Our partners and colleagues worldwide share their hopes for the Global Disability Summit

Ahead of the Global Disability Summit on 24^th July, our colleagues and partners around the world have been sharing their hopes for the outcomes of the Summit – we’ve brought together all their voices in this latest blog.

Lars Bosselmann, Director International Advocacy & Alliances, CBM International:

“The first-ever Global Disability Summit offers an excellent opportunity to galvanise political will to make rights of persons with disabilities real around the globe including in the poorest settings. That political will has been growing considerably over the last years, but has to be renewed all the time. With many voices of persons with disabilities from the Global South having made inputs to the Summit, and with many relevant topics being on the Summit’s agenda, I hope that concrete actions and follow-up that really can make a difference in people’s lives will be resulting from the Summit. Those results and commitments should be then followed- through existing accountability systems such as on the implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.”

Farrah Naz, CBM Country Director for Pakistan:

The disability summit is very significant event where involvement of developing countries will bring commitment from the governments of these countries in recognizing the importance of ensuring rights of persons with disabilities and I hope that the governments will renew their commitment to overcoming barriers that are keeping persons with disabilities from achieving their rights and full potential. I also hope that the voices of persons with disabilities will be intensified through civil society forum and then at the global summit through full and meaningful participation of persons with disabilities. The themes selected for the summit are highly significant to the lives of persons with disabilities. I hope the marginalized groups of persons with disabilities will have meaningful representation at the summit.

Julian Eaton, Global Mental Health Advisor, CBM International:

“In the past, mental health and psychosocial disability has been too small a part of the global development picture, despite the fact that we know there are great needs and much that can be done to address these needs. Investment and political prioritisation has been far too low, but this is starting to change. It is great to see that much of this change is along solid rights-based approaches, addressing access to justice, education and livelihood, family and community life, and addressing stigma and exclusion, as well as closing the health care gap.

We are finally starting to see people with psychosocial disabilities from the Global South better represented at national and international forums. My hope is that the Disability Summit be a great opportunity to hear their priorities clearly articulated, and for this to feed into the future policies and planning processes of the global development community.”

Anne Wafula Strike, CBM Champion and GB Paralympian:

“I hope that this Summit leads to concrete action to improve opportunities for people with disabilities, but also that it marks the beginning of a new era for attitudes to disability. My prayer is for a time when no child with a disability is seen as a curse or a liability, but as a potential mother, teacher, business owner or athlete and as a valuable member of the community”

Godwin Etim, Performance Director, Gede Foundation, Nigeria

“There is strong evidence for a link between disability and poverty, especially, in low and medium income countries (LMICs). As such, an urgent need for policy action to break the cycle is overdue. I will like to be assured that the summit will produce the needed capabilities for rapid growth in policy formulation, matching words with actions and bringing ‘out of the shadows’ these overwhelming burdens. In the long run, an active participation of persons with disabilities within the forefront of dialogues and advocacy with clear directions and accountability should form part of the summit’s resolutions.”

Irene Ojiugo Patrick-Ogbogu, Executive Director, Disability Rights Advocacy Center, Nigeria:

“I hope that the stakeholders attending the summit will make commitment to collaboratively increase awareness on, and take actions to address the systemic barriers that impact women with disabilities on their journey to becoming economically secure and visible in governance at all levels; the seemingly unending invisibility and exclusion of certain groups within the disability movement, especially women and girls with disabilities and persons with mental illness, also needs to be put on the front burner of the Summit.”

Humphrey Matey Kofie, Country Facilitator for mhLAP and Executive Secretary for MEHSOG:

“We have come very far in getting person with psycho-social disability on the Global Disability Radar and other international fora or calendar. These opportunities will certainly impact on other movements to affect change and increase voices of persons with psychosocial disability globally. Telling their stories will influence development and growth of the Mental Health agenda with its effect on the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG’s).”

Mary Keogh, Director, Disability Inclusive Development Initiative CBM International:

“An important outcome from this summit is a set of commitments politically agreed that build on existing human rights commitments under the CRPD, development goals under the SDG and that places persons with disabilities as agents of change in all spaces where decisions on development are made.”

Zunzika Thole-Okpo, Media Officer, Gede Foundation, Nigeria:

“Scores of people are uniting to acknowledge and support people living with mental illnesses and other disabilities. However, a lot more support and destigmatisation is needed to ensure that everyone’s voice is heard; that everyone gets the support that they need and that they are clear-cut pathways for advocacy, treatment, care and support. The summit should guarantee those who have been denied these rights a platform to create the necessary change.”

Philip Ode, Project Coordinator, Comprehensive Community Mental Health Programme (CCMHP):

“In Nigeria, persons with disabilities are often excluded from health, education, employment, politics and humanitarian response because of their conditions. Persons with psychosocial disabilities even suffer higher levels of stigma and discrimination due to socio-cultural factors and lack of political will — even in states where quality mental health services are made available through external donor support. They are often not consulted about their feelings when certain positive actions about them are intended. A great majority of stakeholders are yet to recognize mental health as a form of disability and a human rights issue. I expect that the upcoming Disability Summit will be used to hear about priorities of persons with psychosocial disabilities and commitments to reinforce actions to support interventions to address negative attitudes of society.”

Adrian Sell, CEO BasicNeeds:

“It is my hope that people with mental health conditions, psychosocial disability and other hidden disabilities receive an equal voice and equal attention as a result of the Summit.”