Destigmatising Disabilities? Evidence from a Disability-Inclusive Anti-Poverty Program in Uganda
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 20722790 |
|---|---|
| Authors | Kipchumba Elijah (0000-0003-4996-6802, BRAC University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2026 |
| Pages | 1-19 |
| Publication date | 2026-07-06 |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | The Journal of Development Studies (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 0022-0388 • E-ISSN: 1743-9140 |
| Publisher | Informa UK Limited (PUBLISHER • GB) |
| DOI | 10.1080/00220388.2026.2691808 |
| OpenAlex | W7167505551 |
| Language | EN |
| References cited | 33 |
Persons with disabilities (PWDs) are disproportionately excluded from livelihood opportunities, trapping them and their households in perpetual poverty. I study whether a multifaceted program that simultaneously strengthens the ultra-poor’s productive, financial, human and social assets alleviates this exclusion. The program adapts a previously successful anti-poverty intervention to be disability-inclusive. Using a cluster-randomised study in Northern Uganda, I find the program induces a substantial shift from casual labour to farming and non-farm business, particularly among PWDs. This effect is large enough to close the disability participation gap when PWDs are designated as project holders. While the program reduced the social isolation of persons without disabilities, PWDs’ participation in social activities remained largely unchanged. I argue that the program’s personal empowerment effects, without sufficient appreciation of the societal barriers faced by PWDs, may reinforce rather than reduce existing prejudicial views. These findings do not imply disability-inclusive development efforts are futile; rather, they show that deeply entrenched ableism may not be alleviated by a single programme. The economic gains documented here are themselves substantial and represent a meaningful foundation for future efforts
Casual · Disadvantaged · Empowerment · Foundation (evidence) · Intervention (counseling) · Isolation (microbiology) · Livelihood · Social isolation · Disability Rights and Representation · Income, Poverty, and Inequality · Poverty, Education, and Child Welfare
Mental illness stigma
The Implicit Association Test
Poverty and disability in low- and middle-income countries
Cluster-robust inference
Labor Markets and Poverty in Village Economies
Rural economic activities of persons with disabilities in Sub-Saharan Africa
Economic and social inclusion of person with disability and transgender through skills development program of BRAC
Love Thy Neighbour? Social Attitudes Towards Persons With Disabilities
Disability and Poverty in Developing Countries
Is There a Disability Gap in Employment Rates in Developing Countries
Impacts of vocational training for persons with disabilities
Does perceived labor market competition increase prejudice between refugees and their local hosts? Evidence from Uganda and Ethiopia
Unpacking a multi-faceted program to build sustainable income for the very poor
Cash-plus
Preferences and Biases in Educational Choices and Labour Market Expectations
Consequences of attributing discrimination to implicit vs. explicit bias
Can Social Contact Reduce Prejudice and Discrimination? Evidence from a Field Experiment in Nigeria
In the Long Run
Do Theories of Implicit Race Bias Change Moral Judgments
| Highly cited | No |
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