I am a co-founder of 400 million R: an organization working to challenge discrimination against disabled people in the developing world. The social exclusion of disabled people living in developing countries is one of the biggest human rights injustices in the world today and a major barrier to ending poverty.

There are at least 400 million disabled people living in developing countries. If they all lived together in the same place, they would make up the third largest country on Earth. A country around the size of the European Union. It would be the least educated country; with the highest rate of infant mortality; limited access to health care and HIV/AIDS programmes; few employment opportunities; restricted access to democratic processes; and little hope of ever breaking the cycle of poverty. Without doubt, it would be the poorest country in the world.

Despite being the biggest definable disadvantaged group of people in the world, disabled people are largely ‘invisible’, their human rights frequently and systematically ignored and abused. They are among the poorest of the poor; and yet they are not mentioned in the Millennium Development Goals. Unless disabled people are included in mainstream poverty reduction plans, poverty will never be beaten.

400 million R aims to bring this human rights injustice into the mainstream consciousness. We intend to this this by producing a range of creative communications projects to stimulate debate and catalyse action. 400 million R will work for equal Rights, Respect and a fair share of Resources for disabled people in the world’s poorest countries.

If you'd like to find out more, please visit www.400millionR.org