Barriers to employment for people with intellectual disabilities in low- and middle-income countries: Self-advocate and family perspectives

Abstract

Despite a growing focus on disability-inclusive employment and livelihoods, people with intellectual disabilities and their families remain underrepresented in both the literature and in employment programming. This paper identifies key barriers to inclusive employment collected through six (6) focus groups made up of people with intellectual disabilities (N:54) and their family members (N:45) in Kenya, Uganda, Nigeria, and Bangladesh. Self-advocates and families report stigma, denial of access to education, safety and security concerns, pressure to engage in self-employment, and discrimination as key barriers. Their experiences can contribute to more inclusive cross-disability perspectives on employment and provide guidance for practitioners aiming to design responsive disability-inclusive employment programmes.