Disability is a human-rights concern demanding inclusive infrastructure, equitable policy enactment, and community participation to ensure persons with physical disabilities are included in development. A synthesis of 40 studies examines their lived realities and connects disability inclusion to Sustainable Development Goals 4, 6, 10, and 11. Across settings, five interrelated themes recur: accessibility and environmental barriers; discriminatory social attitudes and stigma; threats to independence, autonomy, and self-determination; constrained social participation and community exclusion; and adaptation and coping strategies across the life course. These themes reveal persistent structural obstacles and sources of resilience, demonstrating that barriers are systemic rather than individual. The evidence underscores urgent priorities: mainstream accessibility in education, water and sanitation, urban planning, and anti-discrimination policy; strengthen community-based engagement; and monitor implementation through disability-disaggregated indicators. Cantering persons with physical disabilities in policy and practice is essential to uphold rights and advance the SDG commitment to leave no one behind.

 

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