Canada must lead on disability-inclusive international development – Policy Options

Report on Disability Inclusion in International Development and the Sustainable Development Goals

The Global Imperative for Disability Inclusion

Achieving the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development is contingent upon the full inclusion of all populations. However, the one billion people globally living with a disability, representing approximately 15 percent of the world’s population, remain significantly under-represented in global development agendas. This exclusion represents a fundamental failure to uphold the central SDG promise to “leave no one behind” and poses a direct threat to the achievement of multiple goals.

Challenges to Achieving SDG-Aligned Disability Inclusion

Insufficient Progress on Sustainable Development Goals

Global efforts to advance the rights and opportunities of persons with disabilities are falling critically short of SDG targets. An assessment of goals relevant to disability inclusion reveals a significant deficit:

• Progress has been insufficient for 30 percent of the relevant goals.
• Progress has stalled, regressed, or targets have been missed entirely for 14 percent of the goals.

Inadequate Official Development Assistance (ODA)

The financing required to achieve SDG 10 (Reduced Inequalities) and other related goals is not being met. Official Development Assistance (ODA) specifically supporting persons with disabilities is critically inadequate, accounting for less than two percent of total aid (approximately US$3.2 billion). Data from the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development further indicates that persons with intellectual disabilities are almost entirely excluded from aid projects, compounding inequality.

Impact of International Aid Reductions

Reductions in international aid budgets, such as the 2025 cuts to the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID), are placing severe pressure on the humanitarian sector. These cuts directly undermine the global partnership for sustainable development (SDG 17) and threaten the survival and dignity of millions. A study by Humanity & Inclusion in Uganda highlighted the immediate consequences, finding that 42 percent of refugee households with children with disabilities were entirely excluded from food assistance programs.

Disproportionate Impact on Vulnerable Groups

The failure to integrate disability inclusion disproportionately affects women and children, creating severe barriers to achieving key SDGs.

• SDG 4 (Quality Education): Nearly half of the world’s 240 million children with disabilities have never attended school. They are 42 percent less likely than their non-disabled peers to acquire foundational literacy and numeracy skills.
• SDG 5 (Gender Equality): Women with disabilities face extreme rates of gender-based violence, with 40 to 68 percent experiencing sexual violence before age 18. They also have limited access to sexual and reproductive health services and are frequently excluded from leadership and decision-making roles.
• SDG 8 (Decent Work and Economic Growth): Persons with disabilities face stark economic exclusion. Global employment averages 36 percent for persons with disabilities compared to 60 percent for those without. This exclusion limits individual opportunity and reduces national economic growth and social cohesion.
• SDG 1 (No Poverty): Persons with disabilities are twice as likely to live below the poverty line, a reality exacerbated by exclusion from education and employment.

Canada’s Role in Advancing Disability-Inclusive Development

Contradictions in Policy and Funding

Canada’s stated commitments to international aid and multilateral co-operation are misaligned with its fiscal priorities. The international assistance budget declined from $1.29 billion in 2022–23 to $803 million in 2023-24, while military spending is projected to increase sharply. This budgetary contradiction undermines Canada’s capacity to contribute effectively to the SDGs and its obligations under the Official Development Assistance Accountability Act, which mandates that aid must contribute to poverty reduction.

Systemic Gaps in Canadian International Assistance

Despite ministerial mandates and parliamentary recommendations for greater inclusion, systemic gaps persist in Canada’s development framework.

• Insufficient Funding: In 2023-24, projects identifying disability as a significant policy marker accounted for only $203.5 million, or two percent of total ODA. Internal evaluations suggest this marker often serves as a compliance exercise rather than a tool for meaningful inclusion.
• Lack of Policy Frameworks: Unlike peer nations such as Australia and the U.K., Canada has not developed explicit policies to promote disability inclusion in its aid programs.
• Gaps in Intersectional Approaches: The Auditor General’s 2023 report noted a need for Global Affairs Canada to better integrate intersecting identity factors, including disability, into gender-equality assessments. Commitments to global health and feminist foreign policy often fail to prioritize the specific needs of women with disabilities, undermining progress on SDG 3 (Good Health and Well-being) and SDG 5.

Recommendations for Aligning Canadian Aid with SDG Principles

To fulfill its commitment to the 2030 Agenda and the principle of “leave no one behind,” the Canadian government should implement the following strategic actions:

1. Endorse and Implement the Global Disability Summit 15-Percent Commitment: Adopt the “15 per cent for the 15 per cent” initiative, which aims for 15 percent of all development assistance to explicitly benefit the 15 percent of people globally living with disabilities. This provides a measurable target for achieving SDG 10.
2. Increase Targeted Funding and Data Collection: Allocate dedicated funding to support accessible education, health, and economic opportunities. This investment must be paired with robust, disaggregated data collection (by disability type, gender, age, and location) to ensure accountability and effective monitoring of SDG progress.
3. Incorporate Disability Considerations Across All Sectors and Programs: Mainstream disability inclusion as a standard consideration in all development sectors, including education, health, economic development, and humanitarian response. This requires capacity-building within Global Affairs Canada to emphasize inclusive design and human-rights-based approaches, reflecting the integrated nature of the SDGs.
4. Strengthen Partnerships with Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs): In line with SDG 17, foster meaningful partnerships with OPDs, particularly those led by women with disabilities. Their direct involvement in program design, implementation, and evaluation is essential for developing effective, context-specific solutions.

