DISABILITY PROGRAMMES IN SOUTHERN AFRICA
SAFOD runs eight disability programmes in the Southern African Development Community (SADC) region. They support people with disabilities and their families across the SADC region. Every project we deliver sits under one of these programmes. Together, they drive inclusive development.
Why Our Disability Programmes in Southern Africa Matter
Many people with disabilities in the region still face barriers. Some cannot reach clinics, classrooms or fair work. Others have little say in the laws that affect them. Our disability programmes in Southern Africa tackle these gaps at the root. SAFOD was formed in 1986 and now works in 16 countries.
We work through organisations of persons with disabilities (OPDs). Each programme builds their skills, voice and funding. OPDs then lead change in their own countries. See how this plays out in our disability inclusion projects.
Our Programmes
We impact communities - particularly the lives and welfare of persons with disabilities and their families across the SADC region - through our eight flagship programmes below. Through these programmes, we implement all our projects and activities that advance inclusive development in the region.
SA-CIBIS: Capacity and Institutional Building
The Southern Africa Capacity and Institutional Building (SA-CIBIS) programme works to build well-governed, advocacy competent, financially sound, and self-sustaining OPDs at all levels — from national federations to the SAFOD Secretariat itself.
SA-IPLJ: Inclusive Policies, Legislation and Justice
The SA-IPLJ programme works to embed disability rights into national and regional laws, policies, and frameworks — holding governments to account for commitments made to persons with disabilities across Southern Africa.
SA-DRDLC: Disability Research, Documentation and Learning.
The SA-DRDLC programme builds the evidence base that SAFOD and its affiliates need — commissioning research, documenting lessons, and sharing findings to drive informed advocacy across Southern Africa.
SA-PIAH: Inclusive Access to Health Care
The SA-PIAH programme works to make health systems across Southern Africa more accessible to persons with disabilities — tackling barriers in physical access, health worker attitudes, information design, and service delivery policies.
SA-DEEP: Disability Economic Empowerment and Entrepreneurship
The SA-DEEP programme promotes skills training, enterprise development, and market access for persons with disabilities across Southern Africa.
SA-DGMP: Disability and Gender Mainstreaming
The SA-DGMP programme promotes the inclusion of women and girls with disabilities in decision-making, social protection, and development, recognising that disability and gender discrimination must be tackled together.
SA-IEP: Inclusive Education
The SA-IEP programme pushes for education systems across Southern Africa to be genuinely accessible to learners with disabilities; in classrooms, curricula, and the resources that governments commit to making inclusion real.
SA-CYD: Children and Youth with Disabilities
The SA-CYD programme promotes the rights and active participation of children and youths with disabilities across Southern Africa, equipping them with skills to advocate for themselves.
