Promoting disability-inclusive formal employment in developing countries

Header Graphics
21 Feb 2019

Sightsavers and Leonard Cheshire – both are NGO members of the ILO Global Business and Disability Network – are each leading a consortium to deliver a 3-year programme from 2019 to 2022, funded by the UK Aid Connect programme.

Sightsavers is leading the consortium to implement “Inclusion Works”, an innovative programme of work designed to test how best to promote disability-inclusive employment in the formal sector.

Implementing in Bangladesh, Uganda, Nigeria and Kenya, the “Inclusion Works” consortium includes:

  • Sightsavers
  • Institute of Development Studies (IDS)
  • Action for Disability and Development International (ADD International)
  • International Disability Alliance (IDA)
  • BBC Media Action
  • Benetech
  • Development Initiatives
  • Standard Chartered
  • Youth Career’s Initiative (YCI)
  • Humanity and Inclusion (HI)
  • Inclusion International

Leonard Cheshire is leading the consortium to implement “Innovation to Inclusion (i2i)”, which aims to support people with disabilities to have equal access to waged employment in Kenya and Bangladesh.

The consortium members of i2i are:

  • Leonard Cheshire
  • Bangladesh Business and Disability Network (BBDN)
  • Action for the Disabled Network Kenya
  • CBM
  • European Disability Forum (EDF)
  • London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine (LSHTM)
  • Plan International UK
  • International Labour Organisation (ILO)
  • World Bank
  • Global Disability and Innovation Hub (GDI Hub)

These i2i consortium partners will be advised by international experts from Accenture and Benetech.

The design phase for both programmes will end in March and actual implementation will start in April 2019. The consortia have been consulting with key stakeholders in each of the four countries to develop a better understanding of how the programmes could facilitate a positive change for people with disabilities in the labour market.

The consortia look forward to sharing the progress of the programmes and invite other GBDN members to get engaged.