INTRODUCTION

Disability is an impairment that may be cognitive it substantially affects a person’s life activities and may
be present from…

A person who has disabilities is considered to have fundamental difficulties in accomplishing

things that other people take for granted. Disabilities can be physical in nature such as inabilities
to walk due to amputation, sensory such as blindness or deafness, cognitive such as mental
retardation, behavioral as well as emotional.

A disability is an umbrella term, covering impairments, activity limitations, and participation

restrictions. Impairment is a problem in body function or structure. An activity limitation is a
difficulty encountered by an individual in executing a task or action, while a participation
restriction is a problem experienced by an individual in involvement in life situations. Disability
is thus not just a problem, it is a complex phenomenon reflecting the interaction between features
of a person’s body and features of the society in which he or she lives.

BACKGROUND INFORMATION

In the world report on disability, the World Health Organization estimate that more than one
billion people live with a disability in one form or another, this constitutes approximately 15% of
the world population. 2.2%(110million people) of the 15% of the global population have severe
functional difficulties. Disability disproportionally affects vulnerable populations. There is
higher disability in lower income countries than in higher income countries thus people from the
poorest wealth quintile, women and older people have a higher prevalence of disability. The
prevalence of HIV/AIDS among people with disabilities is equal to or higher than the rest of the
population, yet they are largely excluded from HIV/aids services.

In 2005, UNICEF estimated there were 150 million children under 18 living with disability.
Children with disabilities are less likely to attend school and have lower rates of being promoted
in the schools. In addition to this, approximately 20 million women become disabled each year
as a result of complications during pregnancy or child birth.

The world report also highlights trends and evolutions. The number of people with disabilities is
increasing partly because we live longer, and because chronic conditions such as diabetes and
cardiovascular diseases are increasing. Other environmental factors such as road accidents or
natural disasters contribute to the increase of numbers in some contexts.

In Malawi, statistical data including disability data is collected through census and major
statistical surveys. The government generates data with the aim of establishing attributes that
qualify the socio-economic status people. The surveys include measurements of how women,
men, boys and girls are empowered in coping with their rural livelihoods.

Several organizations including government ministries and departments implement disability

programs that help in advocating rights of disabled people an supporting them economically as
well as socially. They include Ministry of Gender, Children and Social Welfare (MoGCSW), the
Malawi Council for the Handicapped(MACOHA), Feed The Children Malawi, Malawi Against
Physical Disabilities(MAP) and several international instruments on the rights of the children.

PROBLEM STATEMENT
People with disabilities are depicted as unproductive and as dependents of the welfare system, and by
extension, as dependents of non-disabled tax payers or non-disabled benefactors. This perceived
dependence is fuelled by the vicious nexus between poverty and disability where poverty triggers
disability and disability in turn leads to further impoverishment.

Disability is indeed both a cause and a consequence of poverty. This relationship is often described as a
vicious circle, poverty leading to disability and disability worsening poverty.

The main links between poverty and disability are:

Dangerous and unhealthy living conditions, such as inadequate housing, water and sanitation, and
unsafe transportation and work conditions.

The absence or inaccessibility (related to environmental and/or economic barriers) of timely and
adequate medical care or rehabilitation. People with disabilities are confronted with extra costs related
to disability such as personal assistance, medical care or assistive devices. These additional costs
increase their risk of being poorer than others. In low incomes countries, people with disabilities are
50% more likely to experience catastrophic health expenditure than non-disabled people.

Limited access to education and employment. People with disabilities are more likely to be unemployed
and are generally paid less when they are employed. The employment rates for men with disabilities
(53%) and women with disabilities (20%) are lower than men (65%) and women (30%) without
disabilities14.

Social exclusion: People with disabilities often do not have access to public spaces because of physical
barriers, and often cannot participate in political decision-making.

Therefore, poverty rates are higher for people with disabilities than for those who do not have a
disability.

The cost of excluding people with disabilities

The cost of excluding people with disabilities must be considered both at the individual level and for
society at large.

At the individual level: From an economic point of view, an individual experiences a doubling of the cost
of disability: firstly, there are direct costs for treatment or rehabilitation, including user fees and
transport costs; secondly, income is foregone—potentially both for the person with a disability and their
assistants or families.

At community and family level: It is estimated that one in four has a family member with a disability.
Rates of poverty are known to be higher in households with a person with a disability. Household
members spend time and money taking care of their family member, who needs personal assistance and
has not had access to the support services or rehabilitation that would lead to independent living.

OBJECTIVES
1. Identify problems encountered by disabled people in socio-economic industries.
2. Empower disabled people and promote participation of disabled people in the socio-economic
development of the Malawi
3. Find out if the participation of disabled people in socio-economic activities can develop Malawi.

RESEARCH QUESTIONS
1. What are the causes of disabilities
2. How does the government protect and empower the disabled people
3. What is the disability act
4. Is the disability act followed by all organizations
5. How does our culture marginalize disabled people
6. What can be done to promote the participation of disabled people in the socio-economic
development of Malawi

SIGNIFICANCE OF THE STUDY

Recognition of the importance of including disability in development activities is based on many
different arguments. For example:

Demographic arguments:
People with disabilities represent a significant proportion of the world population (15%) and therefore
cannot be ignored or excluded from development efforts.

There is a strong link between disability and poverty, disability being both a cause and a consequence of
poverty: poor people are more likely to become disabled, and persons with disabilities are among the
poorest.

Due to ageing populations there is a higher risk today of acquiring an impairment leading to a
disability18.

Argument of social development:

Development can only be effective if inequalities between different groups are addressed. However,
people with disabilities are among groups that suffer most from inequalities, especially with regard to
key aspects of life such as access to water, health, education, or employment.

Societies cannot develop in a cohesive manner if a significant part of their members continue to be
treated differently and discriminated against because of their disabilities.

Economic argument:

Excluding people with disabilities from society has a significant cost (see paragraph above). For example,
research highlights the fact that disability affects the economic well-being of 20% to 25% of households
in Asia19.

At the same time, it is estimated that using universal design principles to make a community centre and
a school accessible only add 0.47% and 0.78%, respectively, to the overall costs20.

It is estimated that the rehabilitation needs of 80% of people with disabilities could be satisfied at
community level. The remaining 20% are likely to require referral to some kind of specialist facility21.

Legal argument:

People with disabilities have the same rights as any other person, as stated by the United Nations
Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD), and as such should benefit from
development activities on an equal basis with others.

Article 32 of the CRPD is a specific provision that reminds international cooperation stakeholders of their
obligations in this area, i.e. the obligation to ensure that all development programmers are inclusive of,
and accessible to, people with disabilities (see Chapter 5 for more information).
CHAPTERISATION
The entire research work will run into five chapters. The first one on Introduction brings out the
importance of the study, and states its objectives and problem statement. It also includes the global and
statically scenario of disabled people. Chapter II will contain previous reviews, history of the Problems. A
Quick look on subjective well-being will also be carried out in chapter II. Chapter III will be a
methodological part of the study. Analysis and Discussions is to be done in chapter IV. Findings,
Conclusions and Suggestions for further Research will be presented in Chapter V followed by
Bibliography and References