The 19th meeting of the Washington Group on Disability Statistics took place on September 24 – 27, 2019 in Buenos Aires, Argentina. It was attended by Deputy Chairperson of the National Statistical Committee of the Republic of Belarus Elena Kukharevich.
The participants of the meeting got acquainted with the tools of the Washington Group for collecting data on disability statistics, shared views and best practices on the implementation of methodologies by the national statistical offices to identify and address the barriers faced by persons with disabilities, implementation of countries' obligations under the United Nations Convention on Rights of Persons with Disabilities.
Deputy Chairperson of Belstat Elena Kukharevich shared the national developments in studying the situation of persons with disabilities.
The Chair of the Washington Group on Disability Statistics, Jennifer Madans, noted the great contribution of the Republic of Belarus to the development and improvement of data collection tools for disability statistics. The experience of the Republic of Belarus in collecting data on disability statistics has been recommended to other countries for use.
In 2018, the National Statistical Committee of the Republic of Belarus, with the support of the United Nations Children's Fund (UNICEF) and within the framework of the international technical assistance project, for the first time conducted a large-scale one-time household sample survey to comprehensively assess the situation of persons with disabilities. The survey covered 12,600 private households. More than 28,000 people took part in the survey, including almost 7,000 persons with disabilities.
The survey used model question modules offered by the Washington Group on Disability Statistics that were adapted to national circumstances and needs.
The Washington Group on Disability Statistics was set up by the United Nations in 2001 to develop methodological approaches to ensure international comparability of disability statistics. Belstat has been a member of this group since August 2015.
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