From the
World Health Organization. Pictured in Faustina Urassa a disability advocate in Tanzania, who is feature in a WHO video.
The World report on disability will be launched on 9 June 2011. Mandated by the World Health Assembly Resolution 58.23, and jointly published by WHO and the World Bank, the World report summarizes the best available scientific evidence on disability and makes recommendations for action to support the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (2006).
The WHO Director-General and a senior official of the World Bank will launch the World report on disability at the World Health Organization Headquarters in Geneva, in the presence of high-level representatives from Member States, celebrities with disabilities, together with representatives of disabled people's organizations, professional groups and non-governmental organizations. This will be followed by a half day technical session on how to implement the World report on disability.
The World report on disability addresses the need for better research and data on disability. It will include the first update of WHO's disability prevalence estimates for more than thirty years. The Report also explores evidence about discrimination and barriers, identifies needs and provides an analysis of what works to improve the lives of people with disabilities in the areas of health, rehabilitation, support services, information, infrastructure, transportation, education and employment.
People with disabilities have been involved in every stage of the development of the report - as advisers, editors, authors and reviewers. Disabled people's organizations have been consulted at the global level. People with disabilities have had the opportunity to submit their own stories, many of which are quoted in the Report and others of which will feature in associated promotional activities.
Starting on 3 December 2010, International Day of Persons with Disabilities, a series of videos featuring women with disabilities talking about their lives will be released in the run up to the launch. These videos can be viewed on the WHO YouTube channel.
