Day 2

Ensuring access to microfinance services for people with disabilities

-Workshop for stakeholders

from the disability and microfinance sectors

Microfinance stakeholders

Including disabled clients in communication materials

Making MF branches accessible

Recruiting people with disabilities

Make disabled clients’ success stories public

Training MFI staff

Communication from MFI director to all MFI staff (newsletter or special letter)

Special conditions for groups which include disabled members

Bonus for loan officers reaching out to people with disabilities

Identify existing disabled clients and getting them to recommend new clients

And also

Disability stakeholders

• Staff/board members training in microfinance

• Identify resource person / focal point for MF issues

• Gather success stories among members and other people with disabilities

• Build capacity to deliver non-financial services

• Raise funds to set-up a grant scheme (if useful)

Prepare your organisation

Services to people with disabilities

• Spread information and raise awareness on microfinance – encourage people to save first

• Provide psycho-social support and help people to identify their project

• Provide access to training and counselling on business development

• Provide access to technical and vocational training

• Provide small grants (in coordination with an MFI), if possible and useful

Collaborate with MFI

• Support MFIs in improving their physical accessibility

• Support MFIs in designing their communication material

• Propose training on disability issues for MFI staff (field and HQ)

• Participate in MFI events

• Support MFIs in recruiting people with disabilities and adapting work stations

Work with the general public and other service providers

• Raise public awareness on the rights of people with disabilities

• Mobilise the media to report on disability rights

• Involve and mobilise local authorities

What about INGOs/us?

• Promoting partnerships between local actors from both the microfinance and disability sectors

• Proposing tools and mechanisms to support the development of local initiatives (equipment funds, guarantee funds, credit lines, when possible)

• Providing technical support to DPOs and helping to build their capacities

• Schemes for graduating to formal microfinance services

• What aspects of what you have learnt during this workshop will you be able to incorporate into your professional practice? What actions do you plan to take once you are back in your organisation?

• What are the actions that my organisation can take and when?

• Which kind of partnership should my organisation look for? Where? What should we expect from a partner organisation?