SDDirect provides research, guidance, and technical support on disability inclusion in all aspects of policy and programming.
We also mainstream disability inclusion throughout our work to promote the ‘leave no one behind’ agenda and the ‘nothing about us, without us’ call from the disability rights movement.
An estimated 1.3 billion people, or 16% of the global population, have a disability. Despite this, people with disabilities have historically been overlooked in development and humanitarian policy and programming. Too often people with disabilities are denied their basic human rights, including access to education, employment and health services. The disability rights movement is advocating for change.
"…disability results from the interaction between persons with impairments and attitudinal and environmental barriers that hinders their full and effective participation in society, on an equal basis with others" - United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities
SDDirect has extensive experience providing guidance on disability inclusion across sectors. Through the Disability Inclusive Development Helpdesk, we support the generation of a rigorous evidence base on ‘what works’ to deliver results for people with disabilities. The Helpdesk also provides technical and training support to ensure that data and evidence is used to drive further action and investment in disability inclusion.
We promote disability inclusion through our broader work, including our work on gender-based violence, infrastructure, safeguarding, and women’s economic empowerment.
We take a rights-based approach to disability inclusion and apply a gender and intersectionality lens in everything we do. Working with organisations of persons with disability (OPDs) is central to our approach and essential to promote the approach advocated by the disability rights movement: “nothing about us without us”.
We work to promote disability inclusion in our workplace and operations. SDDirect is a Disability Confident Employer, and we have an active Disability Inclusion Working Group that reports to our executive management team.
If you would like to hear more about our work on Disability Inclusion, please reach out to Rebekah Martin, Head of Disability Inclusion portfolio, rebekah.martin@sddirect.org.uk.
This guidance note outlines disability-inclusive safeguarding practices for humanitarian and development programming to ensure the protection and inclusion of persons with disabilities.
This report provides an evidence-based overview of the economic and business case for disability inclusion, highlighting the benefits to inclusive practices and how barriers can be overcome. It responds to growing demand for concrete data, compelling arguments, and practical strategies that demonstrate why disability inclusion is a powerful catalyst for inclusive economic growth, resilience and innovation.
This evidence review, informed by desk review and consultations with Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) and disability inclusion experts, outlines effective funding mechanisms for and approaches to working directly with OPDs in humanitarian crises.
This report examines disability inclusion and rights in Jordan, highlighting the national context, recent progress and remaining gaps, evidence across key sectors, and the main stakeholders involved.
This query maps the current donors and funders globally that have a focus on disability inclusion. These include bilateral and multilateral donors, private sector actors, philanthropic donors, foundations, and high-net-worth individuals. It provides an overview of what these donors are currently funding in relation to disability inclusion, what they are thematically and geographically focused on, and what they are generally funding.
This study focuses on the impact of climate change on women and people living with a disability in Kano, Kaduna and Jigawa states in northern Nigeria. The study took a mixed methods approach involving a comprehensive literature review, key informant interviews (KIIs) and focus group discussions (FGDs) with national and state level stakeholders and local participants, including women and people with disabilities and their representative organisations.
This Evidence Digest from the Disability Inclusion Helpdesk focuses on making healthcare systems more inclusive for people with disabilities. It includes a guest blog from FCDO’s Jo Keatinge on strengthening systems through integrated, country-led approaches. The digest summarises new guidance, programme learning, and research covering inclusive health policies, financing, service delivery, training, and community engagement.
This report explores the importance of taking a disability inclusive approach to security efforts. It is split into three sections: the first puts forward the case for disability inclusion in the security sector; the second provides the rationale for disability inclusion in specific security sector efforts, with illustrative examples of how this could be done; and the third provides recommendations from key informants (KI) working at the intersection of disability inclusion and security.
This report reviews available data on access to higher education for students with disabilities in Sub-Saharan Africa, South and South-East Asia, and the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) region. It looks at how many students with disabilities are enrolled in higher education, how many are women, and what gaps exist in the data. The report finds that data is limited, often outdated, and not disaggregated by gender or type of disability.
This report reviews global evidence on the deinstitutionalisation of children with disabilities. It explores which organisations are active in this area, the barriers to family-based care, and where reforms have been successfully implemented. The report highlights examples of inclusive care reforms, advocacy by organisations of persons with disabilities, and support from international agencies. It identifies what works, what challenges remain, and where further evidence is needed.
