MCC aims to support disabled people in exercising their rights, and to promote their full inclusion and active participation as equal members of their families, communities and societies. At least one in 20 people has a physical, sensory or learning impairment. Over 75 per cent of disabled people live in developing countries, and many face a double burden of practical difficulties and discrimination.
Disabled girls and women in particular experience multiple discrimination. MCC has begun to adopt a rights-based approach in its disability work, increasing our support for community-based work, advocacy and awareness-raising. We will continue to increase our focus on empowering disabled people, individually or collectively, to overcome the barriers they face and to gain independence and inclusion. Our disability work will be sensitive to power issues, particularly gender.
Independence
MCC will support disabled people and their families in overcoming the practical barriers they face as a direct result of their impairments. This will include work in child development, education, daily living skills, mobility assistance or employment training. MCC will work with care providers, such as institutional and residential services, only if there is an opportunity to contribute to positive sustainable change that increases disabled people’s independence and inclusion in the wider community.
Social inclusion
MCC will support disabled people and their families in challenging the obstacles that prevent them from participating fully in their communities. These obstacles include lack of access to information, services or the physical environment, and discriminatory attitudes, policies and practices. Much of this work will involve strengthening the capacity of organisations of disabled people. We will promote disabled people’s access to services and benefits, for example, by supporting education which is inclusive of disabled people. We will support the reform of discriminatory practices, laws, policies and structures, and the efforts of disabled people to gain a stronger voice in decision-making.
Disabled people and MCC
Volunteers living and working within communities have opportunities to challenge stereotypes, particularly if they are themselves disabled. MCC is committed to including more disabled people as active and equal participants in our work, as partners, volunteers and staff.