Reflections on Including Disability in Social Protection Programmes

This article presents reflections on including disability in social protection and, specifically, in social assistance programmes. The main considerations for including disability in such programmes are: (a) the factors associated with disability that create vulnerabilities for people with disabilities and their household (e.g. social exclusion, the need for care and extra costs); (b) the nature of disability targeting within social protection and social assistance programmes; and (c) the measurement of disability – a complex but key factor in ensuring accurate targeting and monitoring of impact. This article describes these considerations in relation to experiences in three African countries – Uganda, Zambia and South Africa – and concludes with recommendations on recognition of disability as a vulnerability factor, and how targeting and measurement can and should be addressed for inclusion of disability in social assistance programmes.