Through the inclusive family planning project in northern Nigeria, disability-inclusive sexual and reproductive health services were expanded across five states. The programme’s work has since helped secure a £15.8 million Kaduna State implementation plan aimed at improving sexual and reproductive health services for an estimated 800,000 women and girls with disabilities.

Inclusive Futures demonstrated that disability inclusion delivers wider systems change. The programme influenced commitments from governments across programme countries worth at least £9.7 million, including investments in inclusive education, health systems and early childhood development. Its learning informed national policies and contributed to the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office’s Disability Inclusion and Rights Strategy.

One of the programme’s most enduring legacies is its ‘Six Principles for Inclusive Development’ report, designed to help governments, NGOs and donors embed disability inclusion into every stage of development programming.

“When Inclusive Futures began, we set out to prove that disability inclusion wasn’t just the right thing to do, it was one of the most effective ways to deliver lasting development impact,” said Dominic Haslam, Sightsavers’ deputy CEO.

“Over eight years, we’ve seen children get into school for the first time, people with disabilities move into employment, women gain access to healthcare, and governments commit their own funding to make inclusion part of the systems people rely on every day.

“While the programme may have come to an end, its legacy is only just beginning. The evidence, resources and partnerships we’ve built will continue to help governments, donors and development organisations create more inclusive programmes long into the future.

“At a time when aid budgets are under pressure, Inclusive Futures leaves a simple but powerful lesson: disability inclusion is not an optional extra. It delivers better outcomes, better value and more sustainable change for everyone.”