Empowerment and inclusion: strategic framework 2015

People with disabilities, who make up an estimated 15% of the world’s population, are among the most marginalised people in the world.

Over 80% of people with disabilities live in low and middle income countries, where they are over represented among the poor. Yet people with disabilities are often disregarded in development planning, which means their needs and interests are not addressed. This oversight has a negative impact on their ability to transcend poverty. It limits their contribution to and participation in society and contributes to further exclusion. Women and girls with disabilities face additional challenges due to gender inequality.

This strategic framework clarifies what disability inclusion means for Sightsavers and sets out how we can embed it throughout our organisation. It outlines an ambitious programme of what we aspire to achieve, in collaboration with people with disabilities, to achieve our vision: a world where no one is blind from avoidable causes and where visually impaired people participate equally in society.