Last update:30 April 2008

Built upon the outcome of the previous ESCAP/WHO disability project conducted in 2004-2006, this follow-up project seeks to further promote better disability data collection by developing standard measurement and improving national technical capacity. The project takes into account country needs in the region while contributing to the ongoing global initiatives on disability statistics. Its focus is on designing standard question sets for surveys, and conducting pilot tests and post-pilot test data analyses, which would provide an empirical basis for establishing standard survey measurement for disability data collection. Key activities include in-country advocacy workshops to encourage commitment among a wide range of stakeholders, targeted training of statistical experts and health professionals to improve national technical capacity, country advisory services to support national data collection effort, and the promotion of country-to-country cooperation and knowledge sharing.

ESCAP, the leading agency, implements the project during 2008-2009 with funding from the United Nations Development Account in close collaboration with a number of partners, including the Budapest Initiative on Measurement of Health Status, Economic Commission for Europe (ECE), ESCAP Emerging Social Issues Division, Division for Social Policy and Development of the United Nations Department for Economic and Social Affairs (DESA), Statistical Institute for Asia and the Pacific (SIAP), United Nations Statistics Division (UNSD) and the Washington Group on Disability Statistics, World Health Organization (WHO), and selected National Statistical Offices in the region. A Steering Committee is set up to oversee the project design and implementation, while the project activities are pursued through a project Task Team directed by national experts.

For further information, please contact Ms. Haishan Fu, Chief, Statistical Development Section, Statistics Division, ESCAP (escap-disability@un.org)

The country workshop on 2005 Census in Lao PDR organized by the Lao Disabled People's Association in December 2007 was the first in 30 years that a workshop on disability statistics was organized in the country. The ESCAP Statistics Division contributed to the workshop, which was successful in adopting recommendations for promoting data collection and dissemination in Lao PDR.

The new 2008-09 Improvement of Disability Measurement and Statistics project was presented at the seventh annual meeting of the Washington Group on Disability Statistics as well as analytical results to facilitate the ongoing global initiatives to develop extended sets of survey questions on disability. The first Steering Committee meeting of the project was also held during the annual meeting.

• UNSD Website on Disability
• UN Global Recommendations on Census, Rev2
• Washington City Group on Disability Statistics
• International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF)
• ESCAP Disability Policy Programme