On 9 April 2026, Cabo Verde held a landmark technical workshop on disability data systems strengthening, convened by the National Institute of Statistics (INE) and supported by the IDC Secretariat and the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data. Held under the theme "No Data, No Inclusion: Disability Data Collection," the workshop brought together representatives from across government, civil society, municipalities, and associations of persons with disabilities to confront a challenge that many countries face: data on disability exists, but it is fragmented, difficult to compare, and not yet functioning as a coherent national system.
As an Inclusive Data Charter Champion, Cabo Verde has made a formal commitment to leave no one behind in its data systems. This workshop was an important step in reviewing the challenges and opportunities as they prepare the Cabo Verde IDC action plan.
What the data reveals—and what it misses
"The production of official statistics has as its fundamental mission to make visible the realities of our country," said the President of INE in opening the workshop. He was direct about the gap: significant challenges remain in the availability, quality, comparability, and timeliness of disability data—not because data does not exist, but because it exists "in fragmented forms, collected in isolation and using different methodologies."
Discussions during the workshop surfaced five recurring issues in Cabo Verde's current approach to disability data. The first is conceptual fragmentation: without shared definitions of what counts as a disability and where the line falls between disability and functional limitation, data collected in different institutions cannot reliably be compared or aggregated. The second is underreporting driven by stigma and social perception, particularly for acquired, invisible, or non-severe conditions where individuals may not self-identify. Third, participants identified significant gaps in coverage for specific populations, those with non-visible disabilities who fall outside standard administrative categories, for example.
The fourth issue is the lack of interoperability between data systems. Multiple institutions use different identifier formats, different intake forms, and different classification frameworks. Record linkage is difficult; duplication is a risk; and the result is a national picture that is incomplete by design. Fifth, coordination. While INE has an important coordination role, progress will require the active, sustained participation of all the sectors that hold relevant data.
A shared plan for action
By the end of the day, participants had agreed on a practical set of actions including completing a structured mapping of all institutions collecting disability data, drafting a minimum common dataset built around variables that most institutions already use, and working toward a national disability data observatory or integrated platform that can bring together census, administrative, and institutional data over time.
These commitments will be consolidated into a formal Inclusive Data Charter Action Plan with clear milestones and accountability.
The workshop was organized by INE Cabo Verde and supported by the IDC Secretariat and the Global Partnership for Sustainable Development Data.
