Skip to content
  • About
CBM - visit site homepage
Inclusive Participation Toolbox
  • Home
  • Why participation

    Basic principles around disability and participation and their connection to international frameworks

    Overview: Why participation
    • A closer look at disability & participation
    • Requirements of international frameworks
  • In practice

    A set of guidance on how to implement participation in everyday life and work

    Overview: Participation in practice
    • Key enablers of participation
    • Inclusive language and interaction
    • Requirements of marginalised groups
    • Participation in project cycle management
    • Community Based Inclusive Development (CBID)
  • Get connected

    Information on Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) and how to find and work with them

    Overview: Get connected
    • What are OPDs
    • Working with OPDs
    • OPD network
    • Information for OPDs
  • Supporting material

    Download section for a variety of material to guide your advocacy work and project planning around participation

    Overview: Supporting material
    • Checklists
    • Presentations
    • Additional resources
    • Case studies
    • Glossary
    • Mailing list
Search
  1. Home
  2. Participation in practice
  3. Requirements of marginalised groups
  4. Older persons with disabilities

Older persons with disabilities

According to the United Nations (UN), more than 46 percent of older persons (aged 60 years and over) have a disability and they represent the majority of the overall population of persons with disabilities.

Global trends show the risk of becoming disabled is higher amongst the aging population, and as life expectancy increases, persons with disabilities who survive into old age can also be expected to contribute to the overall growth in the population of older persons with disabilities. Therefore, efforts to explore the complementarities between the discourses on aging and on disability are being made.

Older persons with disabilities are often disproportionately affected by existing barriers as they face additional age-related social barriers. This results in aggravated discrimination and human rights violations against them. Older persons with disabilities experience a higher level of loss of power, denial of autonomy, marginalisation, and institutionalisation as compared to younger persons with disabilities. This makes them more prone to social isolation, exclusion, poverty, and abuse.

As a result, they have fewer opportunities to establish or join organisations that represent their demands as older persons and persons with disabilities. Therefore, concrete steps are needed to foster their participation in decision-making processes and ensure that all participatory and consultative mechanisms take into account both disability- and age-related factors and their intersection.

Further reading

  • UN Women (2022): Gender, age, and disability: Addressing the intersection. 
  • Video with ADB and others Disability - Social protection - Inclusion.

Requirements of marginalised groups

  • Intersectionality
  • Children with disabilities
  • Indigenous persons with disabilities
  • Older persons with disabilities
  • Women with disabilities

Supporting material

  • Disability-sensitive interaction
  • Language dos and don'ts
  • Finding Sign Language interpretation

You may also like

  • A closer look at disability and participation
  • Providing accessibility
© 2025 CBM Christoffel-Blindenmission
Christian Blind Mission e.V.
  • Glossary
  • Accessibility statement
  • Legal notice
  • Terms and conditions
  • CBM.org
  • Find CBM on LinkedIn
  • Find CBM on X