IDA is a core partner of the Inclusion Works project, a consortium project led by Sightsavers and funded by the DFID UK Aid Connect fund. The focus of the Inclusion Works programme is “how can more people with disabilities be included in/access formal waged employment?” The programme aims to engage a wide group of stakeholders including a diversity of people with disabilities through their representative organisations (DPOs), governments as employers and duty bearers, private sector as employers and influencers, as well as other key groups. The programme seeks to test models of inclusive employment practice and generate robust evidence and data which can be used to influence at a national, regional and global level.

The programme officially started on 9th July 2018 and the first 9 months (up to the end of March 2019) is the co-creation phase. During co-creation, the projects in each country, and at a global level, will be developed and started. It is expected that the implementation phase of the programme will start in April 2019 and run for 3 years until the end of March 2022.

The programme budget is £12.8m over 4 years. The programme is funded through DFID’s UK Aid Connect Funding Mechanism, more information can be found here.

The Inclusion Works programme is being implemented in 4 countries:

  1. Bangladesh
  2. Kenya
  3. Nigeria
  4. Uganda

The Inclusion Works Consortium is led by Sightsavers and partners are:

  1. International Disability Alliance
  2. Action on Disability and Development (ADD)
  3. Institute of Development Studies (IDS)
  4. BBC Media Action (BBCMA)
  5. Development Initiatives
  6. Benetech
  7. Youth Career Initiative (YCI)
  8. Standard Chartered Bank (SCB)
  9. Humanity and Inclusion (HI)
  10. Inclusion International (II)

IDA will be particularly involved in a component of the Inclusion Works (IW) project which aims to produce and jointly advocate for models of employment that are compliant with the CRPD and inclusive of all groups of persons with disabilities. This will contribute to theIW project’s broader goal of long-term improved inclusion of persons with disabilities and realization of their human rights through improved access to employment.

IDA’s contribution in collaboration with Sightsavers and the IW project consortium aims to generate two outcomes:

  1. Strong DPO contributions to provide insights on all persons with disabilities’ priorities in compliance with the CRPD
  2. Optimized capacities of the IW project consortium and members to develop commonly agreed inclusive employment models concerning all groups of persons with disabilities and work in compliance with the CRPD.

IDA coordinates the engagement of IDA members through the IDA Programme Committee.The overall IW budget is of 12 M £ over for years (IDA’s budget through the IW project this is of 2,184,695£ over 4 years).

 Alongside the Inclusion Works consortium, DFID awarded funding to this second consortium which is led by Leonard Cheshire. This second consortium programme also focuses on economic empowerment of people with disabilities with a focus on the private sector, and will be implemented in Bangladesh and Kenya. IDA’s member EDF is a partner within this consortium.