How-To Note Collecting Data on Disability in Education Programming

Collection of data on disability prevalence and type will enable USAID Missions and their implementing partners to design and implement disability-inclusive education programming that is responsive to context and can be evaluated effectively. As emphasized in this Note, USAID follows the United Nations (UN) definition of disability1 as the outcome of the interaction between a person with a functional limitation (difficulties doing basic functional activities) and an unaccommodating environment resulting in the inability to fully participate in society. The Washington Group on Disability Statistics (WG) developed an approach for collecting data on disability to help standardize global data collection on disability. As of 2017, 69 countries used the WG's approach.

This Annex includes the WG data collection tool, describes necessary preparation steps for data collection, outlines strategies for data analysis, and lists various uses of the tool and the data. A list of resources associated with each step is provided at the end. The WG's approach to collecting data on disability is based on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health's (ICF) definition of six main domains of functioning2, which include vision, hearing, mobility, memory/concentration, self-care, and communication. Respondents are asked whether they have trouble functioning in their environments, and to what extent. The WG Short Set of Questions on Disability ("WG Short Set") includes a question per domain, shown graphically in the document.