1. ACAP PROJECT Awareness Raising to Project Partners in Self Savings and Credit on Inclusion of People with Disabilities ACAP PROJECT Awareness Raising to Project Partners in Self Savings and Credit on Inclusion of People with Disabilities A project funded by the EU

2. Training developed and delivered by Consortium Partners;

3. BRAINSTORM What is Savings? What are the methods for savings? What is Savings? What are the methods for savings?

4. Saving; a habit which promotes self-reliance and decreases dependency. Regular saving even very small amounts gives a person struggling to survive the practical opportunity to learn to manage money. It creates financial capital, increases feelings of individual self-worth and group solidarity and establishes credit worthiness for access to financial services. Nobody should be considered too poor to save, and having a disability should also not be used as a reason for not saving, and persons with disabilities should not use their disability as an excuse for not saving. CBR Guidelines WHO Livelihoods

5. Saving Mechanism Self saving Save in rural banks/ post office Save within a group Save in Self Help Groups Revolving funds New/Old Cash Collection (local method) Self saving Save in rural banks/ post office Save within a group Save in Self Help Groups Revolving funds New/Old Cash Collection (local method)

6. BRAINSTORM What is credit? What are the methods for getting Credit? What is credit? What are the methods for getting Credit?

7. Credit Credit; loans which are commonly paid back with interest at the end of an agreed term and can be provided through different means: Self Help Groups Credit and Saving Cooperatives Micro finance & commercial banks

8. Credit Mechanisms Loans and grants from family, Neighbor and friends From Self Help Groups Micro Finance Institutes Banks DPOs Government Schemes NGOs/INGOs Private Company Loans and grants from family, Neighbor and friends From Self Help Groups Micro Finance Institutes Banks DPOs Government Schemes NGOs/INGOs Private Company

9. Barriers

10. Wall of Barriers Group Activity InstitutionalAttitudesEnvironment What barriers do you think people with disabilities face in accessing credit?

11. ROLE PLAY Being an Micro Finance Institutions client Spot the Barriers!

12. Do persons with disabilities access microfinance? What barriers ? PwD do not approach Exclusion by other members Exclusion by the MFI staff Exclusion by MFI methodology

13. On one hand, People with Disabilities may not approach MF… Different reasons: Lack of information on MF products and requirements Repeated experiences of exclusion from an early age Lack of self-esteem and motivation + Some People with Disabilities may expect charity and special conditions Some People with Disabilities being overprotected by members of the family

14. On other hand, MF may not approach PwD nor be accessible… Different reasons: Lack of knowledge on the rights of PwD -> may perceive them as “object of charity” instead of potential entrepreneurs on equal basis with others Lack of understanding of the skills and potential of PwD, may not have seen any success cases Lack of physical accessibility from their offices and meetings places in the field Lack of accessible communications to reach persons with visual and hearing impairments Belief that PwD represent a higher risk of non-repayment / failure of the entrepreneurial activity

15. Rights

16. Rights to Employment National Policy on Disability in Sri Lanka 2003

17. People who have disability, both men and women, will have their right to work fulfilled. (1)They will have a free choice of employment in both the public and private sectors.

18. (2) The Employers Federation of Ceylon will convene and sustain a forum to promote the policy and strategies related to creating and maintaining work opportunities for people who have disability in the private sector.

19. (3) Programs and Projects which facilitate and support self- employment including entrepreneurship training, micro- credit and extension and marketing programs, will include a reasonable proportion of people who have disability.

20. United Nations Convention of Rights of Persons with Disabilities. States it is the right of people with disabilities to Be able to borrow money the same as anyone else. Control their own money.

21. Creating Access

22. Inclusive approach via partnerships DPO Information, Peer support, Self confidence MFI Financial services This approach promotes: Inclusion in mainstream services Focus of each org on core expertise Sustainability Referral system

23. How to respond? Working for the inclusion of PWD’s in mainstream microfinance, by: Raising awareness on the rights and skills of PwD’s Training MF on simple adaptations to methodologies Establishing a partnership to coach the MF = sustainability, cost-efficiency, effectiveness

24. Examples of adaptations to MF Methodology: – To adapt the processes and the methods (for example; meeting groups in an accessible places, providing outreach services) Architecture : – Accessibility of the office: Don’t locate MFI on ”3rd floor with narrow stairs” with high counters Do use ramps, use ground floor facilities, low counters use visual and picture signs Information: – Accessible for persons with visual/hearing impairments – Reading and expression skills (illiterate or speech impairments) – Generally the “poor” are under or badly informed / including PwD – Provide sessions to increase knowledge and understanding of microfinance – advantage and disadvantage

25. Loans of higher amounts can be accessed on a longer term basis to improve business continuously and access other services … People with Disabilities have the right to access them and can do so successfully with the right coaching!

26. Make information accessible (brail/picture sign etc) Adapt services Create accessible environment Remember to include women and other vulnerable groups as well. Get PWDs ideas and inputs Increase awareness on disability for livelihoods and credit stakeholders Make information accessible (brail/picture sign etc) Adapt services Create accessible environment Remember to include women and other vulnerable groups as well. Get PWDs ideas and inputs Increase awareness on disability for livelihoods and credit stakeholders

27. Support people with all types of disabilities

28. ?