Disability Text

One in 8 people have a disability and, of them, 4 in 5 live in developing countries. Persons with disabilities are more likely to live in poverty, with this likelihood doubling in some countries.

Despite being “the world’s largest minority”, they face significant challenges which prevent them from fully participating in society and the economy, including discrimination and accessibility issues in physical and virtual environments.

Persons with disabilities living in rural areas face even more challenges than in urban areas. They are less likely to have attended school, be employed, have healthcare or own a mobile phone, while rural development projects often exclude them.

However, research shows that persons with disabilities in rural areas are economically active and have the potential to generate income and pull themselves out of poverty.

Given that supporting persons with disabilities is critical to thriving rural communities, IFAD’s work increasingly promotes their rights, while IFAD’s corporate disability inclusion strategy outlines an approach that builds partnerships with organizations led by persons with disabilities, addresses accessibility, allocates dedicated financial resources and generates disability-disaggregated data.

In depth

In depth

SPARK: Inclusive rural transformation

SPARK uses a systemic action learning approach to impact the lives of 7,000 persons with disabilities in Burkina Faso, India, Mozambique, and Malawi.

Projects

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Sierra Leone

Agricultural Value Chain Development Project (AVDP)

Mozambique

Inclusive Agri-food Value-chains Development Project

India

Nav Tejaswini Maharashtra Rural Women's Enterprise Development Project

Stories and news

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Supporting farmers with disabilities in Uganda

May 2024 - VIDEO

Ugandan farmer, Fred Ouma, lost his sight ten years ago. Unable to contribute to his family, Fred became depressed, and his family suffered.

Persons with disabilities and IFAD join forces to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals

December 2023 - STORY

In a world of climate catastrophes, rising food prices and global instability, find out how persons with disabilities are taking their rightful place in the effort to achieve the Sustainable Development Goals.

In rural Ghana, soapmaking brings success for women living with disabilities

February 2022 - STORY

Many persons with disabilities face barriers to accessing education, training and employment – and for women with disabilities, those barriers are even higher. Fortunately, there are a growing number of programmes designed to help rural-dwellers with disabilities find decent jobs and fully participate in their local societies.

A new chapter in IFAD’s work with persons with disabilities

March 2023 - BLOG

Meet IFAD’s new Disability Inclusion Champion as she works towards amplifying the voice and potential of persons with disabilities.

Videos

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Helping farmers with disability respond to climate change
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Senegal: Focusing on Ability

Related documents

Experts

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Valentina Franchi

Senior Technical Specialist, Gender and Social Inclusion

[email protected]