An international charity working with disabled people in poor communities says the human rights argument for making disability a development issue is equally as important as the economic case.
The president of CBM says more research is needed around disability levels in the Pacific but a joint report by the World Health Organisation and the World Bank estimates that 15 percent of the global population is living with disability.
Dave McComiskey says the Australian government has a specific disability inclusion policy for overseas aid but other governments, including New Zealand's, are yet to mainstream disability into their international development work.
He says the economic benefits of disability assistance are obvious but people also have the right to receive services.
"The UN convention on the rights of persons with disabilities specifically outlines the rights of those people and even in that convention there is an Article 32 on international aid and the responsibility of donor agencies to include persons with disabilties."
The president of CBM, Dave McComiskey.
