Action on Disability and Development

Activities

ADD International works with local, regional and national groups run by and for disabled people (known as Disabled People’s Organisations or DPOs). Trough these groups, ADD builds disability movements in Africa and Asia by starting local groups of disabled people, or supporting existing ones, to become strong and sustainable organisations that can have an ever increasing impact. ADD helps then these groups connect with each other to build wider movements and we work with them to promote the rights of disabled people.

ADD International also provides the tools, the employment opportunities and the resources for disabled people to achieve their full potential.

Through its advocacy work, ADD also aims at influencing governments, international development actors and the private sector to design policies and services at local and global level which take into account the needs of disabled people.

The challenges faced by disabled people living in poverty

One billion people worldwide are disabled, 80% of them live in the developing world. Disabled people living in poverty are among the most vulnerable, marginalised and discriminated people on the planet. Often, they have no access to basic human rights, education, and the opportunity to earn a living. The injustice they face often includes:

Supporting disabled women and men fighting for their rights

Often disabled people have no access to basic human rights. They are excluded from basic services, such as health care and education, and denied security, dignity and even equal treatment before the law. ADD International fight alongside disabled people’s organisations and the disability movement to eradicate the injustice and discrimination disabled people face in the family, community and wider society. We focus particularly on supporting disabled women to challenge the double discrimination that they often face.

Ensuring disabled children get an education

58 million children are out of school around the world, with disabled children disproportionately represented among them. This happens everywhere, but the situation is extremely grim in countries of extreme poverty and in particular for girls with disabilities. Through local organisations of disabled people, ADD International reaches out to disabled children and we help their families to enroll them in local schools. ADD also helps make sure teachers have the right training and materials, such as Braille kits, to teach all their students and advocates for the importance of inclusive education with schools, local authorities and key institutions.

Helping disabled people earn a living

Disabled people need to overcome huge social and physical barriers which prevent them from earning a living. ADD provides people with disabilities with the tools and resources they need to earn a living, such as micro-loans, skills training and business start-up money. Disabled people are able, for the first time in their lives, to earn regular income and become independent and their confidence grows. As a consequence people around them see that they are capable and have the potential to contribute to their families and the local economy and negative attitudes towards disabled people change within the community.