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More than 700 million persons with disabilities are estimated to live in Asia and the Pacific Region. Persons with disabilities are more vulnerable to climate and conflict shocks, more likely to live in poverty, and more likely to be malnourished than persons without disabilities.
WFP is committed to the principle of leaving no one behind.
This means working to realize meaningful participation and inclusion of persons with disabilities in its operations. As part of these efforts, WFP’s Executive Board approved the first Disability Inclusion Road Map in 2020, which defines how WFP aims to operationalize the UN Disability Inclusion Strategy across the organization.
In Asia and the Pacific, WFP is pioneering numerous new disability inclusion initiatives. WFP’s Regional Bureau for Asia and the Pacific (RBB) has volunteered to develop a series of pilot activities through its Asia-Pacific Disability Inclusion Initiative. The aim is to begin demonstrating how disability considerations can be successfully integrated into all aspects of WFP’s work, including programme design, facilities management, procurement, partnerships, communication, human resource management, awareness-raising and skills development for staff and partners.
These initiatives are being rolled out with leadership support from a Regional Disability Inclusion Advisory Group, where WFP receives technical guidance from disability rights specialists in the region.
The initial focus is on four action areas:
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Engaging with organizations of persons with disabilities (OPDs)
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Disability inclusion into data collection, analysis and programming
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Accessibility of WFP and programme delivery facilities and premises, and
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Communications, advocacy and technical support