6007.0: Thursday, October 25, 2001 - 8:45 AM

Abstract #21275

Data Issues for Monitoring Progress Towards Implementation of the United Nations' World Programme of Action Concerning Disabled Persons

Scott Campbell Brown, , scott_brown@ed.gov

The United Nations (UN) World Programme of Action Concerning Disabled Persons calls for the UN system to carry out a periodic evaluation of progress made in implenting the Programme. To this end, the UN is working to develop disability indicators as part of an overall programme of monitoring. Indicators are data elements believed to provide the best measures of progress, while monitoring refers to the practice of setting goals and objectives and then establishing evaluation criteria to determine whether the goals are being achieved. Thus, indicators are the tools for monitoring progress towards goals and objectives.

Employing data from Tunisia in 1975, 1984 and 1994 and from Zambia in 1969, 1980 and 1990, this paper analyzes trends over time in disability definitions and the impact of those changes for discerning trends in economic activity and education by gender. Important considerations for generating data that are comparable over time and, hence, useful for international monitoring are raised.

See www.un.org/esa/socdev/enable/dpb19992a.htm

Learning Objectives: 1) To help others gain familiarity with United Nations' disability policy and 2) To provide an overview of international issues in monitoring and data

Keywords: Disability Policy, Data/Surveillance

Presenting author's disclosure statement:
Organization/institution whose products or services will be discussed: United Nations
Disclosure not received
Relationship: Not Received.

The 129th Annual Meeting of APHA