Sightsavers influences the development and implementation of health, education and inclusion policies at local, national and global levels.
Sightsavers influences the development and implementation of health, education and inclusion policies at local, national and global levels.
At Sightsavers, policy change is a global priority delivered by our country offices, the policy and advocacy team and technical teams.
While more than 1.3 billion people worldwide have a disability, people with disabilities are often denied their basic rights and excluded from decision-making. Our policy work aims to improve outcomes in eye health, education, social inclusion, economic empowerment and neglected tropical diseases for everyone, particularly people with disabilities.
We promote international frameworks and treaties such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. We also provide technical support to governments, enabling them to adopt laws and policies in line with international disability frameworks that help them to fulfil their commitments and ensure no one is left behind. Partnerships with other organisations help us promote and advance inclusive policies at a global level.
Policy and advocacy are also key to Sightsavers’ mission to deliver sustainable programmes that ensure people with and without disabilities can continue to fully enjoy their rights beyond our work.
Our advocacy outcomes dashboard showcases the latest information on advocacy and policy from our country offices in Africa and Asia.
View the dashboardOur dashboard provides a data visualisation on the disability and gender markers used by members of the OECD Development and Assistance Committee.
Visit the dashboardEye health has an impact on numerous Sustainable Development Goals, and has a ripple effect that improves gender equity, education, economic and health outcomes.
We spoke to Dominic Haslam, Sightsavers’ director of policy and programme strategy, about the launch of our second Inclusive Data Charter Action Plan and how it reaffirms our commitment to inclusive data.
As learners with disabilities are disproportionately affected by global crises such as climate change, we're urging governments to build more resilient education systems for everyone.
The event served as a platform for myself and other Sightsavers colleagues to engage in discussions about how to dismantle barriers and tackle the obstacles impeding progress around women’s rights.
In my years as a disability advocate, I’ve learned that getting angry needs to be accompanied by getting active. We wanted to advise organisations on how to do better to include women and girls with disabilities.
Sightsavers’ Saleck Ould Dah and Ujala Sarfaraz highlight two key issues around disability inclusion that are hampering efforts to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.