Importance of Measuring Disability

Persons with disabilities are a highly heterogeneous group that have different needs, capacities and barriers. Although the impact of disability can manifest itself in many ways across every sector of society, not one simple statistic exists that captures these effects. However, the undertaking of standard approaches can allow for the measuring of these impacts and greatly inform public policy and measure. 

Measuring disability in any given society can provide critical information on the status of the population in order to monitor progress on disability policies and on the implementation of the CRPD nationally and internationally. In addition, data on disability provides evidence for mainstreaming service provisions at the population level, such as addressing needs for housing, transportation, assistive technology, vocational or educational rehabilitation and long-term care.  

Therefore, it is important to compare outcomes for people with and without disabilities disaggregated by characteristics such as sex, age, geographic location, and marital status, among others and in development fields such as housing, health, transportation, education, employment, income or wealth, water and sanitation, in addition to disability specific areas such as access to, and utilization of, assistive devices. rehabilitation services and benefits.