A/70/297 contribute to such schemes than persons without disabilities, mainly owing to their higher unemployment rates, economic inactivity and informal employment. Contributory schemes normally do not cover children and young adults with disabilities if they have been unable to contribute to a social insurance scheme or are not covered through their parents. Despite these limitations, contributory schemes play an important role in providing social protection to persons with disabilities and often provide higher benefits than non -contributory programmes. Making provision for government-financed contributions for certain categories of persons who are unable to contribute directly, or who have limited contributory capacity, can strengthen the universal protection of contributory programmes. 49. Contributory and non-contributory systems, as well as income generation programmes, can complement each other in various ways to reduce the co verage gap of persons with disabilities. Nevertheless, States must ensure an adequate level and quality of services in both contributory and non-contributory schemes, and their sustainability. States must also take steps, to the maximum of their available resources, to ensure that social protection systems cover all persons with disabilities on an equal basis with others. Finally, States must ensure the continuity of benefits and services when a person moves from a contributory scheme to a non -contributory one, and vice versa. 50. To achieve universalization and inclusiveness, social protection must be as mainstreamed as possible, and as specific as necessary. While mainstream programmes support the access of persons with disabilities to general benefits and services on an equal basis with others (including by providing reasonable accommodation), specific programmes provide them with access to quality mobility aids, devices, assistive technologies and other forms of live assistance, as well as to a range of in-home, residential and other community support services (including personal assistance to live independently and actively participate in the community). Together, these programmes must cover services, devices and other assistance for disability-related needs, and extra costs. Overall, the balance between mainstream strategies and targeted support should be tailored to address the needs of specific groups of persons with disabilities, while maintaining the overall goal of including persons with disabilities in all aspects of social protection systems. 46 C. Disability benefits 51. Disability benefits play an important role in ensuring income security for persons with disabilities and, therefore, in realizing their rights and aspirations as productive members of society. While these benefits may take various forms, including in-kind transfers or subsidies, 47 the majority are in the form of cash transfers, such as disability pensions. Cash benefits are the preferred option because they entail lower administrative costs and provide individuals with a choice and control in selecting services and providers. 48 According to ILO, 49 almost all __________________ 46 47 48 49 16/25 E/CN.5/2012/6, para. 12. Disability in-kind transfers or subsidies include, for instance, free public transportation, free access to public services, free or subsidized food, and free or subsidized assistive devices. D. Mont, “Social protection and Disability” in T. Barron and J. M. Ncube ( eds.), Poverty and Disability (Leonard Cheshire Disability, London, 2010). ILO, World Social Protection Report. 15-12544