From Financial Exclusion to Formal Inclusion: Empirical Evidence from the Microfinance and Disability Project in Uganda

This paper documents changes in the ‘Microfinance and Disability’ project initiated by the National Union of Disabled People in Uganda (NUDIPU) and Association of Microfinance Institutions in Uganda (AMFIU). The project aimed at increasing access to sustainable microfinance services for persons with disabilities in the country and mainstreaming disability in MFIs. Based on data collected through document studies, interviews, focus group discussions, and storytelling, the paper studies the changes in 101 persons with disabilities who participated in the project, as well as changes within the MFIs themselves. It covers the following sections in detail:

• Methodology used with a focus on the need for the study, sampling procedure, and limitations of the study;
• Changes at the level of AMFIU and financial institutions with an identification of the main challenges;
• Changes in perceived access and quality of financial services with a focus on the impact on economic and social life and self-confidence of participating persons with disabilities;
• Conclusions at the level of financial institutions and persons with disabilities with a focus on critical success factors and implications on future practice;
• Recommendations on improving the effectiveness of the project.