Research and Studies

Generating disability statistics

Models of disability measurement, history of disability statistics and the Washington Group Questions

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In 2015, countries committed under the 2030 Agenda to improve disability data by disaggregating statistics. Such data is vital for understanding inclusion, access to government programmes, and workforce participation, and for shaping disability‑inclusive policies by government, civil society and the private sector at the local, national or global level.

Measuring disability, however, is complex due to differing definitions, methods, and contexts. This paper provides an overview of progress towards the creation of accurate and comparable disability statistics, the critical issues that impact on the measurement of disability, and discusses one of the most prominent international efforts to improve data on disabilities – the Washington Group on Disability Statistics

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