Information needed | Data sources | Considerations |
How many persons with disabilities are there? | Government statistical departments, for example:
| National disability statistics should be treated with caution because they vary widely and use a variety of methodologies. Note that many administrative data systems may exclude persons with disabilities because they lack access. Data on exclusion can be particularly impactful (for example, on out-of-school children), but can be difficult to extract from these databases. Health data often focus narrowly on impairments but may permit certain assumptions to be made (for example, on functioning). |
Registration or profiling of refugees, internally displaced persons and migrants. | Registration or profiling data may under-identify persons with disabilities due to the methodology used (for example, visual cues or medical reports). | |
UN Statistics Division.239 | Database for disability statistics at national level. | |
Humanitarian Data Exchange (HDX). | HDX is a platform that enables organizations to make their data available to other users. In November 2018, less than 1 per cent of the data sets in HDX were specifically about disability, but wider surveys may include disability as an indicator. | |
Surveys and assessments, such as:
| Recent MICS round 6 (since 2017)240 and DHS (since 2016) have used the Washington Group short set questions241 for adults. The MICS has used the UNICEF-Washington Group Child Functioning Module for children to assess disability prevalence. Consider the sample size and methodology of data collection exercises you consult, and their purpose. These influence the kind of information provided in reports. | |
Mine action data. | This information is designed to track incidents related to landmines and explosive remnants of war (ERW). It does not capture disabilities unrelated to landmine and ERW incidents. | |
What barriers impede access to assistance? | Accessibility audits. | These take a checklist-based approach242 to evaluate the level of accessibility and safety of facilities, premises and service delivery. They may have been done by local OPDs or NGOs. |
Post-distribution monitoring systems. | If these disaggregate by disability, it may be possible to analyse the barriers that persons with disabilities face, as well as instances of exploitation and other protection risks. | |
Feedback or complaint mechanisms. | These can provide important insights into the barriers that persons with disabilities face and their satisfaction with the quality of assistance. However, feedback mechanisms are often inaccessible to persons with disabilities. This is especially true if they address sensitive issues; in many cases, they are also anonymous or confidential. As a result, they may not disaggregate by disability. | |
Humanitarian Data Exchange. | In addition to data on numbers of persons with disabilities, HDX also includes reports on barriers and facilitators. | |
Special Procedures of the Human Rights Council, and Universal Periodic Reviews. | National and international human rights mechanisms can provide valuable information on barriers and risks, violations of rights, and the requirements of persons with disabilities. Relevant mechanisms include National Human Rights Institutions, the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Special Rapporteur on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. | |
What are the requirements and specific risks faced by persons with disabilities? | Information management systems, such as:
| Incident tracking can suggest gaps in access to reporting, for example if persons with disabilities are particularly underrepresented. Physical, institutional and communication barriers, as well as public perceptions and stigma, may inhibit persons with disabilities from using case management services. |
Assessments, such as:
| Persons with disabilities may not have been systematically included in assessments, which as a result may generate limited or unreliable data. For example, persons with disabilities may have been hidden, or been unable to access the process; or assessments may not have sought information about their specific risk factors (e.g., barriers to accessing assistance). |