Identifying Disability Issues in Poverty Reduction

As the first Asian Pacific Decade of Disabled Persons drew to a close, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) sought to strengthen a regional understanding of the linkages between issues facing people with disabilities and its own over-arching goal of poverty reduction. FIT was contracted to manage a regional technical assistance project to analyze existing institutional frameworks and policies related to disability issues in poverty reduction programs in four Asian countries—Cambodia, India, the Philippines and Sri Lanka. The project created opportunities for people from a wide range of sectors, especially members of the disability community, to identify innovative policy approaches to promote disability issues in the context of national poverty reduction strategies. This approach contributed to the development of capacities among organizations and institutions capable of leading efforts to implement the action plans and bring about positive change—in communities and at the public policy level. By bringing this capacity building approach to the development of a regional policy, the project facilitated cooperative relationships that we hope will continue to build the political will needed to achieve disability issues mainstreaming.

In each of the participating countries local experts in disability issues, poverty reduction and participatory development carried out situational analyses and reviewed current legislation and policies. Disabled people and their representative organizations, government officials, international development organizations, private sector representatives and community-based organizations came together at provincial-level workshops to identify critical issues related to disability and to develop innovative approaches to mainstream these issues into national poverty reduction strategies. This process culminated in national workshops where stakeholders developed policy recommendations and action plans. The results of the policy studies, research and workshop recommendations were synthesized and analyzed in comprehensive Country Study Reports produced in each of the four project countries. A high level regional workshop was held at ADB Headquarters in Manila, placing key findings from the project in the context of regional and international experience, best practice and innovation. Finally, the project developed a Handbook and Checklist to assist officers identify disability issues related to the ADB’s internal poverty reduction and social development strategies and programs.