The Disability at a Glance series, which started in 2006, serves as a companion for policymakers, statisticians and representatives of organizations of, and for, persons with disabilities in Asia and the Pacific. These publications aim to provide a regional overview of disability policies and practices, as well as relevant country data and information.

The fourth edition, Disability at a Glance 2012: Strengthening the Evidence Base in Asia and the Pacific continues this tradition. It highlights the complexity of interpreting disability data and stresses the urgent need to work towards a greater common understanding of disability, related data and data collection practices.

This edition consists of an introduction, two analytical chapters and subregional and country snapshots. The introduction provides an overview of disability prevalence in the region and raises questions about interpreting this data. Chapter 1 analyzes some possible sources of variance in disability prevalence and implications for data interpretation. Chapter 2 examines selected key factors that affect people’s health and may have a bearing on disability prevalence in the long-term.

Chapter 3, covering subregional and country snapshots, is a central part of the publication. The significant progress in data collection efforts is reflected in the large number of country snapshots included in the current edition (52 countries and areas). The data are drawn from national Government sources, based on bilateral communication between national disability focal points and ESCAP, as well as the 2011 ESCAP Disability Survey.

Moving forward, ESCAP will continue to support data collection efforts, as the region makes accelerated strides towards the ratification and implementation of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and the promotion of a disability-inclusive post-2015 development agenda.

We are conducting a survey to evaluate the usefulness and relevance of Disability at a Glance 2012.

We would appreciate it if you could kindly complete the questionnaire, available at this link:

Please respond as soon as possible but no later than 30 June 2013. Thank you.

Preface
Figures & Tables
Abbreviations
Acknowledgements
Introduction

CHAPTER 1: INTERPRETING DISABILITY PREVALENCE DATA
Models of disability
The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health
Rationale for identifying persons with disabilities
Data collection methods
Interplay of parameters in data collection

CHAPTER 2: EMERGING FACTORS AFFECTING DISABILITY PREVALENCE
Population ageing
Non-communicable diseases
Road traffic injuries
Natural disasters

CHAPTER 3: SUBREGIONAL AND COUNTRY SNAPSHOTS
East & North-East Asia
North & Central Asia
Pacific
South-East Asia
South & South-West Asia

Annex 1: Data Collection Instruments used by Governments in Asia/Pacific
References
Explanatory Notes