This note discusses the varied strategies adopted by Community Driven Development (CDD) programs to ensure the inclusion of disabled people. It is based on five case studies, which represent a wide spectrum of approaches ranging from micro interventions for building social capital and community-based rehabilitation, to macro strategies for policy reform and advocacy efforts based on a disability rights perspective.
The note argues for an approach which integrates micro and macro interventions, and balances participatory processes with social protection mechanisms that are designed to include the needs of vulnerable groups. The importance of improved targeting, and building an appropriate enabling environment is also highlighted.
Key findings:
The case studies analysed represent a wide spectrum of approaches, ranging from micro interventions such as CBR, education, vocational training and provision of other social and welfare services at community level, to macro interventions such as policy reform and advocacy within a disability rights framework. For CDD to be truly effective as an approach towards promoting the inclusion of disabled people, micro and macro approaches need to be integrated. Some emerging lessons on ways to include disabled people in CDD programs are:
- Supporting a twin track approach of targeting people with disabilities and integrating their voices and needs within the broader project cycle. While specific sub-projects with an emphasis on addressing disability concerns are valuable, communities should be encouraged to address the voices and needs of vulnerable groups.
- A strong enabling environment, wherein disability concerns are mainstreamed into institutional frameworks and are supported by progressive legislation is critical to empowering disabled people. To ensure sustainability, it is also important that multiple stakeholders such as local government, civil society organizations, and the private sector, as well as disabled people be involved.
- Project staff should be equipped in terms of capacities and resources to integrate disability in CDD programs. People with disabilities should be employed as facilitators and project managers to ensure self-representation and better outreach.
- Inclusion of disabled people can be accomplished only if a “vulnerability perspective” is integrated in all aspects of CDD operations. Disability, much like gender, is a cross-cutting issue and should be incorporated in all stages of the project cycle – design and appraisal, implementation, review and monitoring and evaluation.
- Finally, it is important to balance the participatory and demand-driven approach of CDD programs with social protection mechanisms that include the special needs of vulnerable groups as part of a rights-based paradigm. Owing to historical, systemic, and physical barriers, disabled people, especially severely disabled, can only participate in the process of decision-making if they are included in the entire project cycle. Therefore, it is important to complement participatory processes with the provision of safety nets to not only ensure that the needs of people with disabilities are included in CDD programs, but also that disabled people themselves are engaged as active participants.
