Wrong Questions, Wrong Answers The Statistical Barrier to Accessibility Ann Frye Ann Frye Ltd

“Disability results from an interaction between a non-inclusive society and individuals.” UNCRPD Ann Frye Ltd 02/04/2019

Why do Statistics matter? Without statistics we will not have a clear basis from which to establish priorities for action. Ann Frye Ltd 02/04/2019

Governments are required to collect statistics to monitor UNCRPD; And to develop national policies promoting the rights of people with disabilities. Governments are required to collect statistics to monitor UNCRPD; Stresses the need for reliable and comparable data on people with disabilities; Ann Frye Ltd 02/04/2019

What do we know? 10% of the world’s population is people with disabilities; This is over 650 million people; 80% of people with disabilities live in developing countries. Ann Frye Ltd 02/04/2019

Prevalence of Disability There is currently no common basis for the statistics on disability gathered around the world; Some start from a medical or condition based categorisation; Some ask questions about functional and activity limitations; As a result, perceived levels of disability vary considerably. Ann Frye Ltd 02/04/2019

Prevalence of Disability: Can this be true? 20% of the population of Australia has a disability; Less that 1% of the population of Kenya has a disability; Ann Frye Ltd 02/04/2019

Prevalence of Disability Ann Frye Ltd 02/04/2019

Why does it matter? Back in 2001 the UN noted that: “The quality, completeness and detail of existing statistical information is usually inadequate for national policy and programme needs.” In 2010, UNESCAP noted that data on disability still vary considerably and that: “Consequently the comparability of data across the region is called into question”. Ann Frye Ltd 02/04/2019

Why does it matter? Without clear data at national and regional levels there is no basis for planning; If statistics do not give a clear picture of the problems people face, politicians will not take an interest; With economic pressures in so many countries, disability issues can slip down the political agenda. Ann Frye Ltd 02/04/2019

Understanding & Interpreting Statistics The Washington Group on Disability Statistics grew out of a UN Seminar in 2001; They developed a short set of questions aimed at identifying people in the population who are: “At greater risk than the general population of experiencing limited or restricted participation in society.” Ann Frye Ltd 02/04/2019

Understanding & Interpreting Statistics Vision Hearing Mobility Cognition Self care Communication Questions focus on 6 key areas. Ann Frye Ltd 02/04/2019

Key Factors Key factors include: Asking about limitations on activity and participation; Including pain as a measurement. Key factors include: Ann Frye Ltd 02/04/2019

The stigma of Disability The word “disability” can carry stigma and shame in some societies; This means that people may be reluctant to self identify; Understanding cultural differences and personal perceptions of ability or disability is vital; Asking the question in the right way will make a huge difference to the information. Ann Frye Ltd 02/04/2019

What’s the right question? In Zambia the 2000 census asked: “Are you disabled in any way?” “What is your disability?” This gave a disability prevalence of 2.7%; This was three times the number indicated by the 1990 Census which identified only 4 impairment categories. Ann Frye Ltd 02/04/2019

So what is the “right” way? The WHO includes definitions of: Limitations on participation; Limitations on activity; Mobility (including a range of fields from walking to driving and using public transport). Ann Frye Ltd 02/04/2019

Travel patterns: comparative data Comparative data on travel patterns of people with and without disabilities helps to highlight gaps and pinpoint areas for action; For example, an accessible system may not be used by disabled people because they cannot get to the station or stop; Transport for London now routinely gather data on this basis. Ann Frye Ltd 02/04/2019

Travel patterns: Comparative data Source: TfL Perceptions of Public Transport in London among Equality & Inclusion Groups 2007 Ann Frye Ltd 02/04/2019

Measuring the costs to society If people cannot leave their homes because of the poor state of the roads, they cannot function independently; So they are not self sufficient for even the most basic daily tasks such as food shopping; The result is a physical and mental decline; and Increased cost either to the rest of the family or to the state. The costs are both economic and social. Ann Frye Ltd 02/04/2019

Micro level analysis In Shanghai a World Bank project engaged older and disabled people in auditing the city’s access needs; This has helped to establish which areas are of most concern to people and to prioritise improvements. In Wellington, New Zealand Government carried out a route by route analysis of urban public transport accessibility; The results identified specific bus stops and pedestrian routes that were preventing people getting to accessible buses. Ann Frye Ltd 02/04/2019

Targetted Analysis: The Impact of Tourism Tourism is a powerful economic driver; A German study in 2008 concluded that the current net turnover generated by disabled tourists was 2.5 billion Euros/ nearly 2 million lakh and that some 65,000 jobs were sustained by it; The study estimated a potential additional economic impact from the buying power of this market sector of nearly 5 billion Euros/ 4 million lakh and a further 90,000 jobs. Ann Frye Ltd 02/04/2019

Universal design: the Macro approach Designing to meet everyone’s needs means that detailed figures on numbers of disabled people likely to travel become less relevant; The low floor bus is one example: everyone benefitted from easy access so more people with shopping and small children started to travel by bus. Ann Frye Ltd 02/04/2019

Conclusions Traditional census questions can lead to huge under reporting of disability which in turn leads to neglect at policy level. It also has a profound effect on the life chances of people with disabilities; The way that statistics are gathered has a profound effect on Government priorities Ann Frye Ltd 02/04/2019

Conclusions (2) The demographic trends have finally alerted politicians to the need for action; Small targetted surveys can help to understand access issues at local level; Adopting a universal design approach can also provide good solutions without the need for detailed numbers. Ann Frye Ltd 02/04/2019

ann@annfrye.co.uk Ann Frye Ann Frye Ltd