Additional Context: This quote comes from a report produced by Inclusive Development Partners, or IDP, a research and technical assistance organization. Using a mixed-methods design under IRB approval from the University of Massachusetts Boston, the study triangulated a global survey of staff from 82 projects across 80 implementing organizations with key informant interviews and focus group discussions across eight countries where IDP had existing programs: Bangladesh, El Salvador, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Nepal, Nigeria, and Pakistan. Data collection took place between January and March 2026.

According to IDP, for many, USAID-funded roles had represented the only viable pathway into professional life in systems that had otherwise excluded them entirely. What compounded the harm was the near-total absence of accessible alternatives: no sign language interpreters, no accessible transport, no trusted relationships, no tailored supports built over years. The result was the immediate reassertion of exclusion.

Source: Inclusive Development Partners