Grassroots DPOs and the Disability Movement?

Abstract

Responding to the challenges disabled people encounter—in Burkina Faso as elsewhere—requires an active disability movement. However, the disability movement in Burkina Faso is fragmented and relies to a large extent on support from international organisations. This chapter examines the terrain of grassroots DPOs in Burkina Faso, starting from a brief overview which looks at, among other aspects, the differences between urban and rural terrains in this regard, the different ‘levels’ of DPOs, as well as the positive features DPOs offer in disabled people’s lives. The chapter then goes on to explore the multifaceted organisational life of DPOs, including what motivates people to create and join these organisations, what makes DPOs work (or not) and what the different attitudes of disabled people towards DPOs are. It delves into the hurdles that DPOs and their members encounter and the way that INGO intervention in Burkina Faso is intimately linked with DPO creation and functioning.