The U.N. expert on disabilities pressed the case for disability-inclusive public policies in a report released on Wednesday, laying out the need for new approaches that fall in line with the Sustainable Development Goals.
Nondiscrimination, accessibility and support services are all key to ensuring that people living with disabilities are not “left behind” in development initiatives, Catalina Devandas Aguilar, the U.N. secretary-general’s special rapporteur on the rights of people with disabilities told media at a U.N. press briefing on Wednesday afternoon.
Devandas Aguilar, a native of Costa Rica, assumed her post in November 2014. A lawyer by training, she previously worked in disability rights for the U.N. Secretariat, the Disability Rights Advocacy Fund and as a consultant for the World Bank. Devex spoke to her after the press briefing about the hidden costs of excluding people with disabilities from discussions and policies, and how aid agencies are faring when it comes to the issue. Here are some key takeaways from our conversation.
About the author
Amy Liebermanamylieberman
Amy Lieberman is the U.N. Correspondent for Devex. She covers the United Nations and reports on global development and politics. Amy previously worked as a freelance reporter, covering the environment, human rights, immigration, and health across the U.S. and in more than 10 countries, including Colombia, Mexico, Nepal, and Cambodia. Her coverage has appeared in the Guardian, the Atlantic, Slate, and the Los Angeles Times. A native New Yorker, Amy received her master’s degree in politics and government from Columbia’s School of Journalism.
