Including people with complex disabilities

People with complex or multiple disabilities often face even greater barriers to getting an education, accessing health care, or finding employment compared to people with other disabilities.

In development and humanitarian aid, too often people with complex disabilities are missing from project plans and budgets.

Inclusive Futures has supported children with complex disabilities to transition into mainstream classrooms at school and helped adults with multiple disabilities to grow thriving businesses. Based on our experience, we’ve developed seven lessons to help global development professionals to design, deliver and monitor projects that are inclusive of people with complex disabilities.

How to ensure people with complex disabilities are included

Create an enabling environment. Expand relevant policies, practices and services to focus on people with complex disabilities.

Provide direct, one-to-one assistance. Support people with disabilities to learn and develop skills at a pace that suits them.

Work with families, caregivers and personal assistants who can help children and adults in their care access vital services and provide ongoing support.

Provide flexibility and a range of project pathways. Tailor support to match each individual’s goal and their family circumstances.

Engage people with complex disabilities to deliver project activities. Provide strong champions for people with complex disabilities, demonstrate what inclusion looks like and challenge stigma.

Ensure more time for skills development. Lengthen apprenticeships, provide additional training, or break down vocational skills into smaller tasks.

Address attitudinal change. Challenge low expectations held by families, community members and service providers, and drive transformational change.