Importance of Disability Data

At the 2018 Global Disability Summit in London, England there was broad agreement on the importance of disability data collection, and commitments were made to collect data using questions developed by the Washington Group (WG).

Gathering disaggregated data is essential for human rights from the perspective of meeting the obligations of non-discrimination and the equalization of opportunities. To monitor progress in meeting the goal of leaving no one behind established under the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, data should be disaggregated across many dimensions, such as geography, wealth, sex, age and disability. Disaggregated data can provide a better comparative picture of what works and what doesn’t work; and can help inform and promote evidence-based policy that would go a long way to ensuring no one gets left behind.

Questions developed by the WG are central in these efforts and are being used in national surveys and censuses throughout the world. The information gathered through these surveys will aid in the equitable planning and allocation of resources but also for monitoring the effectiveness of programs that are established to meet the needs of a particularly vulnerable population.