The United Nations reports that worldwide "an estimated 1.3 billion people experience significant disability. This represents 16 per cent of the world’s population, or 1 in 6 of us". (1)  

Important statistics from a global perspective regarding the prevalence of disability and the barriers faced by persons with disabilities: 

• In the OECD countries, students with disabilities in higher education remain under-represented, although their numbers are on the increase, says the OECD. (2) 
• An estimated 386 million of the world’s working-age people have some kind of disability, says the International Labour Organization. (2) 
• Unemployment among persons with disabilities is as high as 80 per cent in some countries. (2)

Adopted by the U.N. on December 13, 2006, "the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities is an international treaty that identifies the rights of persons with disabilities". (3) 

Sources: 

1. World Health Organization: https://www.who.int/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/disability-and-health 
2. United Nations: https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/resources/factsheet-on-persons-with-disabilities.html  
3. FAQ on the Convention: https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities/frequently-asked-questions-regarding-the-convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities.html  

Visit our ALS Information for Faculty website to learn more about accommodating students with disabilities. 

Please email us at accessible-learning@humber.ca with suggestions for key accessibility-related topics that you would like us to address through the Communiqué.