June 15, 2011 -On 9 June 2011, the WHO and the World Bank officially launched the first-ever World report on disability. “Disability is part of the human condition,” says WHO Director-General Dr Margaret Chan. “Almost every one of us will be permanently or temporarily disabled at some point in life. We must do more to break the barriers which segregate people with disabilities, in many cases forcing them to the margins of society.” The RTIRN would like to congratulate WHO and WB for this great effort that represents the first global estimates of persons with disabilities in 40 years.
The report reveals that one billion people in the world experience some form of disability and almost one-fifth of them encounter significant difficulties in their daily lives. This report recommends that governments should provide people with disabilities access to all mainstream services, also to invest in specific programmes and services for people with disabilities who are in need among other specification to increase understanding of disability, and support further research and training in the area
To access the electronic version of the World report on disability click on the following link:http://www.who.int/disabilities/world_report/2011/en/index.html
RELATED LINKS
World report on disability fact file
http://www.who.int/features/factfiles/disability/en/index.html
Interview on CNN International
http://edition.cnn.com/video/#/video/health/2011/06/09/who.disability.report.cnn?iref=allsearch
Contact
Ricardo Pérez-Núñez
RTIRN Secretary
Tel: +52 777 1023946
Email:secretariat@rtirn.net