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Ensuring access to microfinance services for
people with disabilities - Workshop for Disabled
Peoples Organisations and Microfinance
Institutions
Day 1
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Workshop rules

• Confidentiality
• Respect for the opinions of others
• Listening
• Speaking freely
• Co-responsibility
• Punctuality
• Photographs

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Understanding disability
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Definition
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 - UNCRPD)
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International Convention

• The Convention on the Rights of Persons with
  Disabilities received its 20th ratification on 3
  April 2008, triggering the entry into force of
  the Convention and its Optional Protocol 30 days
  later.
• This marks a major milestone in the effort to
  promote, protect and ensure the full and equal
  enjoyment of all human rights and fundamental
  freedoms of persons with disabilities, and to
  promote respect for their inherent dignity.

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Disability is a Human Rights issue

• Disability is an unavoidable and universal part
  of human diversity
• There has been a change in how the person with
  disabilities is viewed
• From being seen as an object of charity and a
  burden approach of assistance
• To a subject of law approach based on the
  respect of all human beings
• Shift from a charitable to a rights-based
  approach
• whereby individual is respected and
  empowered

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• In light of this change, four core human rights
  values take on particular importance in the
  context of disability
• Dignity respect for a persons physical and
  moral integrity
• Autonomy capacity for self-directed action,
  decision and behaviour
• Equality prohibition of discrimination
• Solidarity social support
• ? Everybody has the same rights and should have
  the same access to their rights

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Contrasting disability models
Disability viewed as an individual
pathology MEDICAL MODEL
Disability viewed as a social pathology SOCIAL
MODEL
The problem is within the individual the
disability is the direct result of the persons
impairment Disability is only a health (thus
medical) issue Solutions are designed by
 medical experts  on the basis of a medical
diagnosis Focus elimination or cure of
disability normalisation
Reference to people with disabilities as an
oppressed minority The environment of persons
with disabilities is a problem The disability is
the result of barriers linked to physical
environment, attitudes, information and
communication. This leads to unequal access to
opportunities Focus elimination of barriers
linked to physical space, attitudines and
information/communication
Adapted from Rioux, 1997 - Cité par Interactif
déc 2002 - Understanding disability look, then
act
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HUMAN DEVELOPMENTAL MODEL
Personal factors
Environmental factors
Intrinsic
Extrinsic
Interaction
SOCIAL PARTICIPATION
Human development model (RIPPH, 1996)
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HUMAN DEVELOPMENTAL MODEL
Adapted from Disability Creation Process,
Fougeyrollas et al., 1997
Organic systems Integrity - Impairment
Capabilities Ability Funct. impairment
Social Participation - Disabling Situation
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A heterogeneous group...

• They have different types of impairments of
  varying degrees of severity

Organic systems
They have diverse combinations of education,
skills and experiences
Capabilities
They live in different environments with specific
obstacles and facilitators
Environmental factors
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with a lot of potential
Many impairments could be treated or compensated
for!
People with disabilities have capabilities and
can develop new ones !
Obstacles could be reduced and facilitators
multiplied !
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This is the story of Annie, a 23 year old woman
from Zambia. Annie Mweemba is a wheelchair-user.
Annie has completed a two-year tailoring course.
She knows she was lucky to complete this
training. After spending some time at home
helping her parents with domestic chores, Annie
thought of using their old sewing machine to
start her own business. She began by advertising
her home-based business, but met with negative
attitudes, especially from her parents, because
of her disability. However, Annie persisted and
eventually people began bringing her sewing. Her
business was not profitable because she had a lot
of competition from other tailors, but she
continued to work hard to earn a living. However,
her sewing machine was not adapted to her needs
and her old wheelchair made it even more
difficult for her to work efficiently. She tried
to get a loan from a bank to buy a new
better-adapted sewing machine, but she couldnt
get into the building with her wheelchair. After
much effort she convinced a friend to help her to
get inside, but the bank personnel rejected her
request outright because of her impairment,
without even trying to gauge her skills in
business management, her technical expertise or
the collateral guarantee. Despite all her
efforts, Annie was forced to give up her dream of
becoming financially independent and had to go
back to being dependent on her family. She is
now confined to her home and reduced to doing the
domestic chores. She often wonders how different
her life would have been if she had had access to
information on places that help people like her
to realise their aspirations. Annie is just a
case in point. There are countless Annies in our
society, people who have the skills,
determination and aspirations to make it on their
own, but are unable to do so..
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Annies case-study

• What are the personal and environmental factors
  that affect Annies life habits/situation?
• What facilitators would have contributed to
  Annies success?

