End disability ‘stigma’ to combat extreme poverty in developing world – Mordaunt
Developing countries should fight discrimination against disabled people as a way of combating extreme poverty, the International Development Secretary has said.
It is impossible to end the worst human suffering when some of those worst affected are “left out of the deal”, Penny Mordaunt said ahead of a major summit on global disability.
The Global Disability Summit will bring together able-bodied and non able-bodied politicians, business leaders and activists from around the world on Tuesday.
The event in London, co-hosted by Kenya and the International Disability Alliance (IDA), will see a keynote address from Ecuadorian president Lenin Moreno, who has use a wheelchair since being shot in 1998.
Ms Mordaunt said: “Discrimination and stigma against disabled people is a global injustice – one that has been ignored for too long – and one we need to fix urgently.
“Today I am calling for countries around the developing world to stand alongside disabled people in their countries and commit to end stigma and fully value the contribution disabled people can give to the success of those nations.
“This isn’t just the right thing to do for humanity – it is also the smart thing to do because it’s impossible to end extreme poverty if a significant part of your society is left out of the deal.
“Today we will learn from each other and will make commitments to enable disabled people to reach their full potential.”
The Government will announce the launch of a new part of its UK Aid Connect programme that will see the charities Sightsavers and Leonard Cheshire Disability work with organisations in small towns and villages to help disabled people into work.
It has also committed to At Scale, a global initiative that aims to increase access and affordability of vital items such as wheelchairs, prosthetic limbs, hearing aids and glasses via data sharing and problem solving. It has a goal of reaching 500 million people by 2030.
Prime Minister Theresa May added: “The path a person takes in life should not be dictated by their disability and yet people are forced, every day, to deal with prejudice and even violence.
“That is why the UK’s first ever Global Disability Summit is dedicated to bringing together our international partners and transforming the lives of the world’s most vulnerable and why we are committed to ending discrimination and stigma against disabled people.”
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