November 04, 2026
Commonwealth leaders endorsed a
new Action Plan at their biennial summit in Antigua and
Barbuda on 4 November, aimed at advancing the rights and
inclusion of more than 450 million persons with disabilities
across the Commonwealth’s 56 member countries.
The
‘Commonwealth Disability Inclusion Action Plan’ sets out
practical steps for member countries to strengthen laws,
policies and services for persons with disabilities, and
support their full and equal participation in
society.
It covers areas ranging from accessibility,
education and employment to access to justice, participation
in political and public life, and the collection and use of
data disaggregated by disability.
Shaped by persons
with disabilities
The Action Plan delivers on a
commitment made by leaders at the 2024 Commonwealth Heads of
Government Meeting (CHOGM) in Samoa.
It was initiated
by the Commonwealth Disabled People’s Forum, which
developed an initial draft in 2023 to support the
implementation of the United Nations Convention on the
Rights of Persons with Disabilities at the national
level.
Following CHOGM 2024, the Commonwealth
Secretariat established an Expert Working Group of member
country representatives to refine the Action Plan.
In
keeping with the principle of ‘Nothing About Us Without
Us’, the process was supported by an Advisory Group of
Persons with Disabilities, Disabled People’s
Organisations, and the Commonwealth Children and Youth
Disability Network.
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Representatives of the Advisory
Group, Carla Qualtrough, Canadian human rights attorney, and
Heather Walkus, National Chair of the Council of Canadians
with Disabilities, said:
“Persons with disabilities
and our representative organisations brought lived
experience, expertise and community connections. The result
is better policy, greater accountability and more meaningful
outcomes for communities across the
Commonwealth.”
The Commonwealth Children and Youth
Disability Network said it worked throughout the drafting
process to ensure that children and young people with
disabilities had a stronger voice in shaping the policies
and laws that affect their lives and futures.
Putting
the plan into practice
Eswatini has already begun
taking the plan forward. In September 2026, the country’s
Cabinet adopted the Commonwealth Disability Inclusion Action
Plan at the national level, making it one of the first
member countries to do so.
Fikile Shongwe, Disability
Programmes Manager in the Deputy Prime Minister’s Office
of Eswatini, said:
“We are pleased that the Action
Plan has been considered and adopted at the national level.
It will support our efforts to improve access to education,
employment, healthcare, social protection, and full
participation in society for persons with
disabilities.”
The Commonwealth Secretariat will
support implementation of the Action Plan through technical
assistance, capacity building and continued engagement with
organisations of persons with disabilities.
Justin
Pettit, acting Head of the Commonwealth Secretariat’s
Human Rights Unit, said:
“For persons with
disabilities, progress is not measured by promises on paper,
but by what changes in their daily lives. It is whether they
can exercise their right to go to school, find decent work,
have a voice in decisions affecting them and participate
fully in their communities.
“This Action Plan gives
us a practical path to go from commitment to implementation.
Our task now is to work with governments and organisations
of persons with disabilities to dismantle the barriers,
accelerate action and deliver the inclusion, opportunity and
dignity everyone deserves.”
The Action Plan will be
formally launched on 3 December 2026, the International Day
of Persons with Disabilities, which coincides with the 20th
anniversary of the adoption of the United Nations Convention
on the Rights of Persons with
Disabilities.
Notes:
- The Commonwealth is a
voluntary association of 56 independent and equal sovereign
states. Our combined population is 2.7 billion, of which
more than 60 per cent is aged 29 or under. - The
Commonwealth spans the globe and includes both advanced
economies and developing countries. Thirty-three of our
members are small states, many of which are island
nations. - The Commonwealth Secretariat supports
member countries to build democratic and inclusive
institutions, strengthen governance and promote justice and
human rights. Our work helps to grow economies and boost
trade, deliver national resilience, empower young people,
and address threats such as climate change, debt and
inequality. - Member countries are supported by a
network of more than 80 intergovernmental, civil society,
cultural and professional
organisations.
