Maria Kett

• Professor (Associate) at University College London

Despite the trajectory towards climate catastrophe, governments are failing to take disability-inclusive climate action. We discuss how the scientific community could advance and hasten the development of disability-inclusive climate resilience, and which areas should be prioritized.

Systems-thinking is a useful approach to deepen our understanding of the linkages, relationships, interactions, and behaviours that, together, comprise and shape our health systems. Offering a comprehensive range of opinion and scholarship from experts located across the world (Europe, North-America, Africa, Asia, and Oceania), spanning a wide rang...

Purpose Road traffic injuries (RTIs) are a major public health issue worldwide. The importance of physical rehabilitation following RTI is well documented. However, globally there has been very little research on the accessibility of rehabilitation services following road injury. Namibia is one of the five African countries with a fuel tax levy fun...

Humanitarian coordination systems increasingly recognize and aim to respond to the needs of people with disabilities within populations affected by crises, spurred on by the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) which was adopted in 2006. Many agencies state their aim to meet the requirements of the CRPD using a “twin trac...

Background There has been little research on the impact of the 2014-2015 West African Ebola crisis on people with disabilities. This paper outlines the way in which the Ebola Virus Disease (EVD) outbreak in Liberia in 2015 highlighted existing inequalities and exclusion of people with disabilities and their households. Methods The results presente...

It is clear from the events of the last 18 months that while technology has a huge potential for transforming the way we live and work, the entire ecosystem—from manufacturing to the supply chain—is vulnerable to the vagaries of that ecosystem, as well as having the potential to exacerbate new and existing inequalities [...]

Road traffic injuries (RTIs) are a major problem worldwide with a high burden of mental health problems and the importance of psychological support following road injury is well documented. However, globally there has been very little research on the accessibility of psychological services following road injury. Namibia is one of the countries most...

Background: Disability and caste are two different forms of oppression; however, people of the Dalit caste in Nepal and people with disabilities commonly face similar types of marginalities. Dalit women with disabilities may experience double discrimination because of the intersectionality of disability and caste. This study examines whether the di...

Background: Disability and caste are two different forms of oppression; however, people of the Dalit caste in Nepal and people with disabilities commonly face similar types of marginalities. Dalit women with disabilities may experience double discrimination because of the intersectionality of disability and caste. This study examines whether the di...

Background Road traffic injuries (RTIs) are a major problem worldwide. Namibia is one of the worst affected countries globally; however, there has been very little research on RTIs. When RTIs are discussed, the focus usually is on statistics, and healthcare workers (HCWs) are rarely asked to share their experiences and insights on the impact of RTI...

Road traffic injuries (RTIs) are a major, global problem. Few studies on RTIs have been conducted in Namibia, despite having one of the highest RTI rates globally. We conducted multinomial logistic regression on national Namibian datasets on RTIs 2012–2014. Being a motorcyclist was associated with the greatest risk of being injured (adjusted Relati...

Background: Disability and caste are two different forms of oppression, however Dalits and people with disabilities commonly face similar types of marginalities. Dalit women with disabilities may experience double discrimination because of the intersectionality of disability and caste. This study examines whether the disability and caste identity o...

Namibia is one of five countries in sub-Saharan Africa that has a fuel tax levy designed to support road injury victims. This study examines how the scheme operates from the perspective of seriously injured or permanently disabled beneficiaries. Using qualitative methods, we conducted semi-structured interviews with RTI survivors in Namibia, and he...

Although sexual and reproductive health, encompassing good quality sexual education, is a human right possessed by all persons, people with disabilities rarely experience equitable access to sexual education. Moreover, despite an emerging literature, little is still known about the experience of sexual education for people with disabilities in low-...

Objectives An estimated 2.7 million children live within institutionalized care worldwide. This systematic review aimed to evaluate available data on the nutritional status of children living within institutionalized care. Methods Four databases were searched for articles published between January 1990 to January 2019. Studies were eligible for in...

Background: Despite a global commitment to the right to education for persons with disabilities, little is known about how to achieve inclusive education in practice, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where the majority of the world’s people with disabilities reside. Moreover, although exclusion from education is magnified b...

