REACHING DISABLED PEOPLE THROUGH DEMAND-DRIVEN PROJECTS Abigail Somma May 18, 2004 “When special needs occur in generally poor areas, vulnerability may easily translate into acute destitution and suffering.” Iran project

Objectives: To identify approaches which a project manager or policy-maker may choose to use for targeting disabled people in demand-driven projects based on previous choices Provide a framework for further analysis

Why Target Disabled People? Research indicates that 7-10% of a population has a disability Disability and poverty have an interconnected relationship Disabled people face numerous barriers to access and inclusion As a minority group, disabled people are less likely to be reached through a demand-driven mechanism

How is the Bank Addressing Disability in Projects? Mainstreaming disability is in its infancy Project information is based regionally and not centrally A database search results in projects which mention disability in the abstract: ECA: 8 AFR: 6 SAR: 4 LAC: 4 MENA: 3 EAP: 1 This is clearly not representative; regional disability working groups are currently taking inventory through regional consultants

Disability in CDD Ten Projects Analyzed MENA: 3 Yemen: Social Fund for Development Project Lebanon: Community Development Project Iran: Local Development Fund Project LAC: 2 St. Lucia: Poverty Reduction Fund Project Honduras: Fourth Social Investment Fund Project ECA: 2 Ukraine: Social Investment Fund Project Tajikistan: Education Modernization Project SAR: 1 Andrah Pradesh: District Poverty Initiatives Project AFR: 1 Malawi: Third Social Action Fund EAP: 1 Cambodia: Social Fund Project

Types of Interventions Community Level: sub-projects which benefit disabled people, training, education centers, foster care, employment schemes, organizational support, savings and loans groups, mainstream projects which benefit disabled people National: national reform inform/complement national policy capacity building Regional Level: regional reforms, capacity building,

Targeting Strategies Most projects identified poorer regions through poverty targeting Self-targeting mechanisms (i.e. funding an education center for blind people) Proposals which benefited disabled people received highest priority (Cambodia) Communities were targeted with high numbers of disabled people (Ukraine) Geographic constraints were relaxed for projects which targeted disabled people (Iran)

Targeting Strategies Information, Education, and Communication component, aimed specifically to address disabled people and the groups which represent them; capacity building and outreach for groups which represent disabled people (Malawi) Targeting NGOs specialized in serving disabled people as intermediary and implementing agencies Steering committee assigned role of identifying beneficiaries Choosing communities based on commitment to social services

Division of Labor Generally: national oversight Steering Committee created to address needs of vulnerable groups Consultant hired to specifically address needs/barriers of disabled people Sponsoring agencies: could be local government, community or municipality; may choose implementing agency

Division of Labor NGOs and Communities: proposal generation and implementation Some projects (Lebanon) used NGOs as primary implementing agents Coordination among levels: international NGOs or specific unit

How are disabled people being empowered? Information dissemination and participation of disabled people and their organizations in project preparation and design Organization into community groups and federations Sub-projects which include enhancing assets: training, skills, and inclusion Addressing issues of integration and access Sensitization training and capacity building of larger community and involved stakeholders Accommodating needs of disabled people in mainstream projects Disabled people were integrated into supervisory positions

Challenges/Lessons Learned Task team leaders can generate awareness and interest among government counterparts Outreach: targeted toward disabled people and toward community at large Addressing access issues: sensitization Self-targeting by project type Giving priority to disabled people in selection process Including families members of disabled people Disability interventions can also be preventative: nutrition and conflict-resolution