Disability and Social Support

Historically, disability support and services were invoked by compassion, charity and medical care, and were provided first hand by philanthropic and religious-based organizations. In 1993, the world’s commitment to the case of persons with disabilities was boosted with the adoption of the Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities. While all ESCWA member countries have adopted the Standard Rules, the approach for supporting persons with disabilities is not fully based on the “equalization of rights”. The implementation of this approach is challenged by a lack of awareness about rights and by cultural norms whereby caring for the vulnerable is believed to be the responsibility of the family rather than the State.[1]

The existing social protection architecture is another challenge. Generally speaking, while the majority of ESCWA member countries provide protection against occupational injury, this is not part of a comprehensive social protection strategy. Social insurance schemes tend to be fragmented and cover only a fraction of the labour force, namely, workers in the formal sector. In addition, these schemes suffer from low coverage, financial constraints and poor management, thereby making them inadequate for the purpose of meeting fully the needs of persons with disabilities or for protecting the income of the informal workers in cases of sudden disability.