MICROCAPITAL BRIEF: World Bank, ACCION’s Center for Financial Inclusion Host Discussion on Access to Microfinance for Disabled People

The Center for Financial Inclusion of US-based nonprofit ACCION and the World Bank’s Global Partnership for Disability and Development recently hosted a roundtable discussion titled ‘A New Financial Access Frontier: People With Disabilities,’ to discuss the facilitation of financial access for disabled individuals in developing countries [1].

According to a concept paper released in conjunction with the event, 10 percent of the world’s population can be classified as disabled, though studies have found the disabled make up less than one percent of all microfinance institutions’ clients [1].

Elisabeth Rhyne, Managing Director of the Center of Financial Inclusion, saw the meeting as a first step towards bridging the gap between the disability rights community and the microfinance community [2]. While disability advocates pushed for greater inclusion, microfinance experts expressed that the inclusion had to be sustainable and a sound business decision. Ultimately, the two sides drew parallels to the inception of microfinance, when many critics argued the poor could not handle credit. No specific follow-up to the meeting was identified.

By Matthew Castner, Research Assistant

Center for Financial Inclusion (CFI)

The Center for Financial Inclusion (CFI) was started by ACCION International with the goal to connect the microfinance community with major drivers of the global economy. The Center works with microfinance experts, banks, investors, regulators, technology firms, universities and others to facilitate global financial inclusion.

Global Partnership for Disability and Development (GPDD)

The World Bank formed the Global Partnership for Disability and Development (GPDD) to accelerate inclusion of persons with disabilities and their families into existing World Bank programs. This is primarily achieved through facilitation of collaboration among development agencies and other relevant organizations.

Additional Resources

[1] “A New Financial Access Frontier: People With Disabilities,” ACCION Center for Financial Inclusion. http://www.centerforfinancialinclusion.org/Document.Doc?id=830

[2] “A New Financial Access Frontier: Persons With Disabilities”, by Elisabeth Rhyne, Huffington Post, July 27, 2010: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/elisabeth-rhyne/a-new-financial-access-fr_b_661176.html

MicroCapital’s Microfinance Universe profile: Center For Financial Inclusion (CFI): https://www.microcapital.org/microfinanceuniverse/tiki-index.php?page=Center+for+Financial+Inclusion+%28CFI%29

MicroCapital’s Microfinance Universe profile: Global Parnership for Disability and Development: https://www.microcapital.org/microfinanceuniverse/tiki-index.php?page=Global+Partnership+for+Disability+and+Development

Browse the MicroCapital Universe and add your entry to the wiki at https://www.microcapital.org/microfinanceuniverse/

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