When I first held the braille version of the SDGs, I felt not just the raised dots beneath my fingertips, but the profound hope of a better future. For the first time, young people with visual impairments like me could directly access the global roadmap that was supposed to include us all. This moment consolidated my belief that meaningful participation is not just about being in the room; it is about having equal access to the tools, information, and platforms that allow us to contribute meaningfully.
The Summit of the Future last year was a key moment for the world’s commitment to the SDGs, with key pledges made in the Pact for the Future, particularly on meaningful participation of young people – including youth with disabilities. As I passed through the entrance of the UN General Assembly building last September, colleagues described to me a newly installed mural. This work, commissioned by Sightsavers and the UN Youth Office, featured a group of young people with and without disabilities. Some were holding signs with messages of inclusion, equality and empowerment, and a clear visual message too: “youth lead the way to a better future.” It served as a stark reminder and challenge to world leaders that young people – including youth with disabilities – must not be left behind.
With an eye on the Second World Summit on Social Development this November in Doha, I reflect on how far we have come and how much further we need to go.
Our unique perspectives strengthen the SDGs
Young people with disabilities bring invaluable lived experience to sustainable development efforts. Every day, we navigate a world that is not designed for us. As such, we are forced to come up with our solutions. Our perspective is not an afterthought to development, it is essential for creating inclusive solutions.
In Sierra Leone, I have witnessed how youth with disabilities drive change when given the chance. Through Youth and Children in Support of the SDGs, we have empowered youth with disabilities to engage in community development projects that contribute to targets on education and reduce inequalities. These are not token efforts – they are initiatives that succeed precisely because they incorporate diverse perspectives.
The statistics are clear: around 15% of the world’s population lives with disabilities, with higher prevalence in developing countries. Yet most development processes still treat our inclusion as optional. This is not only morally wrong, but it is also mathematically impossible to achieve the SDGs while excluding such a significant portion of humanity.
Advocating across borders and barriers
My advocacy journey has revealed both shared challenges and diverse approaches to disability inclusion. In many fora, I have collaborated with young advocates from across the world who face similar barriers: inaccessible infrastructure, limited educational opportunities, and persistent stigma.
The most striking thing is how disability rights movements vary across African contexts. Some countries have robust `legal frameworks but weak implementation; others have strong grassroots movements but limited policy support. This patchwork approach undermines progress. We need harmonized standards and cross-border collaboration to ensure no country – and no young person with a disability – is left behind.
Accessibility from the ground up
In most parts of the developing world, accessibility remains a fundamental challenge. Our advocacy focuses on practical solutions such as translating the SDGs into braille in Sierra Leone, with support from the Ministry of Planning, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), and Sightsavers.
What makes our approach effective is that it is led by persons with disabilities. This model of ‘nothing about us without us’ must be replicated at all levels of SDG implementation. When the UN or governments develop inclusion policies, persons with disabilities should be architects of these frameworks, not just beneficiaries.
The path forward
Now into the critical decade for SDG achievement, the global community faces a choice to either continue with business as usual, or embrace a different approach to inclusion. The SDGs remain our most comprehensive global framework for addressing humanity’s greatest challenges: poverty, inequality, climate change, and social injustice. But these goals will remain aspirational unless we fundamentally transform how persons with disabilities are included in their implementation.
The solution starts with representation. To achieve meaningful representation of youth with disabilities, we need more investment in their leadership development. This is not about tokenism but about harnessing our unique expertise. While Action 36 of the Pact for the Future commits to removing barriers that prevent us from full, meaningful and effective participation in policy and decision-making, this must not stop at national-level participation but must extend to the global platform too.
The SDGs promised to leave no one behind. For young persons with disabilities globally, the time for promises has passed. We are already leading change. It’s time to scale that change up.