Has Disability Been Mainstreamed into Development Cooperation?

Abstract

The overall aim of the research was to investigate if international donor agencies' policies on disability mainstreaming were being effectively implemented. USAID and NORAD were the principle case studies due to their strong formal policy commitments to mainstreaming disability.

The main outcome was to see the lessons that could be learned which would help improve the implementation of disability mainstreaming policies in both the North and the South and engage more effectively with disabled people's organizations (DPOs).

The research was to have been informed and guided, particularly in the South, by reference groups set up by umbrella DPOs in Zambia and Uganda. Time constraints made this impossible. Fortunately DPOs in these countries as well as South Africa, Zimbabwe and Malawi did survey their members, as well as in country offices of NORAD and USAID. In the North interviews were carried out at USAID, the National Council on Disability (USA), the World Bank and DFID.

A 7-page executive summary is available as well as the full report.

Citation

Has Disability Been Mainstreamed into Development Cooperation? Disability Knowledge and Research Programme, 107 pp.

Published 1 January 2005