Sign our petition

You can help make sure the rights of people with disabilities are on the global agenda.

Around the world, there are one billion people with disabilities. The vast majority – 800 million – live in low and middle income countries. More than half are women.

Many people with disabilities are denied access to their basic human rights – to education, health care, employment and political participation – because of stigma and discrimination. The COVID-19 pandemic has put these rights under greater threat than ever. But you can take action to change this.

In February 2022, the second Global Disability Summit is being held in Norway. We need to make sure governments and global organisations attend and make strong commitments to ensuring global development is disability inclusive, and we need to hold them accountable to ensure those promises turn into real, lasting action.

By signing our petition you’ll be sending the message that words alone are not enough – actions speak louder.

Watch the video below to find out why we fight for disability rights (there’s also an audio described version).

Inclusive education

Before the COVID-19 pandemic, as many as 33 million children with disabilities in low and middle income countries were out of school. Many – particularly girls – already faced significant inequality because of gender and disability discrimination, and some who have been out of school during the past year will never return.

To address this learning crisis it’s essential that inclusive, quality education is made available and accessible to children with disabilities. In May 2021, we launched an open letter calling on world leaders to meet their commitments to inclusive education. The letter was signed by 21,526 Equal World campaign supporters from 119 countries. Read the open letter

COVID-19 and disability

People with disabilities are being disproportionately affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

They face discrimination and a lack of accessible information, and are often not treated as a priority in receiving health care. This is on top of the existing inequality and barriers to participation that many people with disabilities experience every day.

Find out more about COVID-19 and disability rights

Fighting for a fairer world

Since 1950, Sightsavers has worked to empower people with visual impairments and other disabilities to access education, employment and health care, and play a full and active role in their communities.

Our Equal World campaign calls on the international community to make sure that global development is inclusive of people with disabilities at every level of decision-making, and in every area of life. We take a rights-based approach in line with the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which states that people with disabilities must have their human rights upheld, and be able to claim these rights without discrimination.

By taking action – signing petitions, contacting your political representatives or sharing stories on social media – you’ll be using your voice to help us reach the widest possible audience and keep the issue of disability rights on the global agenda.

Together, we can create a fairer world.