Inclusive Futures

The Inclusive Futures initiative works to ensure all children and adults with disabilities have the same likelihood as everyone else to access quality education, health and work opportunities. It is addressing the global gap in evidence about what works, and what doesn’t, to deliver transformative change.

Sidow Mikail Ibrahim is sitting with other children in class and writing on a sheet of paper.

Sidow Mikail Ibrahim,9 has difficulty hearing. He is going to school in Kakuma refugee camp and receives individualised education support through trained teachers and adapted pedagogy. | © I. Rugenge / HI

Inclusive Futures logo

There are an estimated 1.3 billion people living with disabilities in the world, and more than three quarters of them live in low- and middle-income countries.

Currently, many of them are not able to access quality education, health or work without facing stigma and discrimination.

Humanity & Inclusion (HI) is part of the Inclusive Futures consortium initiative, led by Sightsavers and the International Disability Alliance, and funded by UK aid.

Since 2018, together, we’ve worked with more than 100 organisations of people with disabilities. We’ve transformed the lives of more than 3.5 million people with disabilities and reached more than 15.5 million others through our work in Bangladesh, Kenya, Nepal, Nigeria, Tanzania and Uganda.

HI runs education and livelihoods activities in Nepal and Kenya.

How we’re working towards a more inclusive world

A girl in a classroom, Kenya Kakuma camp

Education

We are focusing on promoting access to quality basic education for children with disabilities.

The project in the Chitwan district of Nepal is identifying children between the ages of 3-13 both currently in education as well as those who have dropped out or never attended school.

We are tailoring activities and approaches to support an overall increase in the enrolment of children with disabilities in primary school education. So far, the project has supported over 2,500 children with disabilities across 154 schools and collected inclusive data for over 30,000 primary school children. Find out more.

A Social Worker raising awareness in the community in Nepal

Health

Health barriers include limited access to information, negative attitudes from family and health workers, cost and physical barriers.

Young people with disabilities often have restricted access to sexual health and reproductive health services due to stigma and inaccessibility which limits their future prospects.

The project worked with health service providers, training health workers to identify and provide quality sexual and reproductive health services to more than 830 people with disabilities. Significantly, it established ground-breaking ‘Vulnerable Focal Point’ roles dedicated to serving the needs of people with disabilities, which have been adopted by local governments. Learn more.

A wheelchair user working in the reception at the NNSWA rehabilitation centre.

Work

When people with disabilities have access to skills training and paid work, and are economically empowered, it not only benefits them, but also their families and wider society, both economically and culturally.

We are leading project activities in Kakuma refugee camp in Kenya to improve inclusive employment practices and work opportunities for people with disabilities.

So far, this project being delivered across 11 counties in Kenya, has provided business development services to almost 1,500 people with disabilities and their micro-enterprises, with strong proportions of women reached. Learn more.

A blind woman walking with a child, Kakuma Camp, Kenya

Stigma and discrimination

The consortium has gathered evidence and research on stigma reduction to support governments and the development community to increase action towards social inclusion.

Together, we’ve worked with more than 100 organisations of people with disabilities - providing a platform to challenge assumptions and propose and deliver solutions to problems that affect their lives. Find out more.

What does the programme aim to achieve?

It has generated robust evidence (which is open access and available on the Inclusive Futures website) of what works to enable people with disabilities to access employment, education and health and live their lives free from stigma and discrimination.
Developed strong partnerships between private, public and civil society to influence the inclusion of people with disabilities.
Supported disability movements in each country to develop their own knowledge and resources, so they can continue to advocate for and support people with disabilities.
It continues to work to increase international action and investment in disability inclusion.

Project partners

The Inclusive Futures initiative is led by Sightsavers and the International Disability Alliance, with the following partners:

ADD International
BBC Media Action
BRAC
Humanity & Inclusion
Institute of Development Studies
Light for the World
Sense International
Social Development Direct
United Disabled Persons of Kenya

For more information on Inclusive Futures visit: inclusivefutures.org

UKAid logo Inclusive Futures is funded through UK aid. It demonstrates the UK government’s commitment to global leadership on inclusive development by ensuring people with disabilities are central to international development policy-making and programmes.