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Children with disabilities continue to face barriers to accessing education, resulting in challenges earning an income and achieving long-term financial autonomy as adults. Addressing these barriers would enable children with disabilities to develop the skills required for successful participation in the community and the workplace.

Persons with disabilities and their households are more likely to experience a lower standard of living. They are less likely to be able to afford housing, electricity, cooking fuel and other goods required for their wellbeing and are less likely to own assets in comparison to households without persons with disabilities. 

Accessibility must be considered when addressing the digital divide. Addressing it by taking accessibility into account is vital in order to allow persons with disabilities not only to have access to extra opportunities, but also to be able to benefit from basic educational and work-related activities.

Persons with disabilities are more likely to be unemployed than persons without disabilities. When they do participate, persons with disabilities are more likely to be in informal, vulnerable, lower-paying jobs. Progress towards the full participation of persons with disabilities in the economy could increase economies' GDP.

Persons with disabilities have the same health needs as persons without disabilities and may require additional health services that are specific to their impairment. At present, persons with disabilities experience worse health, higher mortality and face multiple barriers accessing health care. They are three times more likely to be denied health care and 50 per cent more likely to suffer catastrophic health expenditure.

Persons with disabilities are more likely to face higher rates of poverty and multiple deprivations. Furthermore, due to barriers including in infrastructure, transport and workplaces, persons with disabilities often incur extra costs for support services, assistive devices, disability-related health care, and more, to participate in society on an equal basis.

Persons with disabilities in rural areas face greater barriers to accessing basic services such as sanitation and water, health and education due to inaccessible built environments, transportation and limited economic empowerment opportunities.

Persons with disabilities make up a sizable portion of the approximate 2 billion people around the world do not have safe drinking water, 3.6 billion people who still lack access to sanitation, and 2.3 billion people who lack basic handwashing facilities. Inaccessible WASH facilities contribute to dependency on others for basic sanitation and water needs, which can increase risks for persons with disabilities. Furthermore, safe and reliable access to WASH facilities is a predominant factor in educational, economic, and social participation for persons with disabilities.

One in every 5 women—20 percent of the female population—has a disability. They experience the same barriers as women without disabilities: discriminatory social norms and practices; legal restrictions; exposure to violence and harassment; lack of access to health services, education, assets, and employment; and severe underrepresentation in public and private sector leadership. However, the two intersecting identities of disability and gender increase their experience of discrimination and exclusion.