6. CONCLUSIONS
6.1 UN Standard Rules - fundamental principles for development cooperation
All societies must adapt so that persons with disabilities, to the greatest possible extent, can participate in community life on equal terms. All sectors of society must therefore take disability issues into account in their operations and planning. The state is responsible for respecting the rights of persons with disabilities. This is the intent of the UN Standard Rules on the Equalisation of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities. The Standard Rules set the fundamental principles for development cooperation in the disability field.
Views on disability have altered from a medical to a more socially orientated perspective. Integration in normal social activities should be promoted before special solutions that involve isolation. Whether a disability also becomes a handicap depends upon the way in which society/environment is formed. The 22 Standard Rules illustrate the most important areas for measures to improve the situation of persons with disabilities. This applies, inter alia, to increased awareness, the right to rehabilitation, treatment, support and service, education, work, culture and adapted surroundings, together with the right to influence decisions concerning one's own life situation. The following areas are particularly relevant for development cooperation, as they create preconditions for more comprehensive changes within various fields:
- Overall responsibility for policy development: In every country there shall be a central organ with overall responsibility for policy development and planning relating to men and women, girls and boys with disabilities, for the follow-up of compliance with the Standard Rules and for reporting on the same to the UN.
- Influencing of attitudes and advocacy: in order to enhance the awareness of the public and the authorities about different kinds of disabilities and about the opportunities that exist to increase the integration of persons with disabilities into society.
- Skills development at various levels and within various sectors, aimed at increasing knowledge about the diverse perspectives, methods and measures which can be applied to improve the situation of persons with disabilities.
- Development of organisations of persons with disabilities: an important step in the long-term protection of their rights.
6.2 International policy - awareness raising
Sweden has actively participated in the creation of the Standard Rules. In order to follow up the implementation of the Standard Rules' intentions, further normative policy and method development work is important. It is also of great importance to continue awareness-raising and information work within UN bodies and other international fora as well as in relation to representatives and authorities in the developing countries.
Sweden's attitude on disability issues is well respected. It is important that Sweden continues to pursue disability issues in a variety of international contexts and that Sweden maintains the capacity to provide Swedish expertise to contribute with experience, knowledge and advice in various connections.
6.3 Coordination - a key issue
Experience suggests that - in accordance with the Standard Rules - increased coordination of disability programmes between society's various sectors would enhance the practical impact of each individual project. Sida and other donors should therefore work for a national coordination of such efforts. Increased consultation and exchange of information within Sida itself can also result in the situation of persons with disabilities being promoted in a more efficient way.
6.4 Target groups
As indicated by the above, Sida works in development cooperation for the implementation of the Standard Rules. In that connection, the situation of children with disabilities - both boys and girls - shall be afforded particular priority.
6.5 Choice of country
In order to develop broader bilateral programmes of disability assistance it is necessary that the government of the country in question has demonstrated its political will and a positive attitude towards working in the spirit of the Standard Rules. Criteria for broader support may be:
- positive experiences in current cooperation programmes that include disability components within one or several sectors;
- successful development cooperation through an NGO that can be supplemented to expand the operation to a larger scale;
- constructive dialogue within the framework of sector support programme, primarily in the education or the health sector, where the development of disability components shows itself to be appropriate;
- that a country requests support for follow-up and implementation of the Standard Rules.
6.6 Priority areas for cooperation
6.6.1 General strategic areas (not sector bound)
A) Policy development and follow-up of the Standard Rules
It is emphasised in the Standard Rules that the overall responsibility for policy development must lie with a central organ. In those countries where Sida wishes to make a broader effort within the disability field, it is important to be able to provide support to develop this central function. One precondition must be that the government has made an explicit and concrete commitment to work in the spirit of the Standard Rules. Support can relate to policy development and follow-up of the Standard Rules, but also to coordination, awareness-raising, rights and social legislation, assistive technology issues, institutional and skills development, education of experts, research, studies etc.
B) Development of skills, influencing of attitudes, raising of awareness
A disability is surrounded by many ignorant attitudes concerning its causes and meaning. Influencing attitudes by information and education in all areas and at all levels is therefore something to be supported.
C) Development of organisations of persons with disabilities
The development of organisations representing people with disabilities is an important factor as regards respecting, protecting and monitoring the rights and interests of persons with disabilities in a long-term perspective. Active organisations with an interest in the field are also important for the sustainability of many projects. It is preferable that support for organisational development is channelled via Swedish NGOs. Sida can also stimulate recipient countries to provide support and create the preconditions for these organisations to operate, and also emphasise that this is an important component of democratic development.
