Disability Inclusion in Development Efforts: Analyzing the United States Agency for International Development’s Funding Solicitations for Evidence of Inclusive Practices

Abstract

In 1997, the United States Agency for International Development established a policy focused on including people with disabilities in its development efforts. For the past two decades, this initiative has been echoed globally, yet research on its effectiveness remains limited. This study revisits a previous 2015 analysis by examining the language in the agency’s 2021 solicitations, a total of 194, which detail program requirements and activities. The research reveals an incomplete adherence to the commitment to including persons with disabilities. Of the solicitations, 44% did not mention persons with disabilities. Thirty-eight percent ( n = 92) of Requests for Applications included some or significant inclusive language, while 23% ( n = 22) of Annual Program Statement solicitations did. All ( n = 11) Requests for Proposals had some degree of inclusive language. Education and global health are the most inclusive sectors. This study also identifies four practices in the more inclusive solicitations: (a) explicit clarity on who to engage, (b) inclusion of instruments to protect persons with disabilities, (c) the outlining of indicators linked directly to persons with disabilities, and (d) mandated co-design and engagement with persons with disabilities. This highlights a need for more consistent inclusion of disability considerations in development solicitations.