AOTA Attends Launch of World Report on Disability
More than 1 billion people in the world live with disabilities, according to the World Report on Disability. AOTA attended the U.S. launch of the report in September as part of a group of organizations concerned with improving the quality of life for people with disabilities. The report also found that 110 to 190 million people live with very significant disabilities.
“The world report on disability is significant because it provides a comprehensive analysis of global disability,” says Susan Lin, ScD, OTR/L, AOTA director of research. “It illuminates barriers that people with disabilities experience and identifies strategies or practices that overcome these barriers.”
Collaborating with the World Health Organization and the World Bank Group, a group of 370 people from 70 countries created the report on disability, including an occupational therapist, Vibhuti Nandoskar, who contributed to the chapter on rehabilitation. The report will provide evidence for innovative policies and programs that can improve the lives of people with disabilities.
“The launch was very informative,” says Lin. “It was inspiring to see so many different organizations committed to understanding and improving conditions and access for people with disabilities.”
The report is free and available to download here.
