From Insight to Inclusion
How UNICEF evidence impacts children with disabilities
Advancing policy through research
Inclusive policies are critical for dismantling systemic barriers and ensuring that every child has access to essential services. UNICEF’s research underpins policy development by:
- Providing Rigorous Insights: Through comprehensive investigations—from national surveys to in-depth case studies—UNICEF’s research identifies service gaps and informs targeted policy interventions.
- Driving Policy Change: The findings have helped shape key frameworks like DIPAS and directly influenced national action plans, budget allocations, and legislative debates.
- Engaging Key Stakeholders: By involving children with disabilities, their families, and organizations for persons with disabilities (OPDs) in the research process, UNICEF ensures that policy recommendations are grounded in lived experiences and real needs.
Through these approaches, UNICEF’s research transforms evidence into actionable strategies, empowering governments and partners to create inclusive policies that protect rights and promote full participation.
Pioneering Studies in Action
The report highlights several pivotal studies that have influenced policy by countering stigma and discrimination:
The Government needed a better understanding of how many children with disabilities there were in the country, and what the additional costs of caring for a child with a disability amounted to. This study provided the data needed to cost and advocate for a national disability allowance, influencing policy deliberations and inclusion in the Philippine Development Plan 2023–2028.
There was a recognition that too little was known about the stigma and discrimination facing children with disabilities in the State of Palestine—and that this lack of knowledge was holding back the development of inclusive services. The findings from the study were used to inform a new National Action Plan for Children with Disabilities, shape a national screening plan in primary healthcare, and justify the need for extra support in education.
In 2018, the UNICEF country office completed an assessment, in partnership with the Namibian Ministry of Education, Arts and Culture, entitled Assessing Inclusive Education in Practice in Namibia. It identified gaps in practice, especially around data collection, resourcing, and teacher capacity. This led to reforms in school funding formulas and education data systems (EMIS), with national policy budgeting for inclusive education.
The Council for Child Rights (CCR) sought to improve its ability to coordinate efforts to ensure the Convention on the Rights of the Child and the CRPD were being effectively and equitably implemented within the country. The research shaped an action plan encompassing legislative reform and systems coordination across multiple ministries, grounded in the CRPD and CRC. The study was recognised not just as an evidence product but as a catalyst for inter-ministerial collaboration, joint planning, and the empowerment of organisations of persons with disabilities (OPDs) and families.
A comprehensive study of accessibility gaps in healthcare settings led UNICEF and the Government of Bangladesh to roll out targeted training programmes for healthcare providers. The initiative focused on improving information, communication, physical infrastructure, and professional capacity to ensure disability-friendly healthcare (DFHC) in 22 government facilities and Rohingya refugee camps.
A UNICEF study highlighting the costs of raising a child with a disability gained national media attention and spurred the Ministry of Labour and Social Security to launch initiatives with multiple UN partners. In May 2023, UNICEF signed a memorandum to modernise the social protection system and strengthen outreach via the Jamaica Council for Persons with Disabilities.
A UNICEF-supported pilot on accessible textbook formats demonstrated both feasibility and impact. The Ministry of Education subsequently partnered with a local organisation to continue the work, embedding Universal Design for Learning (UDL) into national education programming. Two entire textbooks were adapted, and the baton passed to a local organisation to operationalise the initiative.
Each study contributes critical evidence that informs policy development and drives inclusive actions at national and global levels.
Highlights
Effective policies and programmes depend on evidence – but for children with disabilities, research is too often incomplete or missing. UNICEF disability research worldwide fills these gaps, providing rigorous, up-to-date insights that drive smarter investments, stronger policies, and better outcomes for children.
From Insight to Inclusion is a comprehensive UNICEF Innocenti report demonstrating how rigorous, research-driven insights transform the lives of children with disabilities. Anchored in UNICEF’s Disability Inclusion Policy and Strategy (DIPAS), the report follows the journey from innovative research to tangible impacts in education, healthcare, social protection, and beyond. Featuring studies and case examples from 2018 to 2022, it reveals how evidence-based research empowers communities and fosters inclusive practices worldwide.
Inclusion starts with knowledge. Please read the report and explore the range of UNICEF’s research on children with disabilities.
To understand which research areas can have the greatest impact for children with disabilities, please also review our Global Research Agenda for Children with Disabilities.
