The Washington Group Blog

The World Disability Report is often cited as estimating that 15% of the population has a disability, but most surveys using the Washington Group Questions get a lower rate. This blog explores the reasons behind this difference, and how it should be interpreted.

In some countries, people with albinism are automatically considered to have a disability and are also the victims of multiple forms of discrimination some very extreme. This blog addresses the three key questions: Can the WG-SS identify people with albinism? Are people with albinism included among those identified as having a disability by the WG-SS? If the WG-SS can’t identify people with albinism, can they be modified to do so?

Persons with disabilities have remained largely invisible in data collection efforts. Therefore, commitments to adopt questions developed by the Washington Group on Disability Statistics at the Global Disability Summit are noteworthy. Numbers alone, however, cannot tell the whole story. We need to harness the potential of integrating quantitative and qualitative evidence in order to effectively respond to the lived realities of persons with disabilities and their families.

This blog from Development Initiatives discusses how the Washington Group questions advance the goal of using data to leave no one behind. It describes challenges and opportunities to measuring disability through major international statistics program.

Sightsavers recounts their efforts to use the WG-SS in a programmatic setting in several developing countries. They found it made an enormous difference in their ability to identify people with disabilities.