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Participation and inclusiona cross-cutting issue

• Ensuring the participation of people with
  disabilities involves complementary activities in
  a variety of sectors

Healthcare, rehabilitation, assistive devices,
public education, barrier-free access, transport,
communications, education, social welfare and
community development, awareness of the rights of
people with disabilities, social security, sport
and recreation, and adequate and enforced public
policies and legislation.
financial services
involving a wide range of stakeholders
Hospitals, schools, government bodies, firms,
NGOs, media companies
microfinance institutions
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In brief

• Disability is a relative situation that results
  from the interaction between a persons abilities
  and a persons environment.
• Disability is not a fixed state but rather an
  evolving one.
• A multi-sector approach addressing the various
  disabling barriers is required for the successful
  inclusion of people with disabilities.

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Disability, povertyand livelihoods
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General figures

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

• 80 live in low-income countries

• 82 of people with disabilities
• live below the poverty line

• 80 of people with disabilities
• of working age are unemployed

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Facts

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

• The majority of people with disabilities in
• developing countries live in rural areas

• There is a higher rate of unemployment
• among people with disabilities than among
• the rest of the population

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Link between poverty and disability
Sources DFID
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Millennium Development Goals

• MDG 1 Eradicate extreme poverty and hunger
• Disability and poverty are mutually reinforcing
  and disabled people and their families represent
  a very substantial proportion of the poor,
  especially the extremely poor.

MDG 2 Achieve universal primary education This is
the only absolute goal and with 98 of disabled
children in developing countries not in school it
will be impossible to achieve unless they are
explicitly brought into the equation.
MDG 3 Promote gender equality and empower
womenDisabled women and girls face a complex and
layered experience of discrimination and
disadvantage. The target of eliminating gender
inequality in all levels of education by 2015
will not be reached without taking disability
into account.
MDG 4 Reduce child mortality In the developing
world, the mortality rate among disabled children
under five can be as high as 80.
Sources DFID
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Millennium Development Goals
MDG 5 Improve maternal health Disabling
impairments associated with pregnancy and
childbirth affect up to 20 million women a year.
MDG 6 Combat HIV/AIDS, malaria and other diseases
Disabled people are particularly vulnerable to
these diseases, which are also a major cause of
disabling impairments.
MDG 7 Ensure environmental sustainability Unsafe
water can be the origin of Trachoma which can
cause blindness
MDG 8 Develop a global partnership for
development National and international
organisations in the world community, including
Disabled Persons Organisations (DPOs), have an
important role to play in the raising awareness
to disability issues, and empowering people with
disabilities
Sources DFID ACFID
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Millennium Development Goals

• If 20 of the worlds poorest are persons with
  disabilities, then the Millennium Development
  Goals will only be achieved if explicit and
  specific efforts are undertaken to include them
  in programmes aimed at reaching the worlds
  poorest.

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Specific services
Whenever necessary
Twin-track approach !
Access to mainstream services
Whenever possible
For an  equal enjoyment of all human rights and
fundamental freedoms 
United Nations Convention on the Rights of
Persons with Disabilities - 2006
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The situation in Afghanistan

• Disability a dormant factor

The impact of being a person with disabilities is
felt when the situation starts improving
which does not affect people facing severe and
chronic poverty.
Sources National disability survey in
Afghanistan - 2005
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Livelihood opportunities

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

• Lack of opportunities in the job market

• Exist in only some developed countries

• Usually the only option available 80 of people
  with disabilities who have an economic activity
  are self-employed

Not an option for all PwDs are an heterogeneous
group !
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Being self-employed !
Network
Market opportunities
Experience
Access to capital
Skills
Good products services
Suppliers
Conducive legal environment
Access to capital is now considered one of the
main elements of economic inclusion.
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Access to capital

• Very costly schemes and not very common
• Tend to make away individual responsibility and
  make
• people dependent
• Should be limited to specific conditions

Grants
Own capital

• Need saving capacity

Loans

• Access to credit still very limited from formal
  and informal lenders, despite the demand

For most MFIs, PwDs represent between 0 and 2 of
their clientèle
The demand for capital from Pwds remains largely
unfulfilled !
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Conclusion

• ? People with disabilities suffer from high
  poverty levels and high rates of unemployment
  yet employment is essential for earning a living,
  helping to support the family and improve
  self-esteem.
• ? Self-employment is often the only option open
  to many people with disabilities. In most cases,
  it is difficult for disabled people to find a
  formal job in developing countries. However,
  self-employment is not an option for everyone,
  since disabled people are a heterogeneous group.
• ? One of the main obstacles to self-employment is
  access to capital for start-ups or business
  enhancement.

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Difficulties faced by people with disabilities in
being self-employed
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Most people with disabilities

• Prefer not to apply for microcredit, even if it
  is available locally
• Are able to adapt and learn quickly
• Are risk-averse, afraid to lose what they have
• Consider a loan as a last resort
• Do not know how to approach an MFI
• Have had unhappy experiences when approaching
  offices

Mersland - 2005
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Most people with disabilities

• Are misinformed about MFI and existing MF
  products
• May wait for specific programmes
• Who were denied the access to a loan believe it
  is because of their impairment (even if the real
  reason is business capacity)
• May have higher operational costs in their
  activity

Mersland - 2005