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, government respondents identified specific categories of expenditure that USAID had covered and that domestic budgets simply cannot replace: assistive devices; specialized teacher training at scale; subsidies for medications benefiting persons with disabilities; salaries for volunteer teachers and healthcare workers; social protection benefits including cash transfers, disability grants, and case management; procurement of devices, medications, and printed materials; sign language interpreters; and data and technology systems including referral networks and disability-disaggregated data collection.

Devex Researcher Note: While IDP does not mention the specific program that supported this memorandum of understanding, according to a list of terminated programs as of March 2025, various education and governance programs were terminated in Malawi. The database would have supported the advancement of the rights of persons with disabilities in the country to better access education, healthcare, and employment opportunities.

Source: Inclusive Development Partners