Promoting the rights of persons with disabilities is no longer a marginal issue but part of mainstream development policy and - co-operation agendas

Katariina Sario is Senior Adviser for persons with disabilities in the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. She is happy that disability inclusion has finally been systematically integrated in the development policy. Three questions about development cooperation is a series of interviews with specialists in the Ministry for Foreign Affairs.

1. Why are you working to improve the rights of persons with disabilities in developing countries?

"I was born into a family where there were also six adults with intellectual disabilities living with us. Despite my background, the path to a career in which I now work as an adviser for the rights of persons with disabilities was not as straightforward as one might imagine. However, I learned early on as a child, that although we are all different and our starting points for life may vary a lot, everyone has human dignity.

I also saw closely how much it might hurt when someone's family member does not want to be in touch with you because of the stigma related to disability.  We all share the need to be seen and accepted. 

I feel that I have not systematically pursued any clear-cut professional goals; rather, I have followed my intuition and that has led me to various exciting duties. Six years ago, when I was applying for my current post, I realized the only common denominator in my work history has been working with people who are marginalized somehow, and on matters that relate to equality and non-discrimination.

Justice, human rights, equality and non-discrimination are important values for me, and the realization of them should never be based on someone's good luck or a privilege."

2. What accomplishment in the promotion of the rights of persons with disabilities has made you happy? What discourages you?

Sometimes progress is so slow that you will not recognise it until you look back. Hence, I look back quite often. Despite the enormous challenges still ahead in the implementation of the rights of persons with disabilities, there have been huge advancements in the past ten years, both globally and in the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. The rights of persons with disabilities are no longer considered a marginal issue but have become part of the mainstream development policy and cooperation agendas. On a personal level, the extensiveness of disability inclusion and rights promotion in the Foreign Ministry’s current policies nowadays delights me the most.

I am also happy about the new guidelines in Finland's development policy, where the promotion of the rights of persons with disabilities is now one of the crosscutting objectives. This achievement might sound like a technical improvement, but it is a result of a long process. Promoting the rights of persons with disabilities is a long-term priority for Finland. For the past three decades it has been somehow included in our development cooperation. Still, it has never before been recorded as systematically as it is now. This is an excellent foundation for implementing the agenda effectively.

Perhaps the most frustrating element in my work is when I meet people who are either indifferent or unwilling to see persons with disabilities as ordinary and as equals. Sometimes persons with disabilities are compartmentalized in a way where all other human dimensions, identities and needs are mystically excluded. For example, people may forget that women with disabilities need similar services, information and rights related to sexual and reproductive health as other women do."

3. What would you like to say to those who think that development assistance should be primarily directed to respond to the most acute problems and the issues of minorities, such as persons with disabilities, should be addressed only after the acute problems have been fixed?

"I would first take a deep breath. I have occasionally encountered this kind of thinking, but fortunately seldom. Finland is committed to the human rights-based approach in its development co-operation, and it would not be justified by any means for us to place people in any order of importance based on their individual characteristics.  

Non-discrimination and equality are not some extra luxuries that could be considered later. In fact, very often they are even questions of life and death as the current coronavirus pandemic has shown: many of the coronavirus responses have discriminated against persons with disabilities worldwide. Typically, information and instructions relating to the pandemic have not been in an accessible format, the services have been behind physical barriers, and access to treatment has been denied or restricted due to a disability. These are examples of factors contributing to a much higher mortality rate among persons with disabilities compared to people without disabilities.

The reason for the marginalisation of minorities, including persons with disabilities, is not an intrinsic vulnerability, but the cause of systematic discrimination and discrimination against persons with disabilities is not a marginal question: approximately one billion people experience some form of disability, and 80% - that is 800 million - of them live in developing countries.

The correlation between poverty and disability is robust at individual, communal and societal levels. According to the World Bank 20 % of people living below the poverty line have some form of disability. In other words, the global inequality and poverty crisis cannot be fully resolved without resolving the extensive discrimination and human rights violations against persons with disabilities at the same time. 

Besides, temporary or permanent restrictions in functional capacity affect us all through ageing, possible illness or accident. By supporting non-discriminatory, universal and accessible services and by addressing prejudices we promote a world that is accessible to all and where everyone can leverage their full potential.

Lastly I’d like to share a practical tip I learned from my colleague on how to test one's prejudices against persons with disabilities. Replace "persons with disabilities" with "women and girls": How would you react to a suggestion that boys should be sent to school first and the possibility of educating girls should be considered later? Or how about a suggestion to find work opportunities for men first and to see later on if there is some work also available for women?

We all have prejudices, but we can also learn to become aware of them and to deconstruct these in our thinking as well as in our doing."