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Social protection and disability in Zambia

KIDD, Stephen
WAPLING, Lorraine
KABARE, Krystle
October 2019

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This report presents findings from a short study in Zambia to examine its social protection system and programmes and identifies the challenges faced by persons with disabilities in accessing them. The study was undertaken by a visit to Zambia between 31st October – 4th November 2016 during which a range of interviews and focus group discussions were undertaken. The study was supported by a review of the literature and some limited analysis of administrative data.

Topics presented in the report include:

  • the broader context of Zambia particularly around issues of education, health and consumption dynamics
  • the national population of persons with disabilities
  • key challenges faced by persons with disabilities
  • the legislative and policy framework on disability in Zambia
  • the governance of social protection and support for persons with disabilities
  • the disability classification system and an overview of the social protection system
  • the evolution of the Social Cash Transfer and access to the scheme by persons with disabilities 

How do we ensure that social protection assistance initiatives work for people with disabilities?

HUNT, Xanthe
August 2019

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Question & problem

Social protection systems and other financial assistance, including cash transfers and integrated benefits packages, may be important ways to facilitate the inclusion of people with disabilities in services and society. There is limited information, however, with regards to their impact in low- and middle-income settings. To understand how these programs work, it is important to recognise that there are disability-targeted entitlements, but people with disabilities may also be eligible for mainstream programmes aimed at other targeted groups, such as people of a certain socio-economic status. This evidence note summarises what is known about challenges faced by both of these types of initiatives, as well as evidence-based recommendations to strengthen them.

Realising children's right to social protection in Middle East and North Africa. A compendium of UNICEF's contribution's

ARCHIBALD, Edward
January 2019

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This Compendium documents the broad range of UNICEF’s social protection interventions in MENA from 2014-2017. 
 

The Compendium includes 20 case studies detailing UNICEF’s contributions in the MENA region across the following five Action Areas

 

  • Evidence and Advocacy (Algeria, Egypt, Iraq, Iran, Lebanon, Yemen, Morocco)
  • Policies, coordinating and financing (Djibouti, Morocco)
  • Cash transfer programming and systems strengthening (Egypt, Jordan, Tunisia)
  • Cash plus interventions and social work (Iraq, State of Palestine (highlights children with disabilities), Yemen)
  • Social protection in fragile and humanitarian contexts/settings (Yemen, Lebanon, Jordan, Syria). The Syrian programme was "Reaching children with complex disabilities through cash transfers and case management"

 

 

 

Innovate for Inclusion. Four cases of application of the social innovation lab methodology to enhance disability inclusion in mainstream settings

MAARSKE, Anneke
NEDERVEEN, Matthijs
BAART, Judith
2019

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This publication reflects back on four co-design processes undertaken by Light for the World’s Disability Inclusion Lab during the past few years. These different journeys in solution development have demonstrated the power of this methodology to create genuine inclusion in livelihood programming while striving to empower persons with disabilities to achieve economic success. In this publication the social innovation lab methodology is described as a unique approach to inclusive programming, highlighting four cases: The Livelihood Improvement Challenge in Uganda, the lab in the EmployAble programme in Ethiopia, the AgriLab in Cambodia, and the InBusiness pilot in Kenya. Lessons learnt are described.

L’autonomisation de personnes vulnérables, notamment des personnes handicapées, dans un contexte dépourvu de services et de ressources

ROCHE, Audrey
October 2017

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Cette publication est le produit d’un processus de capitalisation de l'expérience en insertion socioéconomique de personnes handicapées acquise par Handicap International et ses partenaires de mise en œuvre dans le cadre du projet TEAM CONGO à Kananga en RDC. L’objectif de cette capitalisation est d’une part, d’exposer la méthodologie en matière d’insertion socio-économique appliquée à Kananga, en détaillant les 2 principales bonnes pratiques - l’Accompagnement Social Personnalisé avec une approche holistique, et l’accès au capital économique via des micro-crédits- et les leçons apprises afin que les équipes d’Handicap International, les agences gouvernementales, et les organisations travaillant dans le domaine de l’Insertion socio-économique des personnes handicapées et personnes très vulnérables, puissent les utiliser dans le cadre de futures interventions. D’autre part, cette capitalisation vise à ébaucher des recommandations pour les futures interventions qui pourraient avoir lieu dans ce domaine en République Démocratique du Congo (RDC) ou dans des contextes similaires, dans lesquels les initiatives publiques ou privées en faveur de l'insertion économique des populations vulnérables comme l’offre de formation professionnelle, les opportunités d'emploi formel et l’accès au capital sont rares, voire même inexistantes. Une méthodologie d'action détaillée et adaptée à des contextes pauvres en ressources, sera ainsi proposée, à la lumière de l’expérience du volet d’insertion socio-économique du projet TEAM CONGO.