Background There are an estimated 2.7 million children living within institutionalized care worldwide. This review aimed to evaluate currently available data on the nutrition status of children living within institutionalized care. Methods We searched four databases (Pubmed/Medline, CINHAL Plus, Embase and Global Health Database) for relevant artic...

This paper discusses issues affecting the transport and mobility needs of people with disabilities in middle- and low-income countries and how disability intersects with a range of other factors to impact on transport needs, use and engagement. The paper is intended to stimulate discussion and identify areas for further research, and identifies a n...

There is a dearth of studies that have examined the attitudes of society toward people with intellectual disabilities (IDs) on a global scale. This study set out to gauge the extent to which ID continues to be stigmatized and to which initiatives are in place to increase their inclusion and tackle stigma around the globe. Data were collected using...

Background. Despite a global commitment to the right to education for persons with disabilities, little is known about how to achieve inclusive education in practice, particularly in low and middle-income settings where the majority of the world’s people with disabilities reside. Moreover, although exclusion from education are magnified by intersec...

Evidence suggests that people with disabilities are the most marginalised and vulnerable group within any population. However, little is known about the extent of inequality between people with and without disabilities in contexts where the majority of persons experience extreme poverty and hardship. This includes in Liberia, where very little is u...

In this article, we discuss how our academic research on disability and international development in five African countries has benefited hugely from active collaboration with advocates, practitioners, and policymakers, ultimately ensuring that research evidence is used to inform policy and practice. Whilst building such partnerships is seen as goo...

Background This study reviews the attitudes and behaviours in rural Nepalese society towards women with disabilities, their pregnancy, childbirth and motherhood. Society often perceives people with disabilities as different from the norm, and women with disabilities are frequently considered to be doubly discriminated against. Studies show that neg...

Background Studies report that vulnerable groups like people with disabilities have less access to healthcare. This study compares health service access between women with and without disabilities in general and explores the challenges encountered by women with disabilities in accessing maternal healthcare services during pregnancy. Methods A mixe...

Comparison by time spent by the providers. (DOCX)

Comparison by waiting time. (DOCX)

Comparison by distance. (DOCX)

Comparison by use of transport. (DOCX)

Comparison of service users by extra cost paid for services and supplies. (DOCX)

Flowchart of the sampling design and participant’s enrolment in the study. (DOCX)

Comparison by receiving information. (DOCX)

Disasters have a disproportionate impact on people with disabilities, who are at higher risk of death, injury and loss of property. Although the rights and needs of people with disabilities in disasters are increasingly being addressed through policies, standards and guidelines, much more needs to be done to remove the barriers to their inclusion i...

Over one billion people – largely disabled people and older people – are currently in need of Assistive Technology (AT). By 2050, this number is predicted to double. Despite the proven advantages of AT for disabled and older people, their families, and society, there is still a vast and stubborn gap between the need and the supply; currently only 1...

This report seeks to contribute to a better understanding of the issues around access to assistive technology in a global context. Utilising both primary and secondary research, various barriers to assistive technology have been identified and explored. Building on this work and developing opportunities and ways to overcome those barriers is a key...

To date, very little work has explored issues around people with disabilities and resilience-building in the context of longer-term climatic and environmental change. This 14-month exploratory research project aims to address this gap and increase the understanding of the links between disability and climate resilience, and in turn to support the d...

There has been little empirical study within low- and middle-income countries on how to effectively prepare teachers to educate children with disabilities. This paper reports on the impact of an intervention designed to increase teaching self-efficacy, improve inclusive beliefs, attitudes and practices, and reduce concerns around the inclusion of c...

This research will address the overarching question 'What political and institutional conditions are associated with effective poverty reduction and development, and what can domestic and external actors do to promote these conditions?' It will do this by focusing on one country, Liberia, and exploring in-depth the relationship between national and...

The overall goal of the research study was to demonstrate how effective LCDI’s Inclusive Education (IE) approach was for girls and boys with disabilitiesin mainstream primary schools. The research was undertaken over the course of three years to measure and demonstrate to the government and other stakeholders the impact of LCDI’s IE model by compa...