Analysis of SDGs in the Article

1. Which SDGs are addressed or connected to the issues highlighted in the article?

• SDG 1: No Poverty

  The article directly connects disability to poverty, stating that “persons with disabilities – who are twice as likely to live under the poverty line” and that aid cuts push individuals “deeper into poverty.”

• SDG 2: Zero Hunger

  The article highlights food insecurity among people with disabilities, citing a study in Uganda where “42 per cent of households with children with disabilities and 35 per cent of individuals with disabilities were entirely excluded from food assistance.”

• SDG 3: Good Health and Well-being

  The text points to health disparities, noting that people with disabilities face “unmet health needs” and that women with disabilities have “limited access to sexual and reproductive health services.”

• SDG 4: Quality Education

  Educational exclusion is a major theme, with the article stating that “Nearly half of the world’s 240 million children with disabilities have never attended school” and that their exclusion from education limits opportunities.

• SDG 5: Gender Equality

  The article emphasizes the compounded vulnerability of women with disabilities, who “face higher rates of gender-based violence,” are “excluded from funding programs, leadership positions and decision-making spaces,” and are often ignored in global health funding.

• SDG 8: Decent Work and Economic Growth

  The article details the “stark economic exclusion” of people with disabilities, providing global employment statistics and noting that their exclusion from employment “imposes economic costs – reducing growth, innovation and social cohesion.”

• SDG 10: Reduced Inequalities

  This is a central theme of the article. It focuses on the “persistent gap between persons with disabilities and their non-disabled peers” and the failure of the global community to “leave no one behind,” which is the core principle of this goal.

• SDG 17: Partnerships for the Goals

  The article critiques the decline in Official Development Assistance (ODA) from countries like the U.S. and Canada and calls for strengthening financial commitments and partnerships, specifically recommending that Canada “strengthen partnerships with organizations led by women with disabilities.”

2. What specific targets under those SDGs can be identified based on the article’s content?

• Target 1.3: Implement nationally appropriate social protection systems and measures for all. The article’s discussion of people with disabilities being “entirely excluded from food assistance” directly relates to the failure to achieve this target for this specific group.
• Target 4.5: By 2030, eliminate gender disparities in education and ensure equal access to all levels of education and vocational training for the vulnerable, including persons with disabilities. The article’s statistics on school attendance and basic skill acquisition for children with disabilities show this target is not being met.
• Target 5.2: Eliminate all forms of violence against all women and girls in the public and private spheres. The high rates of sexual violence (40% to 68%) experienced by women with disabilities before age 18, as mentioned in the article, directly address this target.
• Target 8.5: By 2030, achieve full and productive employment and decent work for all women and men, including for young people and persons with disabilities. The stark employment gap between persons with disabilities (36%) and those without (60%) highlights the significant work needed to reach this target.
• Target 10.2: By 2030, empower and promote the social, economic and political inclusion of all, irrespective of… disability. The article’s entire premise—that people with disabilities are under-represented in development agendas, excluded from aid, and invisible in decision-making—is a direct commentary on the failure to meet this target.
• Target 17.2: Developed countries to implement fully their official development assistance commitments. The article critiques the reduction in international aid from the U.S. and Canada, showing a regression from this target.

3. Are there any indicators mentioned or implied in the article that can be used to measure progress towards the identified targets?

• Poverty and Social Protection Indicators:
  • The proportion of people with disabilities living below the poverty line (“twice as likely to live under the poverty line”).
  • The percentage of households with persons with disabilities excluded from food assistance (“42 per cent of households with children with disabilities… were entirely excluded from food assistance”).
• Education Indicators:
  • The school attendance rate for children with disabilities (“Nearly half of the world’s 240 million children with disabilities have never attended school”).
  • The proficiency rate in basic skills for children with disabilities compared to their peers (“42 per cent less likely than their peers to acquire basic reading and numeracy skills”).
• Gender-Based Violence Indicators:
  • The prevalence of sexual violence against women with disabilities (“40 per cent to 68 per cent experiencing sexual violence before the age of 18”).
• Employment Indicators:
  • The employment rate for persons with disabilities versus those without (“36 per cent for persons with disabilities compared with 60 per cent for those without”).
  • The unemployment rate for persons with disabilities in low- to middle-income countries (“over 80 per cent are unemployed”).
• Development Finance Indicators:
  • The percentage of total Official Development Assistance (ODA) that supports persons with disabilities (“less than two per cent of total aid”).
  • The proposed target of 15% of all development assistance explicitly benefiting people with disabilities (the “15 per cent for the 15 per cent” initiative).

4. Summary Table: SDGs, Targets, and Indicators

Source: policyoptions.irpp.org