The Functions of Disabled People’s Organisations (DPOs) in Low and Middle-income Countries: a Literature Review

YOUNG, Rebekah
REEVE, Mathew
GRILLS, Nathan
2016

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Purpose: The aim of this study was to review peer-reviewed literature on the roles and functions of Disabled Peoples’ Organisations (DPOs) in low and middle-income countries, and their outputs and outcomes for people with disabilities.

 

Method: Online databases were searched without date or language limiters (Medline, CINAHL, Scopus, Embase and Cochrane), using a combination of two key word search strategies. Eleven studies were selected for inclusion in this review on the basis of predetermined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Included studies underwent quality assessment using the Critical Appraisal Skills Programme (CASP) and Downs and Black’s criteria for quality assessment. Data for thematic analysis was then grouped under the broad themes of: participation and factors that facilitate participation; development of partnerships and connections; and self-development and self-help.

 

Results: There was some evidence within the included studies to suggest that DPOs can produce significant, positive outcomes for persons with disability in terms of factors such as employment rates, access to microfinance and bank loans, accessibility of housing, acquisition of orthopaedic devices, involvement in civil society, development of friendships and networks, and participation in training programmes. Although the studies under review largely did not investigate the long-term impact of the reported DPO functions and outputs, some of the short-term outputs may be considered proximal indicators of outcomes such as increased empowerment and wellbeing.

 

Conclusion: The 11 studies in this review suggested that DPOs can be effective in achieving their stated aims of promoting wellbeing, participation and rights of people with disabilities in low and middle- income countries.

 

An adult learning perspective on disability and microfinance: The case of Katureebe

NUWAGABA, Ephraim L
RULE, Peter N
2016

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Background: Despite Uganda’s progress in promoting affirmative action for persons with disabilities and its strategy of using microfinance to fight poverty, access to microfinance services by persons with disabilities is still problematic due to barriers, characterised by discrepancies between policies and practices. Regarding education, the affirmative action in favour of learners with disabilities has not translated into actual learning opportunities due to personal and environmental barriers.


Objectives: The study on which this article is based investigated the non-formal and informal adult learning practices regarding microfinance that persons with disabilities engaged in. This article seeks to illuminate the barriers that a person with a visual impairment encountered while learning about and engaging with microfinance and the strategies that he developed to overcome them.


Methods: This was a case study, framed within the social model of disability and critical research paradigm. Data were collected through in-depth interviews of a person with visual impairment and observations of the environment in which adult learning and engagement with Savings and Credit Cooperative Organisations (SACCOs) occurred.


Results: Findings indicate that the person with a visual disability faced barriers to learning about microfinance services. He experienced barriers in an integrated manner and developed strategies to overcome these barriers. The barriers and strategies are theorised using the social model of disability.


Conclusion: The case of a person with visual impairment suggests that persons with disabilities face multiple barriers regarding microfinance, including social, psychological and educational. However, his own agency and attitudes were also of importance as they influenced his learning. Viewing these barriers as blockades can lead to non-participation in learning and engagement with microfinance whereas viewing them as surmountable hurdles can potentially motivate participants to succeed in learning about and engaging with microfinance.

Making microfinance accessible to persons with disabilities: awareness and attitudes among Indian microfinance institutions

GUPTA, Vin
May 2014

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This research focuses on three stakeholders: Microfinance Institutions (MFIs), Persons with Disabilities (PWD), and non-disabled clients. It attempts to highlight the following:

  • Understanding of MFIs about disability, their perceptions of persons with disabilities, and their preparedness to include them as potential clients
  • Concerns and apprehensions of PWD to becoming potential MFI clients
  • Views of non-disabled clients on including PWD in their groups

The study investigates the knowledge and the perceptions about disability among each stakeholder group and attempts to elucidate how that impacts the ability of PWD to access microfinance services. Four microfinance institutions of different geographic areas were studied. The survey inolved 1,000 people of whom 57 were disabled. 

