About one in seven people are disabled. That’s around 15 per cent of the global population, or
an estimated one billion people worldwide. It’s a number that still surprises many. This is
because disability is not necessarily obvious or physically apparent and many disabled people
are prevented from joining in wider society by a range of barriers – and are therefore effectively
invisible. That ‘one in seven’ means there’s a very good chance that you, someone in your
family, or a close friend, are living as a disabled person.
Demographic change, as well as science and technology, are increasing life expectancies
and leading to ageing populations. Alongside longstanding threats like natural disasters,
wars, and disease, almost everywhere people are living longer – these factors often lead to
disability. As Bert Massie said when he was Chair of the UK’s Disability Rights Commission:
“Disability is an open club. Hang around for long enough and you’ll become a
member.