The document discusses the importance of including persons with disabilities in agricultural livelihood programs due to the high risk of disability in this sector and the subsequent lack of opportunities for disabled individuals in rural areas. It emphasizes a twin-track approach for inclusion, incorporating both mainstreaming disability across initiatives and specific support for those with disabilities. Examples of successful projects and best practices for training, capacity building, and access to resources for people with disabilities in agriculture are provided, all aimed at promoting economic empowerment and social integration.

1. Dr. Alka Awasthi
Research Unit, Disha – Resource Centre for
Multiple Disabilities
Disability Inclusion in Agriculture Based
Livelihood Programs

2. Why include the disabled?
 Agricultural operations have high risk of accidents resulting in
fatality/disability. Once disabled, agriculture is difficult. Lack of
other livelihood opportunities in rural areas. Important to
rehabilitate disabled within agriculture
 Disabilities can exacerbate poverty and malnutrition. Poverty can
increase the likelihood of disability.
 Even within well off households the disabled can be extremely
isolated, marginalized and vulnerable. Inclusion can provide
them a valued social role and improved their intra-household
status as well as economic empowerment.

3. UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Article 27
 Protect the rights of persons with disabilities, on an equal basis with others,
to just and favourable conditions of work, including equal opportunities and
equal remuneration for work of equal value, safe and healthy working
conditions………..
 Enable persons with disabilities to have effective access to general technical
and vocational guidance programmes, placement services and vocational
and continuing training
ILO, Vocational Rehabilitation and Employment (Disabled Persons)
Convention, 1983 (No. 159) Each Member shall, in accordance with national
conditions, practice and possibilities, formulate, implement and periodically
review a national policy on vocational rehabilitation and employment of
disabled persons. The said policy shall aim at ensuring that appropriate
vocational rehabilitation measures are made available to all categories of
disabled persons, and at promoting employment opportunities for disabled
persons in the open labour market
Sustainable Development Goals: Goal 8: to promote sustained, inclusive and
sustainable economic growth, full and productive employment and decent
work for all, the international community aims to achieve full and productive
employment and decent work for all women and men, including for persons
with disabilities, and equal pay for work of equal value
Rights of Persons with Disabilities Act 2016, 19 (20 (a): inclusion of person with

4. Inclusion: Twin track approach
 Mainstreaming Disability: inclusion as cross-
cutting approach throughout the program and its
activities and focusing on removal of barriers
 Disability specific interventions: Support specific
initiatives to empower and strengthen capacities
of people with disabilities (PWD)

5. Project Preparation
 Consult with groups of PWDs in proposed area about project
 Conduct screening of impacts of proposed interventions for
risks/opportunities in context of PWDs by sample site visits
 Review applicable policies and regulations for aligning the
project, and relevant government schemes that can be accessed
to support the PWD
 Compile baseline from secondary sources
 Develop targeting strategy: participatory identification of disabled
 Staffing: whether to recruit dedicated senior staff or to enhance
capacity of existing social mobilization staff
 Partnerships with disability specialist NGOs/institutions/ special
educators or trainers/fabricators of implements/ organizations
working on land rights for PWDs
 Identify models of disability inclusive programs/ interventions in
proposed project area for study
 Plan for accessible construction/modification of common sites

6. Community Based Institutions
 Project to decide on overall target in membership for
PWDs in community based institutions (Federations,
Village Groups, Inclusive Self Help Groups, Farmers
Groups, Producer Organizations, Watershed Committees,
Cooperatives, etc.). Persons with multiple vulnerabilities
e.g., disabled women, may be prioritized.
 Strive to achieve overall target at project level. At village
level select PWDs where available, and may select those
disabled who can reasonably benefit from participation
 Use government records for PWD and finalize though
participatory identification at village level.