Access to employment for all in West Africa : let’s make it work I

DIMBARRE KPEHOUNTON, Cathy
et al
June 2013

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This video series is part of the Making It Work initiative, “Access to employment for all in West Africa : let’s make it work”, which sets out good practice for inclusive employment of people with disabilities in West Africa, in line with CPRD Article 27 and makes recommendations for public and private employers, microfinance institutions, governments and their partners so that they become agents of change and commit themselves to inclusive policies promoting access to decent jobs for people with disabilities in West Africa. This part I video examines the “right to set up a micro-enterprise: how can microfinance institutions make it work? How do microfinance institutions give people with disabilities access to financial services to help them start or develop small businesses successfully?”

Inclusive microfinance : reaching disabled people through partnership development

LEYMAT, Anne
March 2012

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"This study examines projects that support access to financial services for disabled people, highlighting good practices that guarantee efficiency and sustainability of initiatives with a particular focus on the use of microcredit. The study is based on the findings of: a global survey and interviews with disabled people's organizations and microfinance providers; a literature review; field studies in seven countries; and the outcome of two regional workshops (in Kenya and Bangladesh) and a practitioner workshop in Geneva. It is estimated that 10 to 12 per cent of the world's population has some kind of impairment and of those around 82 per cent live below the poverty line. Most people with impairments who work are self-employed. However, access to financial services for disabled people remains sporadic. The central part of the study explores the potential for successful, responsible, and complementary partnership development between microfinance actors and disabled people's organizations. Our findings demonstrate that if disabled people are given the opportunity to access financial services, many are capable of successfully managing loans and businesses - thereby becoming agents of their own development"
Enterprise Development and Microfinance Vol. 23 No. 1

JSLU, JSPACA, PKSA, Cash and in-kind transfers for at-risk youth, the disabled, and vulnerable elderly social assistance programm and public expenditure review 7

WORLD BANK
February 2012

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Direct cash transfers for vulnerable elderly and disabled populations have been provided by the Indonesian Ministry of Social Welfare (Kementerian Sosial, Kemensos) since 2006; a similar cash transfer for at-risk youth was inaugurated in 2009. These programs Jaminan Sosial Lanjut Usia (JSLU), Jaminan Sosial Paca Berat (JSPACA), and program Kesejahteraan Sosial Anak (PKSA) for the elderly, disabled, and youth respectively transfer cash directly to beneficiaries. They account for increasing shares of the Kemensos overall budget, but subsidies directed to care and rehabilitation facilities as well as direct provision of institutional care still account for a noticeable portion of the Kemensos budget for these groups.  The report summarises quantitative and qualitative evidence in order to build a sound foundation for evaluating these cash transfer programs . Design features, efficiency and effectiveness of program implementation and operation, and impacts are analyzed. 

Ensuring access to microfinance services for people with disabilities

GIORDANO, Alexandra
LEYMAT, Anne
DOUCET, Grégory
December 2010

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This facilitator’s workshop guide is addressed to microfinance institutions and Disabled People´s Organizations to assist in the provision of access to microfinance services for persons with disabilities. This training tool is useful for operational managers, decision-makers, community leaders and NGO managers to build the capacity of participants during workshops to provide access to microfinance services for persons with disabilities

A new financial access frontier - people with disabilities

GOLDSTEIN, Josh
June 2010

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This note provides the background for a roundtable discussion held on June 18, 2010 in Washington, DC, convened by the Center for Financial Inclusion (CFI), in partnership with the Disability and Development Team of the World Bank, at which representatives from microfinance institutions and Disability Organizations deliberated on how they can best contribute to increasing access to financial services for poor people with disabilities worldwide. After a brief discussion of the challenge and the opportunity, the note advances several working hypotheses about steps the microfinance industry could take. 

