Challenges

Children with disabilities remain one of the most marginalized and excluded population groups. Discrimination arises as a consequence of a lack of understanding and knowledge of the causes and implications of disability, fear of difference or even contagion, as well as negative cultural views on disability. It is further compounded by factors including poverty, social isolation, humanitarian emergencies, lack of services and support and hostile and inaccessible environments.

In the Pacific, the capacity to collect and analyse disability statistics is generally limited due to the small size of Pacific Island countries, and existing capacity varies widely across the countries. Very little evidence to support advocacy and serve as a baseline for interventions is available in the Pacific, as no systematic collection of credible disability data exists in a number of Pacific Island countries. Statistically sound and internationally comparable data for children with disabilities in the Pacific is essential for the targeting of resources to reach the SDGs and to meet the needs of all children and the most vulnerable. 

Toward a Solution

UNICEF and its partners have been supporting Pacific governments to strengthen data for children with disabilities with the aim of: 

• promoting experience sharing in the collection, analysis and use of disability statistics;
• building regional shared capacities to overcome the challenges of small island countries; and
• improving the quality of disability data in the Pacific region, including statistical data on children with disabilities, through national censuses and surveys. 

System strengthening is a key part of the approach, through building the capacity of officials, such as national statistics office staff and other national stakeholders. Parallel advocacy efforts took place to harness political commitment to ensure that Pacific countries adopted standardized tools and used a uniform approach to the collection and analysis of disability statistics (which also mitigates gaps that may occur due to staff turn-over). 

Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys (MICS), which include the Washington Group/UNICEF Module on Child Functioning that covers children between the ages of 2 and 17, are used to assess functional difficulties in different domains, including hearing, vision, communication/comprehension, learning, mobility and emotions. 

The first cross-country transfer initiative began in 2013 after the Vanuatu Demographic and Household Survey for the first time included a module on child functioning and disabilities, using internationally recognized questions validated by the UNICEF-Washington Group. UNICEF Pacific Islands facilitated a South-South Cooperation mission for Samoan government representatives to learn from the experiences of Vanuatu. Since then, country experience sharing has continued through regional mechanisms. 

The support has established key baseline data on persons with disabilities through the use of internationally-recognized standardized tools and strengthened partnerships and collaborations. Specific results have included: Samoa successfully collected data on children with disabilities in the country’s 2014 Demographic and Health Survey and 2016

Population and housing census; six countries (Kiribati, Palau, Samoa, Tonga, Tuvalu, Fiji) have included the Washington Group Short Set of Questions in their last census round; disability monographs prepared in Kiribati, Palau, Samoa and Tonga (2017-2019); and creation of an informal group to support the collection and utilization of disability statistics in the Pacific (2016) followed by the first regional meeting of the more formal Pacific Group on Disability Statistics in July 2020. MICS Findings Reports highlight detailed information on how the SDG indicators differ by disability status in the countries where MICS have been implemented. 

The support is being expanded by replicating the collaborative approach with key regional players as well as the use of the Washington Group short set which is now part of the core census modules and inclusion of Washington Group questions in other surveys to enable disaggregation of key indicators by disability (Household Income and Expenditure Survey in the Marshall Islands and MICS in Fiji. Kiribati, Samoa, Tonga and Tuvalu). 

Challenges have included funding fragmentation, affecting the frequency and consistency of surveys. Funding is also very costly due to the geographic dispersion of the island countries as well as other factors such as natural disasters. The COVID-19 pandemic has implications for in-country support, which is critical to the implementation of surveys. Due to travel and other restrictions, additional factors such as unreliable connectivity have become a challenge for further cooperation. Remote support turns out to be the primary option during this period. 

The 2016-2025 Pacific Framework for Rights of persons with disability includes a specific focus on disability research, statistics and analysis (Goal 5). This regional commitment ensures long term sustainability of the practice.