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EspañolFighting for disability rights
Join our Equal World campaign for an end to discrimination
The campaign
#EqualWorld
Around the world, there are one billion people with disabilities. 800 million live in developing countries, and more than half are women. For many, basic human rights – to go to school, to find a job, to vote, to access health care – are routinely denied. This is caused by discrimination, and made worse by laws and policies that say all the right things but haven’t been fully put into practice.
In the current COVID-19 pandemic, disability rights are being undermined more than ever. People with disabilities are facing additional health discrimination, being denied essential information in accessible formats, and being left behind in the global response to the pandemic. For some, this is a life and death situation, and urgent action needs taking to stop it.
TAKE ACTION: sign our COVID-19 disability rights petition now
Why we campaign
Disability discrimination affects millions of people around the world. But this is not an inevitable situation – together, we can change it.
Aparna, Zainab and Preeti
Experiences of women with disabilities during COVID-19
Sightsavers launches COVID-19 disability rights petition
May 2020
Sightsavers’ Equal World campaign has launched a petition calling for the United Nations and the Irish government to make sure the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic is inclusive of people with disabilities.
The Equal World COVID-19 petition was launched in response to reports from around the world of the disproportionate impact the COVID-19 pandemic is having on people with disabilities. The pandemic has increased the existing discrimination and inequality faced by people with disabilities, many of whom already experience barriers in trying to claim their rights to education, work, health care and participation in society.
A lack of information in accessible formats like sign language and closed captioning means that many people are left unaware of vital public health advice or information on government curfews. For some, lockdowns and social distancing have created problems as carers are less able to visit, leaving many people struggling with their personal care requirements. People with disabilities living in institutions face an increased risk of exposure to the coronavirus, and online learning measures to meet the gap left by school closures are often not accessible for students with disabilities.
Ali Bough, Sightsavers’ communications and public engagement manager, said: “The needs of people with disabilities must be prioritised in national responses to the pandemic. People with disabilities already often exist on the periphery of their communities, their full inclusion into society hindered by a variety of barriers and widespread discrimination. The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic will be devastating if the specific needs of people with disabilities are not met by national governments.
“The Irish government can use its influence as a member state of the United Nations to push for the global response to COVID-19 to be inclusive of people with disabilities, and with the help of our campaign supporters we can make this happen. We are calling upon the global community to stand up for the rights of people with disabilities and urge the world’s leaders to ensure the needs of people with disabilities are not neglected in the face of the huge challenges of responding to the pandemic.”
Sightsavers is also part of the inclusion campaign led by the International Disability Alliance and the International Disability and Development Consortium, which is highlighting the experiences of people with disabilities and has seen progress towards vital information being more widely available in accessible formats.
Sightsavers’ Equal World campaign has launched a petition calling for the United Nations and its member countries to make sure the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic is inclusive of people with disabilities.
The Equal World COVID-19 petition was launched in response to reports from around the world of the disproportionate impact the COVID-19 pandemic is having on people with disabilities. The pandemic has increased the existing discrimination and inequality faced by people with disabilities, many of whom already experience barriers in trying to claim their rights to education, work, health care and participation in society.
A lack of information in accessible formats like sign language and closed captioning means that many people are left unaware of vital public health advice or information on government curfews. For some, lockdowns and social distancing have created problems as carers are less able to visit, leaving many people struggling with their personal care requirements. People with disabilities living in institutions face an increased risk of exposure to the coronavirus, and online learning measures to meet the gap left by school closures are often not accessible for students with disabilities.
Tessa Murphy, Sightsavers’ campaign manager, said: “The needs of people with disabilities must be prioritised in national responses to the pandemic. People with disabilities already often exist on the periphery of their communities, their full inclusion into society hindered by a variety of barriers and widespread discrimination. The effects of the COVID-19 pandemic will be devastating if the specific needs of people with disabilities are not met by national governments.
“We are calling upon the global community to stand up for the rights of people with disabilities and urge the world’s leaders to ensure the needs of people with disabilities are not neglected in the face of the huge challenges of responding to the pandemic.”
Sightsavers is also part of the inclusion campaign led by the International Disability Alliance and the International Disability and Development Consortium, which is highlighting the experiences of people with disabilities and has seen progress towards vital information being more widely available in accessible formats.
Sightsavers’ Equal World campaign has launched a petition calling for the United Nations and its member countries to make sure the global response to the COVID-19 pandemic is inclusive of people with disabilities.
The Equal World COVID-19 petition was launched in response to reports from around the world of the disproportionate impact the COVID-19 pandemic is having on people with disabilities. The pandemic has increased the existing discrimination and inequality faced by people with disabilities, many of whom already experience barriers in trying to claim their rights to education, work, health care and participation in society.
A lack of information in accessible formats like sign language and closed captioning means that many people are left unaware of vital public health advice or information on government curfews. For some, lockdowns and social distancing have created problems as carers are less able to visit, leaving many people struggling with their personal care requirements. People with disabilities living in institutions face an increased risk of exposure to the coronavirus, and online learning measures to meet the gap left by school closures are often not accessible for students with disabilities.
Will you fight with us?
What we're calling for
- The rights of people with disabilities to be upheld
- Governments and organisations to show leadership on disability inclusion
- People with disabilities to have a voice in the decisions that affect their lives
- The UN and world leaders to be held accountable for putting inclusive policies into action
Campaigning worldwide
Together we can end disability discrimination
The UN has published a disability strategy, committing to the full inclusion and active participation of people with disabilities in all its work. We need to make sure that it translates from words to action, and results in the UN’s member states making real improvements in the lives of people with disabilities around the world.
We’re taking action for disability rights in countries around the world, from Bangladesh to Uganda. Find out more by choosing a country from the dropdown list below.
Join the fight for disability rights
