•       Training in income generating activities and business management.
•       Assistance in obtaining financial resources like grants, loans and savings schemes.
•       Providing support to help clients obtain waged employment.
•       Assistance in accessing social benefits and entitlements.

Encouraging greater financial self-sufficiency

Persons with disabilities have the right to seek and obtain paid work, but in practice there are many barriers which prevent them from doing so. This is therefore a key focus area for CDD’s work in Bangladesh.

We provide support to enable persons with disabilities to obtain waged employment, learn essential work skills, set up their own small business enterprises and access loans, grants and savings schemes and social benefits. In this way, we assist in improving their financial security, providing for their futures and enhancing quality of life. Importantly, being able to participate in the workforce and earn a living also gives persons with disabilities a sense of worth and dignity otherwise denied to them.

Skills development

CDD identifies and promotes opportunities for persons with disabilities to learn skills that are essential for earning an income i.e., core life skills, basic working practices, small business management, technical abilities, trade skills and income generation activities. For example, we have trained hundreds of persons with disabilities in feasible and practical livelihood skills such as poultry and cattle rearing, horticulture, handicrafts, aquaculture and tailoring.

Self-employment training & loans

In low income countries like Bangladesh, self-employment provides the main opportunity for persons with disabilities to earn a living. CDD provides training in how to run a successful small business and assists persons with disabilities to access new enterprise start-up loans and grants using its business and Government links.

Support seeking waged employment

As persons with disabilities face many barriers to finding meaningful waged employment, CDD assists them in creating connections and securing positions in the business, Government and NGO sectors.

Although employers are slowly becoming more receptive to employing someone with a disability, there is still a long way to go.

Loan, grant & savings scheme assistance

Persons with disabilities have the same needs for financial services as persons without disabilities but are often not aware of or able to access services available. CDD assists them in identifying, applying for and obtaining loans and grants and in setting up savings funds to enable them to provide for their future needs.

Accessing social benefits

CDD also raises awareness amongst persons with disabilities of the social benefits which they are entitled to and helps them to access these i.e., disability, education and widows’ allowances etc. We also assist persons with disabilities to set up self help groups so that they can advocate together for their rights and needs, and work closely with local government, development and Disabled People’s Organisations to support their work in the community