D) Global normative method development work and research
The field of disability is a rather undeveloped field within development cooperation work. The Standard Rules state the areas and methods necessary for disability issues to be emphasised and taken into account. It is important to evaluate, collect information and disseminate knowledge and experience from various activities. This also applies to further development of new methods and global norms within various areas. Sida should therefore support such research, studies and exchange of information, both globally and regionally, that are relevant to bilateral development cooperation operations.
6.6.2 Sector activities
Within each respective sector, three different kinds of development cooperation should be differentiated, namely:
A) Special projects directed toward persons with disabilities (including separate sub-components within sector programme support that are directly aimed at persons with disabilities);
B) Integrated support (programmes that integrate disability aspects);
C) Indirect support (other projects that take note of disability aspects, at least so that the situation does not become worse for persons with disabilities).
A) Special projects for persons with disabilities
Concrete projects in the disability field have been supported through Sida's development cooperation within the education sector. There are positive experiences from this area that can be developed further, for example, special teaching aids, special teacher training and assistive technology for girls and boys with disabilities. Pupils who are deaf can normally not be integrated into ordinary education and therefore need special programmes that require specially directed support, for example through sign language development.
Within the health sector, primary health care services have the important functions of identifying disabilities and providing treatment, rehabilitation, assistive technology and support.
Special disability projects within the health sector have mainly been so-called CBR projects (Community Based Rehabilitation), a multi-sectoral approach which aims to reach large groups of persons with disabilities with simple rehabilitation methods that also promote integration into the local community. CBR efforts can be initiated and supported through health, social or other authorities and organisations. Support to national CBR programmes should be given priority if they are well-grounded in overall policy and the various sectors are coordinated, both centrally and locally.
Assistive technology is important to alleviate disabilities in sight, hearing, mobility and in other organs. There is both good and bad, cost-effective and unnecessarily expensive assistive technology. It is d delicate task to optimise. Sweden has good skills in this field, primarily through the various channels of the Swedish Handicap Institute. The question of adequate assistive technology requires a comprehensive overview. Support oriented toward assistive technology should be provided in conjunction with other disability efforts.
B) Integrated support
Disability issues should normally be integrated within the following areas:
* Teacher training (within the education sector)
* Curriculum development (within the education sector)
* Teaching aids (within the education sector)
* Educational reforms/policy development
* Health reforms/policy development
* District and primary health care
* Other efforts for children (all sectors)
* Development of statistics (the majority of sectors).
C) Indirect support
Some of the other areas which should pay attention to disability issues are:
* Human rights and effective legal protection, particularly as regards children
* Urban planning
* Humanitarian assistance.
6.7 Methods
A large part of development cooperation in the disability field should continue to take the form of support through Swedish NGOs. Support should be given to methods development, exchange of information, and a selection of regional and international organisations. Within the bilateral country programmes, the ambition should be that the number of special projects directly aimed at persons with disabilities should increase, at the same time as increased attention should be paid to the integration of disability issues in development cooperation programmes.
6.7.1 Country analyses/strategies, statistics and fact-finding
Whenever relevant to the aims of development cooperation, the situation of persons with disabilities should be explained in key documents such as country and sector analyses and strategies. Analyses of democracy and human rights, social development, education and health care, and the situation of children should include information about the situation of persons with disabilities. Any discrimination should be noted, as should the role of the organisations of persons with disabilities in the country in question. Disability issues should also be included in other relevant studies and compilations of statistics and facts that Sida funds or participates in.
6.7.2 Policy dialogue
Policy dialogue is an important instrument to influence both governments and non-governmental and international organisations.
6.7.3 Development of skills and institutions in recipient countries
The development of relevant skills and institutions in partner countries shall be given priority. Courses in Sweden for personnel from recipient countries should be used sparingly as a method for developing skills. However, it is important to make use of Swedish experiences in the disability field through the participation of the Swedish resource base in development cooperation.
6.7.4. Collaboration and coordination
Collaboration, and in some cases coordination, between Sida, various interested parties and NGOs in Sweden is important in order to attain the most effective development cooperation possible. Sida should endeavour in partner countries to collaborate and coordinate its support with other interested parties, for example local and national NGOs, various ministries and sectors, as well as other donors. The promotion of the partner country's own coordination is the most important issue here.
6.7.5 Sida's internal organisation
Sida shall establish a focal point for work with disability issues within Sida. This work shall be based on the Standard Rules and devote particular attention to the situation of boys and girls with disabilities.