Water and sanitation for the disabled in low-income countries

As many as one in five of the world's poorest people are disabled. For the majority who live in developing countries, access to the basics of life, such as food, water and shelter, is a daily struggle. An analysis of available information and opinion has found that disabled people in low-income communities are routinely excluded by water and sanitation projects, due primarily to external barriers—in the environment, infrastructure and institutional practices—rather than to disabled peoples' own limitations. There is a lack of awareness and understanding about disability among the majority of service providers, which is compounded by an absence of appropriate and available information that would enable them to take practical steps to improve access for disabled people. This paper argues that water and sanitation service providers have a key role to play in reducing barriers to disabled people's participation in daily activities, and thus relieving their poverty and isolation. Planners and service providers therefore need to consult and include disabled people at all stages of the project cycle.