

DISABILITY & LEGAL RECOGNITION IN CAMBODIA
Person with disabilities identified by Cambodian law
Cambodian Law on the Protection and the Promotion of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities”, from July 2009, article 4, it is stated that “persons with disabilities refers to any persons who lack, lose, or damage any physical or mental functions, which result in a disturbance to their daily life or activities, such as physical, visual, hearing, intellectual impairments, mental disorders and any other types of disabilities toward the insurmountable end of the scale.
DISABILITY PERCEPTION & SOCIETY ISSUES
Person with disabilities marginalized

People with disabilities are one of the most vulnerable and poorest groups in Cambodian society. They are generally the poorest among the poor, with very limited access to basic social services, education, skills or vocational training, job placement, and income-generating opportunities, thus exacerbating their poverty. Among persons with disabilities, some groups have been more marginalized than others, especially women, girls, and children with disabilities.
Person with disabilities face to Buddhism religion stigma
• The loss of physical or mental capability is viewed in Cambodian culture and Buddhist religion in the perspective of the individual's destiny and may be considered to be the result of faults accumulated in previous lives.
• This often results in a sense of guilt and social stigma that increases the exclusion experienced by most persons with disabilities.
• Such people are marginalized within Cambodia and are often excluded from community development by their own communities.
DISABILITY CHALLENGES FROM CHILDHOOD TO ADULT LIFE
Vocational training & Work opportunities for person with disabilities’s dignity and social recognition
Skills training, income generation, and job placement are important factors in the rehabilitation of people with disabilities. In Cambodia, people with disabilities typically come from the poorest segments of society. For these persons, the ability to secure income for themselves and their families is their highest priority. Income generation for persons with disabilities not only contributes a sense of dignity and self-confidence, but is directly linked to poverty reduction and social development.
PERSONS WITH DISABILITIES IN CAMBODIAN DEMOGRAPHY
In 2018, according to Model Disability Survey from WHO on a sample of 500 interviewed aged between 18 to up to 60 years old: 1,2% of mild, moderate or severe disability level persons interviewed have followed a “Vocational Education” aiming at their professional integration into Cambodian society.
In addition, it would be relevant to know the number of person with mental disabilities who have had training and support leading them towards independence and contributing to the development of their country.
Source: © World Health Organization 2018. WHO and World Bank MODEL DISABILITY SURVEY Pilot implementation in Cambodia
Source: DISABLED PEOPLE AND DEVELOPMENT - CAMBODIA COUNTRY REPORT - Foundation for International Training and Regional and Sustainable Development Department