Disability Inclusion

Working to make eye health disability inclusive.

Poor vision is more than a health issue. It intersects with the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and plays a critical role in reducing poverty, improving productivity, and expanding access to education and employment for all, including persons with disabilities. People with disabilities make up around 16% of the global population, yet they continue to face significant barriers to equitable and quality eye care. Achieving equity in eye health demands a deliberate and unwavering commitment to inclusion. Everyone working in the eye care sector has a role to play in advancing the United Nations 2030 Agenda. This is a once-in-a-generation opportunity to unlock collective commitment and action across the sector.

How can we truly work to eliminate avoidable sight loss if we ignore 16% of the world’s population? By integrating disability-inclusive practices into eye health programs, IAPB members and partner organizations can help address barriers faced by people with disabilities in accessing eye healthcare services, improving the lives of millions worldwide. 

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. We believe that there is a wealth of expertise within the IAPB membership that by working together, and learning from each other, we have far greater chances of achieving change than any one organization can do alone.

Join us in ensuring that disability inclusion becomes integral to eye health. Connect with peers, share ideas, and access tools that help break barriers and improve equity for people with disabilities—driving lasting change and greater impact.

Lisa Johnson – The Fred Hollows Foundation

Danny Haddad – CBM Global

Jonathan Craig – Vision 2020 Australia