Research that includes every child
A global agenda for children with disabilities
The global aid and development sector is facing growing pressure to ensure that limited resources deliver measurable results—especially for the most marginalised children. Yet for children with disabilities, decisions often rely on incomplete data, making it harder to invest confidently in programmes that work.
Children with disabilities have long been among the most excluded, and they now face an even greater risk of being left behind. Despite years of advocacy for inclusion, disability research remains chronically underfunded. Many countries still lack even the most basic data on how many children with disabilities there are, what services they can access, and which interventions make a real difference.
"The Research Agenda directs attention to the areas where evidence is weakest, needs are greatest, and the potential for real-world impact is highest."
To help close these gaps, UNICEF launched the Global Research Agenda for Children with Disabilities at the Global Disability Summit in Berlin in April 2025. Developed through an inclusive, accessible global consultation process – with strong participation from children and youth with disabilities, organisations of persons with disabilities (OPDs), researchers, donors, and practitioners. The Research Agenda sets out the most urgent research priorities.
It is designed to help governments, development partners, and institutions focus their efforts and funding where evidence is weakest, needs are greatest, and the potential for real-world impact is highest – leading to high-impact, inclusive programming.
Why this matters now
The message from children and youth was clear: “Research without us is not about us.” They called not only to be represented in research but to shape it – setting priorities, informing design, and helping share the results.
UNICEF’s Inclusion Matters reports have shown that critical gaps persist across all areas of disability inclusion. For example, protection from violence is one of the least studied domains. Specific issues for girls with disabilities are almost entirely missing from global evidence. And despite growing needs, there is very little research on how to support children with disabilities in humanitarian crises or in poverty.
These gaps matter more than ever. International aid budgets are increasingly under pressure, and this is already having a disproportionate impact on programmes that serve children with disabilities. When resources are scarce, the rights of the most marginalised cannot be optional – they must be protected with greater urgency. Without solid evidence, children with disabilities are left out of data, invisible in budgets, and excluded from services. Research not only exposes the barriers – it shows us where and how to act for the greatest impact.
“At a time when every dollar counts, research is not a luxury – it is a necessity.”
When research is done well, it can have a critical impact. UNICEF’s From Insight to Inclusion report documents country examples where research has directly shaped policy. In the Philippines, a study on the cost of disability informed the design of a national allowance programme. In Namibia, inclusive education research led to new school funding formulas. In Bangladesh, findings on health service accessibility resulted in training programmes and improved care for children with disabilities.
At a time of shrinking resources, research is not a luxury – it is essential. It helps us to understand what works, to avoid duplication, and to target resources where they can have the greatest impact. The Global Research Agenda was designed with this in mind: to help focus investments on evidence-based, high-impact solutions for children with disabilities.
Principles for inclusive research
The Research Agenda identifies five principles that should guide all disability-inclusive research:
- Intersectionality: Consider how disability intersects with gender, poverty, ethnicity, and displacement.
- Participation: Involve children and youth with disabilities in meaningful ways.
- Global South leadership: Support research led by local experts and OPDs in low- and middle-income countries.
- Climate responsiveness: Address the impacts of climate change and environmental risks.
- Inclusion in crisis: Ensure research continues in humanitarian and fragile settings.
These principles are designed to ensure that research reflects the real lives and needs of children with disabilities—wherever they live, and whatever challenges they face.
From insight to action
The Research Agenda is timely, critical, and relevant. It offers a roadmap for building the evidence base we need to deliver more inclusive programmes. It also makes clear that children with disabilities must not be treated as an afterthought – they must be included from the start.
We now call on partners across the development and humanitarian sectors to act. In a time when resources are limited and decisions must be more strategic than ever, the Research Agenda offers a timely and practical path forward. By investing in research that delivers evidence for impact, we can ensure that every dollar spent leads to meaningful inclusion. Now is the moment to prioritise smarter solutions and stand behind inclusive research that creates lasting change.
Explore the Research Agenda and join us in building a world where every child is counted, heard, and included.
