The Global Health Centre is pleased to highlight the contribution of Minerva Rivas Velarde to the newly released UN Guidelines to Make Surveys on Individuals and Households More Accessible, developed under the United Nations Statistics Division. In her role as an Affiliated Professor of the Global Health Centre, and alongside her positions as Associate Professor, Head of Laboratory, and Coordinator for Europe and Central Asia at the Disability Data Initiative Hub, Dr. Rivas Velarde contributed to the development of the practical accessibility recommendations included in the guidelines.
These guidelines provide practical, rights-based guidance to ensure the meaningful inclusion of persons with disabilities in surveys, addressing barriers across survey design, data collection, and implementation. They align with international standards, including the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, and advance the leave no one behind principle of the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development.
About the Guidelines
The document offers comprehensive, practice-oriented guidance and is structured across five chapters and supporting annexes:
- Chapter 1 outlines the objectives of the guidelines and examines why persons with disabilities are often excluded from surveys.
- Chapter 2 presents the key principles and international conventions informing the guidelines.
- Chapter 3 introduces essential concepts, definitions, and disability models.
- Chapter 4 provides practical guidance for planning, designing, and implementing accessible surveys.
- Chapter 5 shares experiences and lessons learned from country-level practice.
- Annexes include practical resources such as checklists and links to additional tools.