In 2020, the world faced unprecedented challenges. The crisis caused by the global COVID-19 pandemic has had a significant  impact on every countries and every person, but it has also been a catalyst for radical change, highlighting the urgency to rethink the development model and redouble efforts towards a recovery guided by the principles of inclusive development, equality and sustainability.

December 3rd, the International Day of People with Disabilities, is an opportunity to remember that these advances and recovery measures must take into account the needs of the 1,160,407 people with disabilities who live in the Dominican Republic, and who represent 12% of the population. The barriers that persist in the fulfillment of their rights, as well as the limitations they face to access education, health services, social participation and decent work, aggravate the impact of the crisis for this population group, and represent a limitation for the development of society in general.

In the Dominican Republic, the UNDP is committed to promoting policies and strategies to improve the inclusion of people with disabilities, as part of our contribution to help the nation meet the 2030 Agenda Sustainable Development Goals and its mission to leave no one behind. This year, we have worked to apply differentiated, cross-cutting approaches for people with disabilities in our response to the COVID-19 pandemic.

From the Interagency Disability Project, “Inclusion of people with disabilities in the Dominican Republic”, an initiative supported by UNPRPD, a joint development with PAHO and UNICEF, we have carried out various activities, such as the launch of the “Technical Note on Disability”, with recommendations and guidelines to mainstream and integrate people with disabilities in the response and recovery from COVID-19, the donation of protective equipment to the Organizations of People with Disabilities, and the production and dissemination of three accessible  videos on COVID-19 and the various forms of prevention.

Another example of the differentiated approach in the response is the survey "Situation of People with Disabilities in the Dominican Republic during COVID-19" and its online platform for data visualization. The survey was conducted in conjunction with the National Disability Council (CONADIS), with the participation of people with disabilities at the national level.

Among the main findings of the survey, we can highlight that 67.4% of the people surveyed had not received information about COVID-19 with specific recommendations for people with disabilities, 69.9% said they did not have the necessary means to survive at home for a month, and 63.7% reported needing support from another person to carry out  daily activities. In addition, 28% reported that they had lost their jobs temporarily, and 23.6% had lost their jobs permanently due to the COVID-19 situation. This data highlights the lack of accessible communication and the lack of food and income safety, as well as the specific needs of people with disabilities regarding their autonomy, job security and economic fragility they face due to the pandemic.

In response to these needs, we are implementing an inclusive socioeconomic recovery program in partnership with the Ministry of Industry, Commerce and MSMEs (MICM), implemented with the support the Canadian Embassy in the Dominican Republic, and the United States Agency for International Development (USAID), which consists of a set of activities  to strengthen the capacities and business skills of people with disabilities, migrants and LGBTI people who want to start, or have already started,  a small business venture.

In addition, we have worked to integrate the inclusion of people with disabilities in studies, programs and initiatives, since their conceptualization, with examples such as the Strategic Plan of Response to the COVID-19 pandemic in the Dominican Republic, the reform for judicial digitization, the national distance education program and the survey to measure the socioeconomic impact of COVID-19, SEIA-RED ACTÚA.

Through these efforts, we also aim to keep implementing this approach beyond the pandemic and the recovery response to COVID-19, to extend to national Government planning and the actions of the private sector and civil society. We have already carried out some activities toward this goal, such as the recent agreements with the municipalities of the National District and Santo Domingo Este to develop and implement inclusive agendas at  the local level, to generate jobs and initiatives for inclusive training and communication.

An effective recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic that generates permanent and sustainable changes in the vision of development, requires not only differentiated actions for people with disabilities, but also a cross-cutting and multisectoral approach that gives value and importance to our inclusive actions, leaving no one behind.