Development Policy and Evaluations in the Maze of

Terms

Persons with disabilities / People with reduced ability to work / Impaired persons in development policy and

evaluations -

Orsolya Prókai–Zita Éva NagyRevita Foundation (2. Lot)

Framework

• There were no evaluations horizontally directed to (the) target group

• Related evaluations: „Problem-focused” (physical and complex obstacle clearing): - Evaluation of health care developments- Evaluation of tourism developments with respect to territorial cohesion- Evaluation of NSRF developments aimed at providing the post accessibility of public buildings

• „Target group-focused": - Evaluation of Measures Targeting Social Inclusion (Basic rehabilitation for visually impaired people; representation of persons with disabilities in development projects)- Evaluation of Measures Targeting the Improvement of Employment (People with reduced ability to work, NGOS)

Conceptual base of „target group-focused development policy and evaluation

There’s still much confusion (concepts used in legal practice, development policy practice, policy practice):

• Terminology varies according to fields of specialization• Variation appears in three fields:

-Direction of classification (self-assessment, „unofficial” classification of the environment, „official” classification)

-Determination of the level of disadvantage (focus on status or on functional and/or social disadvantages deriving from the status)

-Responsibility of the individual and society in creating and managing the situation

Conceptual base of „target group-focused development policy and evaluation

Scientific thinking on disabilities (disability studies), as well as international reasoning and human rights approach moves in the direction of:

• Self-assessment• Particular importance of societal disadvantages• Emphasizing society’s responsibility

But to what extent has social thinking (both on individual and institutional level) and self-assessment advanced?

Conceptual base of „target group-focused development policy and evaluationExamples

Persons with disabilities:

• XCII. Law of 2007„Persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which in interaction with various barriers may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others”

• Public opinion refers to something different…

People with reduced ability to work:• Central Statistical Office, labor force survey 2011 – „self-assessment”:

„Whose presence in the labor market is to some extent adversely affected by their health”

• CXCI. Law of 2011: „Extent of impairment is at least 40%”

Observations / lessons learnt fromusing concepts (related to evaluations)

There are still many uncertainties (and confusion) in nominating and „targeting” these social groups, although:

• Different definitions identify distinct social groups characterized by different features, and

• These different social groups possess distinct internal and external resources

… Different definitions identify distinctsocial groups characterized by different features…

Persons with disabilities

Labor-force survey 2011 („Definition of CRPD)

1 439 000 persons (in the population aged 15-64)

NCSSZI-TÁRKI 2010 („self-assessment”: people assessing themselves as living with a disability)

Approx. 170-190 000 (in the population aged 18-64)

Census of 2011 („self-assessment”: people assessing themselves as living with a disability)

457 000 persons (in the entire population, besides 1 648 000 persons are chronically ill!)

People with reduced ability to work/ Impaired persons

Labor-force survey 2011 („self-assessment”: people with reduced ability to work )

767 000 persons (in the population aged 15-64)

Official statistics (Central Administration of National Pension Insurance) 2012.09 (Receiving cash benefits due to impairment)

451 600 persons (in the population aged 18-64) and 385 855 persons (in retired population )

… Different definitions identify distinctsocial groups characterized by different features…

Source: NCSSZI – TÁRKI 2010) 

Persons with disabilities

(Definition of CRPD)

People with reduced ability to work

(„officially documented”)

Proportion of 40+(total population: 50%)

78% 90%

Proportion of economically active

(employed+ unemployed) (total population: 60,7% + 10,3%)

47,6% (39,6% + 8%) 17,8% (15% + 2,8%)

Proportion of those affected by EU 2020 poverty goals (total

population: 42,1%)

58,9% 71,8%

Proportion of those living in households not having an employee (total

population: 20,6%)

37,9% 52,4%

Belonging to the given group based on self-

assessment20,1% Two-thirds

… different social groups possessdistinct internal and external resources …

• Evaluation of Measures Targeting the Improvement of Employment: „Role of NGOs in employment of people with reduced abilitiy to work – special focus on SROP 1 and 2 priorities”

• Results: - Among most professional NGOs, the proportion of organizations providing services exclusively to people having „classical” disabilities is 75% (no services ensured for people with reduced ability to work / impaired persons!)- ”Monocultural organizations”: rigidity regarding target groups

Lessons to learn

• NOMINATION OF TARGET GROUPS IN CALL FOR PROPOSALS HAS MAJOR EFFECTS!

• Using correct (deliberate!) terminology in activities and documents of development policy regarding persons with disabilities / people with reduced ability to work / impaired persons is a priority issue: a term not properly (not deliberately) used may result in different targeting!

Thank you for your attention!

Orsolya Prókai–Zita Éva NagyRevita Foundation (www.revitaalapitvany.hu)

info@revitaalapitvany.hu