Around 70% of people with disabilities live in Asia and the Pacific—about 690 million people. They are among  the poorest in the region and face significant challenges such as social exclusion and increased inequality as well  as extreme poverty. Their number will increase as the region’s population ages: more than half of all people with  disabilities are over 60 years old, and by 2050 one in four people in Asia and the Pacific will be over 60.

This road map will help the Asian Development Bank (ADB) strengthen its approach to disability-inclusive  development to enhance the impact of work with and for the poorest and most excluded people in the region. 

It was prepared as one of nine commitments ADB made in 2018 at the first Global Disability Summit alongside  other international development partners. It sets out a practical pathway to greater disability inclusion in ADB  projects, research, and organizational systems, and will support implementation of the bank’s Strategy 2030  across operational priorities.