7. Identify spaces for disabled in the
project
 Projects usually select disabled (possessing desired
minimum qualifications) for the following:
 Facilitators/community resource persons to
encourage other PWDs to participate
 Trainers for various skills imparted in the project
 Record keeping positions in community based
organizations
 Office based positions requiring use of ICTs
 Managers at common service centres (that lend
machinery to farmers), processing centres, selling
points

8. Trainings
 Trainings places should be accessible
 Coordinate with specialized agency for training of PWDs
 Trainings to begin with confidence building sessions for PWDs.
Sensitize other members on rights and capabilities of PWDs
 Adapt training schedule and procedures to the disabilities engage
person knowing local sign language if needed
 Budget for more time for intellectually disabled
 Support disabled to use their existing abilities to modify procedures being
taught
 The PWD may not be able to learn everything, arrange for family member
to learn the remaining part/or support the PWD in the task
 Identify barriers for special needs persons. Take into account safety and
ability to perform tasks without personal injury or fatigue
 Observe special needs of PWDs and communicate to relevant staff (for
coordinating with specialist agency/fabricators for modification of
implements required)
 Occupational Health & Safety: Train all for safe use of machinery,
implements , pesticides etc. to avoid injury, morbidity and disability

9. Individual/household level
investments
For household level investments such as crop
improvement, kitchen garden, dairy, poultry,
etc. small modifications may be made to suit
the PWDs such as:
 Raised beds or cultivation in sacks if bending
and sitting is a problem
 More space between beds to enable movement
of disabled workers
 Water source close to plants, using pipes/drips
for watering
 Develop kitchen garden – close to home
(benefits – less walking required, nutrition
security)
 Adapting seeders/weeders etc. to decrease or
increase length of handles as required, or
procure lighter implements
 Retrofitting of tractors so that PWD can use
them
 Use aprons with pockets for holding many
implements so that less walking is required to
locate them
 Create sitting places around the farm

10. Other interventions to support
PWD
 Distribution of assistive technologies
 Access to credit:
 As member of savings groups
 Constitution of untied funds for use of PWDs on
borrowing basis
 Plan and budget for activities for access to
schemes e.g., education, skill building, housing,
food security, health, agriculture related
government support, accessible toilets, for
obtaining disability certificate, etc.

11. Specific activity/pilots for PWD
Comprehensive approach to include
 Awareness camps: rights and visioning
 Assessment of disability, distribution of assistive devices , therapies
 Selection of suitable farm, off-farm activity
 Land rights: where disabled are excluded from property, partner with
specialized institutions for access to land. This can be a separate pilot
 Identify trainers/ special educators/ therapists
 Adapt training module to types of disabilities
 Draw up plan for modification of implements/work processes or place
 Access to credit/ start up capital (use of credit also for accessibility
related modifications to home or construction of toilets or water sources
at home)
 Access to social protection schemes for self or family..enhance family
income
 Training to family members for caregiving / home based management to
disabled
 Link beneficiaries to other skill building or education programs

12. Monitoring and Evaluation
Assess against a checklist
 Consultation done with PWDs, report accessible to
community
 Specialized resource agency and trainers identified
 Staff trained on disability inclusion
 Sessions on disability rights added in all capacity
building events of CBOs
 Accessible places identified in project area for
various trainings and meetings
Schedule Mid-Term studies covering inclusion as
well as exclusion

13. M&E Contd.
Maintain disaggregated data and monitor indicators
e.g.,
 % or number of PWD in committees or membership of
community based organizations, in community level
facilitators/resource persons/ master trainers, or at
management positions in processing centres etc.
 % PWDs trained, received household level
investments/interventions from projects, received assistive
devices
 Numbers of PWDs gained access to government schemes
 List of innovations: conducting trainings, modifications to
processes and implements, etc.
 Success stories
Outcome indicators for the PWD included, (can be studied
periodically in a sample) e.g.,:
 Economic and financial: income and profit, savings & credit,
value of assets, food security e.g. consumption of milk, protein
etc.
 Social and Personal: participation in meetings of CBOs or
social events, financial contribution to household, confidence

14. Some examples

15. Case 1: Disability Mainstreaming by
Naman Seva Samiti, Madhya Pradesh,
India
 Comprehensive program for disability inclusion in livelihoods
 Promotion of organic farming with 5000 farmers (60% PWD)
producing- certified organic foodgrains and vegetables
 15 Producer Companies with 40% PWD- (Dairy, Food Grains,
Spices, Organic Produces, Seed Production, Trading Non-Timber
Forest Produce)
 4 Cooperative Societies (25% PWD members) financing business
plans for poor and marginal farmers
 Strengthening disabled peoples organizations (DPOs) for advocating
for rights
 74 Master Trainers (PWDs including blind, hearing and speech
impaired, and locomotor impaired) train farmers in composting, seed
preparation, preparing manures, intercultural operations, etc.

