Living Conditions and Challenges Faced by Persons with Disabilities in Mongolia

According to the detailed housing and population census data (2010), there were 108.1 thousand persons with disability in Mongolia, which represents 4.1 percent of the total population. Among the total population with disabilities, 36.8 thousand, or 34.0 percent of people with a disability have congenital disabilities, and the remaining 71.3 thousand, or 66.0 percent, have acquired disabilities (National Statistical Office 2010, Population Census Report). Persons with disabilities in Mongolia and their households represent a population subgroup with substantially higher poverty and lower human development indicators than the rest of the population. Persons with disabilities and the families of children with disabilities incur higher expenditure for health services than nondisabled people including for medicines, diagnostic procedures, and travel costs associated with visiting the capital for tests that are not available in aimag health centers. This increased consumption contributes to greater levels of poverty among households with persons with disabilities. This paper aims analyse secondary data and information on the current living conditions and challenges faced by persons with disabilities in Mongolia.