People with disabilities

Almost 800 000 Afghans are living with a severe disability. Afghanistan’s perilous context and conditions for healthcare, including a long history of conflict, land mines, congenital disabilities, and malnutrition, are the key contributors to high rates of disability.

People with disabilities are vulnerable and can face stigma. This means they have worse opportunities to get an education, earn a living or participate in society. Women are doubly vulnerable.

To tackle this, SCA supports people with disabilities through physical rehabilitation, livelihood projects, and education, to enable them to become contributing members of society.

Just over 20,000 people received physiotherapy in 2022, 42 percent of whom were women. 18,000 patients received orthopedic aids such as crutches, orthoses, prostheses and wheelchairs, and of these, a third were women. Just over 40 physiotherapists were trained during the year, 25 of whom were women. SCA also carried out an initiative in Wardak province on the early detection of visual, hearing and cognitive impairment in children.

To empower people with disabilities economically, SCA offers vocational training and interest-free loans.

Children are supported through special and inclusive education, including home-based education, preparatory education, and integration in regular schools.

The capacities of Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) are strengthened so they can successfully advocate and raise awareness about the rights and needs of people with disabilities.