Introduction

This chapter provides a summary of the main analysis and conclusions drawn from the empirical studies in this book. In addition, I draw policy lessons from the empirical and comparative analysis. Policy interventions in developing countries are necessary to bring about real changes in the livelihoods of people with disabilities and their families to bring them into the framework of inclusive development. One of the strategies for national and international agencies and governments should be non-discriminatory investment in the education of people with disabilities, with the aim of increasing employability, generating income and mitigating poverty.

Bringing disability issues into the framework of inclusive development would help achieve inclusiveness and sustainability in development. In addition, I offer an agenda for research to inform and guide future directions in disability studies. This chapter emphasizes the importance of human capital for people with disabilities to highlight the importance of education and investment in this area. It also ties together the strategies and approaches proposed in this book, considering disability from an investment approach so that people with disabilities can establish their position in society as contributing members, instead of simply being regarded as recipients of assistance.

Policy recommendations

The individual country analyses presented in the previous chapters have provided empirical evidence about the importance of investing in the education of people with disabilities who have historically been excluded and discriminated against. I have presented extensive discussions on the positive effect of education, with an emphasis on investment in education to potentially maximize the labour market participation of people with disabilities.

The first chapter provided some perspectives on disability focusing on current understandings of disability and calling for a change in paradigm from charity to an investment approach. The ongoing discussions in disability studies can be broadly categorized into two major models – social versus medical. The medical model of disability underpins much of the segregation experienced by presenting disability as an individual medical condition that needs to be separated from society and diagnosed. The social model was instrumental in shifting the focus of disability issues from the individual to society, and to considering disability as a human right issue.