U.S. Contributes to Disability Inclusion Finance in Southeast Asia
The United States is among the key partners contributing to disability inclusion official development finance (ODF) in Southeast Asia. This initiative, tracked by the Southeast Asia Aid Map, identifies projects that integrate disability inclusion as an objective, using a methodology based on the OECD Development Assistance Committee’s disability inclusion marker. Globally, the World Health Organization estimates that 16% of the population lives with a significant disability, translating to approximately 96 million people in Southeast Asia who may face barriers to participation in society, education, employment, and access to services. While disability inclusion finance averaged 5% of total ODF between 2015 and 2019, it saw a rise to 13% in 2020 and 15% in 2023, before dropping to 9% in 2024. This recent decline is largely attributed to the completion of major infrastructure and budget support projects in Indonesia and the Philippines by the Asian Development Bank (ADB), where disability inclusion was a 'si...
