Economic Benefits of Disability-Inclusive Development (GSDRC Helpdesk Research Report)
This report presents examples of good practice in disability-inclusive development, especially the economic benefits of this approach
Abstract
Query
What are the economic benefits of including people with disabilities in development processes, and in particular, of multilateral and donor agencies taking a disability-inclusive development approach?
Key findings
The economic benefits of adopting a disability-inclusive approach to development are widely acknowledged, but these benefits are complex and difficult to quantify. As a result, few empirical studies provide a sustained analysis of them. Furthermore, there are few reports or evaluations from implementing agencies that present evidence on the economic impacts of their disability-inclusive interventions, except for isolated examples in the areas of microfinance, employment support, agriculture and education.
This report provides an overview of the literature on the economic benefits of adopting a disability-inclusive approach to development. It presents examples of good practice in the area of disability-inclusive development, with a particular focus on the economic benefits of adopting this approach.
Most efforts to present a cost-benefit analysis of disability have focused on the cost side. Assessing the benefits of addressing issues relating to disability (for individuals, households and society as a whole) is closely related to, though not the same as, assessing these costs. The economic costs (and by extension the benefits) can occur at two levels: they can relate to people with disability themselves and their families or households, and to society as a whole. This report examines the costs in each of these areas.
Citation
Walton, O. Economic Benefits of Disability-Inclusive Development (GSDRC Helpdesk Research Report). Governance and Social Development Resource Centre, University of Birmingham, Birmingham, UK (2012) 24 pp.
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