Disability Inclusion

Working Together to Make Eye Health Disability Inclusive

Disability inclusion is vital to eye health because behind every statistic is a person, and today, 1 in 6 people worldwide live with significant disability. How can we truly work to eliminate avoidable sight loss if we ignore the 16% of the world’s population living with a disability? By integrating disability-inclusive practices into eye health programs, IAPB members and partners can help address barriers faced by people with disabilities in accessing eye care services, improving the lives of millions worldwide. 

Purpose

Our purpose is to create a collaborative space where members can share knowledge, expertise and good practice in disability inclusive eye health and to also amplify lived experience and challenge each other – and the sector – to think and act inclusively. There is a wealth of expertise within the IAPB membership and by working together, and learning from each other, we have far greater chances of achieving change than any one organisation can do alone.

Activities/Priorities

Build knowledge and skills – exchanging good practice, resources, guides, tools, and stories that help organisations make their policies, programmes and services accessible to all.
Strengthen disability-inclusive eye health data by sharing guidance, tools, and training materials, to ensure consistent, inclusive practices and evidence use. We will also work to encourage IAPB members (and where possible wider global health entities) to gather, report on, and use, data that is inclusive and can be disaggregated.
Elevate voices and perspectives – ensuring that people with disabilities are at the centre of decision-making, advocacy, and the design of eye health services.
Influence sector priorities and policies – using evidence, data, and lived experience to shift mindsets, embed inclusion in global, regional and national eye health agendas, and align with the ambitions of 2030 In Sight.
Foster partnerships and connections – linking with disability movements, health and development actors, and IAPB networks to strengthen our collective reach and impact.
Catalyse action – turning shared learning into tangible steps that ad

Meetings

The Disability Inclusion Member-Led Work Group will meet by teleconference once each quarter. Where possible, we will also look for opportunities to meet in person, aligning these with events that Work Group members are already attending.

Membership

Membership of the Disability Inclusion Member-led Work Group is open to all IAPB members engaged in advancing disability inclusive eye health. All Member-led Work Group members are expected to actively contribute their expertise and knowledge to ensure the group meets its stated objectives.

Group Chairs

The group is co-chaired by:
Lisa Johnson (The Fred Hollows Foundation),
Danny Haddad (CBM Global Disability Inclusion) and
Jonathan Craig (Vision 2020 Australia).