Inclusive Microfinance:

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• Inclusive Microfinance
• ensuring the access to mainstream microfinance
  services for Persons with disabilities

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Persons with Disabilities Who are they?
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Definition from the UNCRPD

• Persons with disabilities include those who have
  long-term physical, mental, intellectual or
  sensory impairments which in interaction with
  various barriers may hinder their full and
  effective participation in society on an equal
  basis with others. (Art. 1)

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Human Developmental Model
Adapted from Handicap Creation process -
Fougeyrollas et al., 1997
Organic systems Integrity - Impairment
Capabilities Ability Funct. impairment
Social Participation - Disabling Situation
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Facts and figures

• 10 - 12 of the worlds population has some form
  of impairment disability (over 600 millions
  people)

• 80 live in low-income countries

• 82 of Pwd live below the poverty line

• 80 of Pwd of working age are unemployed

• Women with disabilities are generally worse off
  than men with disabilities

• The majority of Pwd in developing countries live
  in rural areas

• Pwd have a higher rate of unemployment than the
  rest of the population

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Livelihood opportunities

• Employment
• Social security resources / safety net
• Self-employment

• Lack of opportunities in the job market

• Exist only in some developed countries

• Most often the only option available 80 of the
  Pwds who have an economic activity are
  self-employed

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The barriers to access MF services
From Microfinance institutions
From Persons with disabilities
MFI are money hunters Borrowing money is too
risky Because of our situation, we should
receive grants What is microfinance? They
would always refuse to consider us as clients I
cant even access their nearest branch
We havent thought about it. There is probably
not so many disabled persons running viable
businesses. We dont have any knowledge on how
to serve this segment. We need special products
to serve this segment. We are to busy to think
about this
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The barriers to access MF services
Discrimination
Self-exclusion

• Lack of self-esteem
• Lack of saving culture
• Adverse to risk
• Habit of being rejected
• Expectation of charity
• Lack of information on the existence of the MF
  services
• Lack if understanding of MF mechanisms

• Reluctance from staff to serve Persons with
  disabilities (deliberately or unconsciously)
• Physical barriers to access the MF services
• Exclusion by group of borrowers
• No communication aiming at Persons with
  disabilities
• Financial products do not suit

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Including disabled clients in communication
materials
What MFI can do !
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What MFI can do !
Making MF branch accessible
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Recruiting Persons with disabilities
What MFI can do !
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What MFI can do !
Make public success storiesof disabled clients
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What MFI can do !

• Training for MFI staff
• Communication from MFI director to all MFI staff
  (newsletter or special letter)
• Special conditions to groups which include
  disabled members
• Bonus for Loan officer reaching out Pwd
• Identify existing disabled clients and get them
  to recommend new clients

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 Should we do all of this alone? 

• Partnering with actors of the disability sector

• IDDC members CBM, NAD, Leonard Cheshire
  International, Handicap international, etc.
• Disabled people organisation federation or local
  organisation (depends on capacities)

With the support of the Microfinance for all
Network
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 Should we do all of this alone? 
Actors of the disability sector are able to

• Conduct staff training
• Contribute to MFI outreach programme
• Prepare future clients (graduating scheme)
• Help make MFI branches accessible
• Contribute to recruitment of Persons with
  disabilities
• Help designing communication material
• Gathering documentation and tools (Microfinance
  for all Network)
• Accessing new sources of funds from donors