A Call to Action: USAID Must Fully Commit to Disability Inclusion in Global Development

This year's International Day of Persons with Disabilities theme is?"Amplifying the leadership of persons with disabilities for an inclusive and sustainable future,” and we are celebrating a landmark moment: the release of USAID’s 2024 “Nothing Without Us” Disability Policy. This updated policy underscores a pivotal truth: intentional and meaningful inclusion of people with disabilities is essential for achieving sustainable development.

Worldwide, over 1.3 billion people live with disabilities, with 80% living in low- and middle-income countries. These individuals face disproportionate challenges from global crises like climate change, hunger, and inadequate healthcare. USAID’s updated policy embraces a social- and rights-based framework that addresses systemic barriers and empowers people with disabilities to participate fully in society. It recognizes that no solution to today’s global challenges can be truly effective if it excludes the voices and contributions of people with disabilities.

Turning Policy into Action

The?“Nothing Without Us” policy outlines seven guiding principles: accessibility, accountability, anti-ableism, do no harm, gender equality, nondiscrimination, and the eponymous "nothing without us." It commits to integrating disability inclusion across all USAID programs and partnering with disability-led organizations at every stage. The policy aligns with global frameworks like the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the 2030 Sustainable Development Goals.

Importantly, the policy promotes a social and rights-based model of disability, reframing it not as an individual limitation but as the result of interactions between people with impairments and environments filled with physical, attitudinal, and societal barriers.

However, policy alone is not enough. Its true impact hinges on action—supported by sustained funding, accountability, and collaboration. Momentum Wheels for Humanity calls on USAID to ensure that this groundbreaking policy translates into real, tangible outcomes for people with disabilities worldwide.

A Call to Action Grounded in Proven Success

With nearly three decades of experience, Momentum Wheels for Humanity demonstrates how disability-inclusive development can be realized in practice. Our work exemplifies the transformative potential of the?“Nothing Without Us” approach and offers a roadmap for turning its principles into meaningful, lasting change, highlighting the critical need for expanded and sustained investment to achieve its full vision.

1.???? Expand Access to Assistive Technology

Through the USAID-funded CLASP program, Momentum Wheels for Humanity has delivered over 150,000 quality, appropriate assistive products to more than 60 countries, improving mobility and independence for thousands of people. By continuing to fund and scale programs like CLASP, USAID can ensure that assistive products are accessible to millions more, breaking down physical barriers to inclusion.?

2.???? Replicate Inclusive Healthcare Models

Momentum Wheels for Humanity is working in Ukraine to establish a state-of-the-art spinal cord injury (SCI) unit at the First Territorial Medical Union Hospital (TMU) in L’viv. The SCI unit, developed under USAID’s Strengthening Rehabilitation Services with Health Systems (SRSHS) program, is set to become a model for SCI care across the country. It will include advanced assistive technology, comprehensive training, and ongoing mentorship in clinical care and department management, showcasing how health systems can be transformed to meet the diverse needs of all. USAID should expand its investment in similar inclusive healthcare initiatives worldwide, integrating universal design into health infrastructure.?

3.???? Strengthen Partnerships with Local Disability-Led Organizations

In El Salvador, Momentum Wheels for Humanity, with support from USAID, is working hand-in-hand with disabled people’s organizations (DPOs) to break down systemic barriers in disaster response and risk reduction. These partnerships have enabled disability commissions to play a key role in shaping national disaster policies. To build on this progress, USAID should deepen its collaborations with DPOs to co-develop locally driven, sustainable solutions that prioritize the voices of people with disabilities in every stage of program design, implementation, and evaluation.

4.???? Scale Awareness and Accessibility Campaigns

Raising awareness about disability rights and inclusion is central to Momentum Wheels for Humanity’s mission. Last year, through an ATscale-funded program in El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Peru, Momentum Wheels for Humanity reached over 67,000 individuals with assistive technology awareness materials. Accessibility is a cornerstone of all our communication efforts. We are currently working with the Ministry of Health in El Salvador to ensure that all communications for disaster risk reduction, response, and recovery are accessible. USAID must continue funding programs that educate the public, combat stigma, and integrate accessibility into all materials.

A Clear Path Forward

These successes underscore the transformative power of USAID’s commitment to disability inclusion. To ensure the?“Nothing Without Us” policy achieves its full potential, Momentum Wheels for Humanity urges USAID to:?

Expand proven models of inclusive programming?like those led by Momentum Wheels for Humanity, ensuring assistive technology, inclusive healthcare, and accessible communication become standard across all programming areas.

Continue and deepen partnerships?with DPOs to dismantle systemic barriers and create sustainable change.

Sustain and increase funding?for initiatives that have delivered measurable impacts, ensuring the long-term success of disability-inclusive development.

USAID’s support has already changed thousands of lives. By continuing to lead through bold investments and accountability, USAID can ensure that disability inclusion becomes the cornerstone of sustainable global development. Momentum Wheels for Humanity stands ready to partner in building a world where no one is left behind.