Twenty-five percent of the nearly 1 billion people living with disabilities around the world live at or below the poverty line. Unfortunately, these roughly 250 million people are more likely to face obstacles ranging from finding employment to outright discrimination. However, digital technologies offer the potential to expand employment opportunities for people living with disabilities, allowing them to realize their capabilities, expand their networks, and increase their mobility through digital accessibility. DAI, implementing activities under the Digital Connectivity and Cybersecurity Partnership (DCCP), is designing activities that create employment opportunities and support networks for people living with disabilities in countries such as Cambodia and India.

Through its work with the Digital Asia Accelerator (DAA) and the South Asia Regional Digital Initiative (SARDI), DAI recognizes disability as a cross-cutting issue and strives to provide equitable access to digital tools for people with a wide array of abilities, including those who are hard of hearing, have visual impairments, speech impediments, or other learning, developmental, and psychosocial disabilities. DAI’s grantee organizations, consultants, and partners are making significant steps towards digital inclusion through the facilitation of trainings, workshops, and mentoring groups specifically targeted and tailored for people living with disabilities.