1. MAINSTREAMING FINANCIAL INCLUSION FOR PERSONS WITH DISABILITY
John Alex-Head-Social Initiatives
December 2016

2. Can a microfinance institution reach out to Persons with Disability?

3. YES! Presenting Equitas’ model…

4. REACHING OUT TO THE DISABLED – EQUITAS’ ACHIEVEMENTS
Inclusion of Disabled women members in Financial Inclusion
—1915
– 470
: 3071
: 3948
: 4288
Total: ( includes 3623 people who are blind)

5. Kavitha’s story: Coming out of Darkness
Lost her vision when her husband poured acid on her 13 years ago
Constrained by her disability she confined herself to her home for many years
No job or loan support available from local bank or government
Microfinance loan (around US$250) from Equitas
Simple accommodation measures (e.g. reciting out the MFI pledge aloud, taking turns to assist her to attend the meeting)
Business has enabled her to support her mother and herself and be socially accepted in the community

6. Data of Disabled Clients at Equitas

7. Data of Disabled Clients at Equitas

8. Socially marginalised Economically marginalised
Conscious Policy decision to reach the extremely poor
Who are extremely poor?
Socially marginalised
Economically marginalised
Persons with Disability

9. Lack of mobility to attend meetings lack of experience in business
Early Attempts to include Disabled Persons
Discussion initiated with Disabled Peoples Organisations.
Scope for reaching credit to exclusive disabled groups did not appear to be feasible due to:
Lack of mobility to attend meetings
lack of experience in business
lack of adequate livelihood skills

10. Differentiated approach
Access to credit to disadvantaged groups to be part of the main program rather than separate program

11. Features of mainstreaming
Leverage existing infrastructure, community resources:
Existing groups identify people with disability from their neighbourhood
Group members help identify business activities and support in starting up
Equitas provides loan and skill development
Group provides moral support

12. Challenges faced Convincing the board & organisation
Convincing & motivating the field staff
Taking into confidence the existing group members
Motivating them to identify the target individuals & hand holding them through the entire process
Confidence building among the target members

13. Benefits Direct Benefits: Other benefits:
Support mechanism for the target segment
Other benefits:
Social capital at the group level
Enhanced alignment of staff with company’s philosophy

14. Progressing inclusion -Our actions so far…
Training & sensitizing loan officers
Disability facts over myths, disability etiquettes
Practical training to identify clients with disabilities
Disability awareness training made integral part of the loan officer certification
Making systems/process more disability friendly & inclusive:
Disability Access audit conducted at branches to understand their processes & identify barriers
Simple solutions provided to make processes accessible – e.g. tactile marking on passbooks, basic sign language training for loan officers, meetings at residence of disabled person

15. Inclusion of Socially challenged in mainstream

16. IMPACT-UNITUS STUDY REPORT
Savings from the business has increased after availing the loan
Income from the business has increased after availing the loan

17. IMPACT-UNITUS STUDY REPORT
Client population is socially more active after availing the loan than before
Client population is socially more active than non- client population
Esteem of clients in the eye of family members and neighbours improved

18. IMPACT-UNITUS STUDY REPORT
INCREASE IN ASSETS:
Mobile phones and LPG stove are the most popular consumer durables bought in the last six months

19. 2014 NCPEDP award for working group

20. ROAD MAP
further extending the financial service to family members such as mothers/wives/sisters of with ID & physical disabled
To conduct an in house impact study to develop long term plan
Support other MFIs by sharing best
practices

21. Reaching new clients
Coordinating with DPO’s sector for identifying clients for financial inclusion by:
Selection of suitable clients by the DPO’s
ii) Sharing profile of selected clients with Equitas
iii) Establishing contact with the clients selected by DPO’s by Equitas staff/Group leaders for mainstreaming in the financial inclusion

22. Tie up with DPO’s & GOVT Skill Development
Entrepreneurship Development Training
Treatment & Corrective surgeries, eye operations& health camps
Obtaining artificial limbs, crutches,tricycles and hearing aids for client & family members

23. Crutches/Calipers Donated to women

24. EXPECTATIONS FROM LIKE MINDED DPO’S
Assistance for Advocacy for information sharing
Assistance for undertaking skill/entrepreneurship & leadership development for disabled

25. Entrepreneurship Development Program for Disabled women

26. Key note address by Chief Guest Mr
Key note address by Chief Guest Mr. Vikram Kapoor IAS World Disability day December 2013

27. Speech by Chief Guest Mr
Speech by Chief Guest Mr. Sanjay Arora, IPS World Disability day December 2014

28. World Disability day December 2016

29. About Equitas Started in 2007 Run on high ethical and moral standards
3.5 million clients in 10 states
EQUITAS: THE MOST FAIR, TRANSPARENT
AND ETHICAL MFI IN THE WORLD!
Now as a Bank vision is to reach 5% of Indian house holds by 2020

30. Touching lives……….. Transforming Future……..
The Equitas Ecosystem <=> Mission statement
Touching lives……….. Transforming Future……..
Micro Finance, Pragathi, SME
Skill Development-EGK
Placement services
Savings on Food –EDK
Health Services --
Primary, Secondary:
Help line; Telemedicine:
Camps in VF Branch
,MCS-FFH Health Education
*Regular Schools-
Equitas Gurukul

31. Thank you