Economic empowerment for people with disabilities through the graduation approach: lessons from Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Mexico

Jo Sanson; Florie Bielsa; Saara Shanti Kumar

doi:10.3362/1755-1986.17-00010

Economic empowerment for people with disabilities through the graduation approach: lessons from Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Mexico

Jo Sanson | Florie Bielsa | Saara Shanti Kumar

People with disabilities (PWDs) are overrepresented among those in extreme poverty. They are also often excluded, or self-exclude, from economic strengthening programmes. For the past six years, Trickle Up has had promising results in adapting graduation programmes to the needs of PWDs living in extreme poverty. Drawing upon mixed-method data analysis, participatory assessment, and case studies from six projects in Guatemala, Nicaragua, and Mexico involving 936 households with PWDs, this article discusses graduation programme design for PWDs in extreme poverty. This includes when and how to engage PWDs as primary programme participants, homogeneous versus integrated savings groups, the role of field staff in changing negative attitudes about disability in families, communities, and among PWDs themselves, and how ‘graduation’ itself should be conceptualized when working with specific vulnerabilities. Finally, consideration is given to the broader lessons for program designers and implementers engaging other highly marginalized groups in economic development programmes.

APCD (Asia-Pacific Development Center on Disability) (2012) Community-based Inclusive Development: Principles and Practice [pdf], Bangkok, Thailand: APCD <https://www.apcdfoundation.org/?q=system/files/cbid.pdf> [accessed 25 July 2017].

Banerjee, A., Duflo, E., Goldberg, N., Karlan, D., Osej, R., Parienté, W., Shapiro, J., Thuysbaert, B. and Udry, C. (2015) ‘A multifaceted program causes lasting progress for the very poor: evidence from six countries’, Science 348(6236): 1260799 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1126/science.1260799>.

Banerjee, A., Duflo, E., Chattopadhyay, R. and Shapiro, J. (2016) The Long term Impacts of a ‘Graduation’ Program: Evidence from West Bengal [online], BRAC/Centre for Micro Finance <http://economics.mit.edu/files/12031> [accessed 25 July 2017].

Elliot, D. and Werlin, S. (2016) Final Evaluation: Chemen Lavi Miyò For Persons with Disabilities (CLMD) [pdf], Fonkoze <https://www.microfinancegateway.org/sites/default/files/publication_files/final_report_clmd_002.compressed.pdf> [accessed 29 July 2017].

Handicap International (no date) Fact Sheet: Disability and Poverty [online] <www.making-prsp-inclusive.org/6-disability/64-why-disability-must-be-included-in-prs/fact-sheet-disability-and-poverty.html> [accessed 2 August 2017].

Handicap International (2006) Good Practices for the Economic Inclusion of People with Disabilities in Developing Countries: Funding Mechanisms for Self-Employment [pdf], Lyon, France: Handicap International <www.handicap-international.org/uploads/media/goodpractices-GB-2coul.PDF> [accessed 25 July 2017].

IDDC (International Disability and Development Consortium) (2012) CBR Guidelines as a Tool for Community Based Inclusive Development [pdf], Brussels, Belgium: IDDC <https://www.light-for-the-world.org/sites/lfdw_org/files/download_files/cbr_summary_eng.pdf> [accessed 25 July 2017].

ILO, UNESCO, and WHO (2004) CBR: A Strategy for Rehabilitation, Equalization of Opportunities, Poverty Reduction and Social Inclusion of People with Disabilities. Joint Position Paper 2004 [pdf], Geneva, Switzerland: WHO <www.ilo.org/wcmsp5/groups/public/---ed_emp/---ifp_skills/documents/publication/wcms_107938.pdf> [accessed 25 July 2017].

Kelly, L. and Wapling, L. (2012) Development for All Strategy: Mid-Term Review Report [pdf], Canberra, Australia: AusAid <https://dfat.gov.au/about-us/publications/Documents/dfa-mtr.pdf> [accessed 24 July 2017].

Matt, S. (2014) ‘Perceptions of disability among caregivers of children with disabilities in Nicaragua: implications for future opportunities and health care access’, Disability Studies Quarterly 34(4) <http://dsq-sds.org/article/view/3863/3799> [accessed 22 July 2017].

PPAF (Pakistan Poverty Alleviation Fund) (2012) Let’s Not Leave Them Halfway: Disability Inclusion, Our Commitment, Our Responsibility, Islamabad, Pakistan: PPAF.

Sanson, J. and Felix, M. (2013) Disability, Poverty & Livelihoods: Guidance from Trickle Up [online], New York: Trickle Up <https://trickleup.org/wp-content/uploads/2016/05/2014_Trickle_Up_Disability_Poverty_Livelihoods.pdf> [accessed 30 August 2017].

Thomas, M. (2011) ‘Reflections on community-based rehabilitation’, Psychology and Developing Societies 23(2): 277–91 <http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/097133361102300206>.

WHO and World Bank (2011) World Report on Disability [pdf], Geneva: WHO <www.who.int/disabilities/world_report/2011/en/index.html> [accessed 25 July 2017].

World Bank (2017) ‘Understanding poverty: topics: disability: context’ [online] <www.worldbank.org/en/topic/disability> [accessed 23 July 2017].