This research was part of a larger programme of work being undertaken by Leonard Cheshire Disability (LCD) funded by UKAID –The Department for International Development and in collaboration with the Leonard Cheshire Disability Zimbabwe Trust.

Leonard Cheshire Disability (LCD) received funding from the UK Department for International Development Girls’ Education Challenge fund to implement an Inclusive Education (IE) programme aimed at addressing barriers to education –including gender barriers –and ensuring that 2,050 girls with disabilities in 50 primary schools in five districts in t...

This report was prepared by Ms Marcella Deluca, Dr Carlo Tramontano, and Dr Maria Kett, Leonard Cheshire Disability and Inclusive Development Centre, University College London. Data were collected by the Inclusive Education project team, Leonard Cheshire Disability East Africa Regional Office. The team would like to thank all of those who gave thei...

This report was prepared by Ms Marcella Deluca, Dr Carlo Tramontano, and Dr Maria Kett, Leonard Cheshire Disability and Inclusive Development Centre, University College London. Data were collected by the Inclusive Education project team, Leonard Cheshire Disability East Africa Regional Office. The team would like to thank all of those who gave the...

One billion people worldwide-15% of the world's population-live with a disability and one household in four has a disabled family member (WHO 2011). Moreover, these numbers are increasing as improved medical care and technology allows many people to survive trauma or injury; improved perinatal care increases child survival; non-infectious diseases...

This report summarises the baseline information gathered on girls and boys with disabilities in four districts in Mashonaland West Province (MWP), a large province in the north of Zimbabwe, as well as the knowledge, attitudes and practices of their parents or caregivers, teachers and head teachers. This information is based on data collected at...

Policy rev iew f indin g s from the ES RC/DFID Bridg ing the Gap D is ability and Development in Four African Countries Project.

A project led by a team at the Leonard Cheshire Disability and Inclusive Development Centre, based at University College London, UK, has been investigating the conditions that enable effective poverty reduction for people with disabilities in Liberia

Contemporary debates in international development discourse are concerned with the non-tokenistic inclusion and participation of marginalised groups in the policy-making process in developing countries. This is directly relevant to disabled people in Africa, which is the focus on this article. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons...

Abstract Background Women with disabilities are less likely to receive maternal healthcare services compared to women without disabilities. While few studies have reviewed healthcare experience of women with disabilities, no studies have been conducted to understand provider’s attitude towards disability in Nepal, yet the attitude and behaviour of...

Lack of accessible transportation is considered a major barrier to education for children with disabilities—children already far less likely to attend school. While millions of children face challenges with getting to school, including long distances, poor roads, lack of transport and safety issues, these can be compounded for children with disabil...

This submission addresses the progress of inclusive education for children and young people with intellectual disabilities around the globe. As part of our submission we present data from a survey of disability organisations and experts (researchers and academics in the field of (intellectual) disability) we completed in February 2015. This rep...

As part of the UCL Grand Challenges Global Health Scheme, this project investigated and compared international efforts to raise awareness and combat stigma towards people with intellectual disabilities. This report outlines the background information gathered through the analysis of State Party reports submitted to the United Nations Convention on...

In the summer of 2014, at the height of the Israeli Defence Force’s ‘Operation Protective Edge’, The Lancet published ‘An open letter for the people in Gaza’ signed by Paola Manduca, Iain Chalmers, Derek Summerfield, Mads Gilbert and Swee Ang, on behalf of 24 signatories. The letter denounced what it called ‘the aggression of Gaza by Israel’ and co...

This submission addresses the progress of inclusive education for children and young people with intellectual disabilities around the globe. As part of our submission we present data from a survey of disability organisations and experts (researchers and academics in the field of (intellectual) disability) completed in early 2015.

This paper summarises the school-based information gathered on girls and boys with disabilities in schools in four districts in Mashonaland West Province (MWP), a large province in the north of Zimbabwe, as well as the main results derived from a survey on knowledge, attitudes and practices of their parents or caregivers, teachers and head teachers...

The way humanitarian aid is delivered has changed over the past few decades largely as a consequence of lessons learned but also in response to the different contexts of contemporary humanitarian emergencies. This has necessitated a process of significant reform. Debates about the number of humanitarian crisis continue: While statistically numbers...