Disability Inclusion on World Stage

Australia’s peak council for humanitarian and international aid charities, ACFID has welcomed a statement by the new Foreign Minister confirming Australia will champion disability inclusion as a core part of the new global development agenda.

Coalition Foreign Minister Julie Bishop made the statement at the United Nations High Level Meeting on the Millennium Development Goals.

"About 1 billion people in the world are living with a disability, 82 per cent of whom live below the poverty line,” the Australian Council for International Development (ACFID, Executive Director Marc Purcell said.

“All too often, disability means much deeper poverty and extremely limited life choices in developing countries.

“The Statement by Julie Bishop confirmed that Australia will champion disability inclusion as a core part of the new global development agenda.”

In her Statement, Julie Bishop said: “Australia encourages all countries to give increased attention to including people with disability in development, through their national development plans and through aid programs and partnerships.

“It is not right – and it makes no economic sense – that a person’s disability should determine whether they can go to school, or get a job or participate in community life.

“The post-2015 development agenda must take account of people with disability, to ensure that we leave no-one behind.”

“Ms Bishop has long been a disability champion, both domestically and in international development,” Purcell said.

“Australia has a world-leading approach to disability inclusion.”

Ahead of the Federal Election, ACFID called for a commitment to rapidly scale up funding for disability prevention, treatment and inclusion in all aspects of Australia’s development program.

“Support for disability inclusion makes up just $18 million in this year’s aid budget,” Purcell said.

“We also urge the Government to bolster the role of Australia’s Ambassador for Disability Inclusive Development.”