Development Programming for Persons with Disabilities in Gulu, Uganda in the Context of a Disability - Poverty - Conflict Nexus

Abstract

This thesis research explores the influence of the community-based rehabilitation approach on development programming in Gulu, Uganda. This CBR approach, originally designed to address the multidimensional needs of persons with disabilities living in rural, low-income regions, has been endorsed by many development actors, including the Government of Uganda and the United Nations. It also holds the potential to address the complex intersection of disability, poverty and conflict that resulted from two decades of violent conflict in Northern Uganda. An environmental scan and interviews with development professionals from the local government and non-government organizations was conducted to identify the ways in which this international policy idea has influenced development programming, and the obstacles to implementing community-based rehabilitation in Gulu. This research contributes to the literature on policy transfer, and illustrates how local development actors often lack the capacity to fully implement and sustain international “best practices.” While community-based rehabilitation may be a way to address the nexus of disability, poverty and conflict in places like Gulu, too few resources have been committed to fully implementing it and supporting persons with disabilities.