Additional Context: This information 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 adults with disabilities, USAID-funded employment had also functioned as a form of recognition, signaling that they were valued, capable, and deserving of investment. Closure without acknowledgment, without transition planning, and without any indication that their contribution had mattered was experienced as abandonment.

Source: Inclusive Development Partners