16. Case 2: Food Security Program for Ultra Poor
Women- Bangladesh
Strategies for inclusion of disabled:
 Partnership between disability specific organization and mainstream
development NGO
 Targeting: at least 20% households have disabled member
 Sensitization of community to call women by their names instead of
disability
 People with disabilities assessed for need for physiotherapy, medical
treatment or assistive device
 Engaged community member who could speak local sign language
 Specialized trainers helped group members to identify appropriate
income generation activities
 Training content adapted to disability type (raising chicken, goats and
vegetable growing and other activities were taken up)

17. Special Projects for Disabled Case 1: Agri-
business: Mushroom cultivation for self-reliance
- Thailand
 Work can be one at small scale, near the house,
in a shaded place, even chronically ill /weak
people can work in cooler environment in shade
reducing exertion
 People with physical disabilities are fully
capable of accomplishing all necessary tasks in
mushroom cultivation. Some modifications in
constructions and equipment needed.
 Specific tasks may need to be done differently
because of certain disabilities. People with
same disability can have different abilities which
need to be supported
 Mushroom cultivation can be performed by
mentally disabled people. Several tasks
required are repetitive and can easily be
learned.
 Mushrooms can be consumed providing high
levels of proteins and vitamins to all family
members.
 Mushrooms can be produced and sold within 2
to 4 months.
 Trainings enable reintegration of disabled into
society by becoming active members of

18. Case 2: Survival yards: Niger
‘Survival yard' concept was developed by CBM and its Nigerien partner
following the country's 2005 drought and locust-induced food crisis.
 Target group: People with disabilities and their families
 Develop square gardens 25 x 25 m square with a well and simple watering
canals
 Strong fence to keep animals out of the garden.
 Border of trees along the fence to reduce the effects of the harsh Sahara
winds and to help create a micro-climate within the garden.
 Wells and water canals are dug for irrigation and cover crops are planted to
protect the soil from the sun.
 Biodiversity is key, with some survival yards containing up to 50 species.
 Impart specific training (adapt to needs of disabled beneficiary)
 Develop specific assistive technology for the disability. E.g., for blind
beneficiary the project developed a bucket that, after being filled with well
water, would tip into a basin, which would then be poured into a canal and
distributed through the garden.
 The gardens are designed to provide people with disabilities and their
families with vegetables and fruit to eat and sell some surplus, plus fodder
for livestock and firewood.

19. Case 3 : Pilot Project for People with
Disabilities (PWD) under Odisha
Livelihood Mission
 Comprehensive baseline survey of PWD on 40 indicators
 Sensitization of stakeholders (district administration, NGOs, community leaders) on
issues faced by disabled persons
 Community level sensitization meeting at Gram Panchayat for general public to create
awareness about different issues faced by persons with disabilities, importance of
their financial independence, need for this initiative and concepts of community based
rehabilitation.
 Formation and training of Self Help Groups of persons with disabilities. Access to
credit.
 Medical assessment and Vocational assessment (collaboration with Directorate of
Disability and other expert agencies like VRCH, SightSavers, SIDR and SMRC)
 Assessed requirements of assistive technologies as well as vocational trainings for
farm/non-farm activities
 Distribution of assistive devices
 Trainings imparted on farm and non-farm activities
 Untied funds called Disability Development Funds set aside for immediate needs on
borrowing basis
 Care giving training: training of parents of PWD for caregiving, and awareness on
government schemes for disabled
 Rights and entitlements: Block level community based organizations assist families of
PWD to access government schemes and programs

20.  Disabled can benefit from interventions at different levels:
 As agriculturists: rehabilitation and capacity building to
undertake strengthen role as farmers/trainers
 Disabled contribute to livelihood basket of the family through
undertaking non-farm activities
 Economic status of family improved if other member selected
for project’s individual/household investments
 Family members of severely disabled and dependent
individuals spend much time and energy looking after the
PWD. Project can help the families by training on caregiving,
linkage to schemes providing assistive devices, accessible
toilets, credit for modification of house for accessibility, etc. so
that the disabled become more independent and are able to
live with dignity and possibly perform their social roles in the
family, while allowing family members to take up other tasks
Persons with disabilities are not only at the receiving end. They
have proven themselves as leaders, trainers, role models and
advocators for disability rights in various projects.