About the Washington Group on Disability Statistics
In 2001, the International Seminar on the Measurement of Disability was held in New York. During this meeting participants agreed that existing data on disability, especially in low and middle-income countries, were scarce and often of poor quality. The participants further recognized that there was need for common definitions, concepts, standards and methodologies in statistics about persons with disability, as well as a need for internationally comparable, high quality disability data collection. The Seminar recommended the development of standard indicators using population-based measures of disability for country use and for international comparisons.
To address this urgent need, the Washington Group on Disability Statistics (WG) was formed as a United Nations Statistical Commission City Group. The main purpose of the WG is the promotion and coordination of international cooperation in generating statistics on disability suitable for censuses and national surveys. Its major objective is to provide basic information on disability that is comparable worldwide.
The links below will lead you to more detailed information about the Washington Group.