Access to mainstream microfinance services for persons with disabilities : lessons learned from Uganda

BWIRE, Flavia Nakabuye
MUKASA, George
MERSLAND, Roy
2009

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This article reports from a pilot project in Uganda where the aim is to enable persons with disabilities to have access to mainstream microfinance services. Several lessons have already been learned: 1) entrepreneurs with disabilities are an untapped market opportunity for Micro Finance Institutions (MFIs); 2) to influence MFIs it is important to understand their business model and team up with key actors from the industry; 3) persons with disabilities are often misinformed about MFIs' terms and services and don't know how to tap these opportunities. Gradually a change in attitudes in MFIs and Disabled Peoples Organizations (DPOs) is observed. All MFIs participating in the project now report an increase in the number of clients with disabilities served. This is happening without the use of any economic incentives.

Best practices in the socio-economic rehabilitation of persons affected by leprosy and other marginalised people in their communities: findings from nine evaluations in Bangladesh, India and Africa

VELEEMA, Johan P
2008

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This paper presents an overview of findings from the formal evaluation of 9 socio-economic rehabilitation programmes (SER), in 4 countries in Africa, in Bangladesh and in India from 2002-2005. Bringing together the recommendations resulted in a description of best practices in the implementation of socio-economic rehabilitation programmes, derived from actual experiences in different contexts.

All the 9 programmes focused on supporting individual leprosy-affected beneficiaries or their families. Four projects also supported other marginalised clients. The usual interventions were micro-credit, housing and sponsoring of education for the children.

The recommendations touched upon each of the five steps in individual rehabilitation: Selection of clients, needs assessment, choosing an intervention, monitoring / follow--up of clients during rehabilitation, and separation at the end of the rehabilitation process. The evaluators also suggested ways in which participation of the client in their own rehabilitation might be boosted, made recommendations for the organisational structure of programmes, on maximising community involvement and emphasised the importance of information systems and of investing in the programme staff. A number of recommendations were specific to the types of interventions implemented i.e, housing, education or micro-credit.

Evidence of the impact of SER on the quality of life of clients is limited, but suggests increased self-esteem and increased respect/status in the family and community.

 

Asia Pacific Disability Rehabilitation Journal, vol.19, no.1, 2008

Funding for self-employment of people with disabilities : grants, loans, revolving funds or linkage with microfinance programmes

DE KLERK, Ton
March 2008

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"In 2005, Handicap International commissioned a study on the practices of funding for self-employment activities of people with disabilities (PWD), with a special focus on access to microfinance. The overall goal of the study was to produce a framework document highlighting good practices, strategies, tools and operational methods that guarantee the efficiency and sustainability of self-employment projects for PWDs. The first phase of the study consisted of a literature review and a worldwide survey. Through this first phase the research team identified the most innovative programmes for further analysis through field visits. In the second phase field visits were conducted in Afghanistan, Bangladesh, Ethiopia, India, Kenya, Nicaragua and Uganda, while regional workshops were organised in Dhaka and Nairobi. Phase three involved consolidation and analysis of the information and finally drafting of the framework document. This paper summarises the findings and good practices as presented in the framework document, based on the results of the literature review, the survey and the field research. It is not a scientific paper, i.e. it doesn't contain a discussion of the literature reviewed or systematic reference to sources, the same as the document on which it is based, as it is primarily meant for practitioners"
Leprosy Review, Vol 79, Issue 1

Exclusion of disabled people from microcredit in Africa and Asia : a literature study

CRAMM, J M FINKENFLUGEL, H
2008

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People with disabilities are barred from microcredit schemes. A literature search on the participation of people with disabilities in microcredit schemes resulted in 16 documents. The statements, recommendations and generalisations in these documents are not supported with strong evidence and are 'expert opinions' at best. Inclusion of people with disabilities within institutional schemes and self-helping schemes is recommended throughout the world. However, these seem most affected by excluding mechanisms and inclusion numbers lag behind. The absence of people with disabilities from these two schemes makes them a less attractive option. To fulfil the current needs of people with disabilities; ad-hoc schemes should continue and even expand their work. The pragmatic solution is to work with the available resources in order to change the situation of people with disabilities.

Glossary of Microfinance Terms|Glossaire bilingue des termes de la microfinance

GRET
CENTRE DE CCOPERATION INTERNATIONALE EN RECHERCHE AGRONOMIQUE POUR LE DEVELOPPEMENT (CIRAD)
January 2007

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The glossary provides the English and French equivalents for more than 1,500 terms related to microfinance, with some definitions in French . The main areas covered are technical accounting / management, finance and audit terms tailored to microfinance institutions, as well as the impact of microfinance services. It would be useful for microfinance practitioners

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