number one which focuses on eradicating extreme poverty and hunger.

Poverty is both a cause and consequence of disability. People with disabilities face stigma and discrimination in their communities and are frequently denied their basic rights such as food, education, employment and access to health services. People with disabilities may incur extra costs, such as those related to healthcare, and they are less likely to work. CBR promotes livelihoods and employment by identifying and overcoming barriers that prevent participation; exploring potential employment opportunities for people with disabilities in their communities; providing or ensuring access to skills training for income-generating activities and employment.

One of the examples of the CBR programmes that saught to fight poverty among persons with disabilities is the one run by the Malawi Council for the Handicapped (MACOHA), which initiated vocational skills training for disabled adolescents and young adults living in rural communities. The CBR programme contacted local business owners and encouraged them to provide apprenticeships for one or more persons with disabilities over a two-year period. Upon completion of their apprenticeships some trainees were offered ongoing employment while others started their own businesses.

Goal number two is on achieving universal primary education. Estimates of the percentage of children with disabilities not attending school is extremely variable, however, in general, children with disabilities are less likely to start school and have lower rates of staying and being promoted in school than their peers without disabilities. The correlation between low educational outcomes and having a disability is often stronger than the correlations between low education outcome and other characteristics such as gender, rural residence or poverty. CBR supports inclusive education by informing families with disabled children that they have a right to access educational opportunities; providing recommendations and practical assistance to make school environments physically accessible and teaching flexible and child-centered; referral of children to specialised services to enable their inclusion in primary education, for example, referral for assistive devices.

Goal number three is on promoting gender equality and empowering women. Many women with disabilities face discrimination based on both their gender and disability. Women with disabilities are likely to be denied access to education and employment opportunities and are at increased risk of violence and abuse. CBR supports gender equality and empowerment of women by promoting equal access and participation for women with disabilities in all community development initiatives; supporting girls with disabilities to access educational opportunities; and supporting the development of self-help groups for women with disabled children.

Next week, we will continue to demonstrate how CBR can contribute towards the achievement of the MDGs, with a focus on the other remaining goals which we haven’t discussed today.