SPARKing Inclusion: How an ILO Project Advanced Disability Inclusive Development

Across rural regions worldwide, persons with disabilities continue to face barriers that limit their access to education, healthcare and employment. These challenges are especially acute for women and youth, who often experience multiple layers of exclusion. The International Labour Organization’s SPARK Project, known as Sparking Disability Inclusive Rural Transformation, was developed to address these inequities by placing disability inclusion at the centre of rural development.

Taking place from 2021 to 2024, SPARK operated in India, Malawi, Burkina Faso and Mozambique, supporting communities and institutions to understand the rights, potential and needs of persons with disabilities. In India, the project worked with Mahila Arthik Vikas Mahamandal under the Government of Maharashtra to integrate disability inclusion into the Nav Tejaswini Yojana, a major rural women’s enterprise programme. Through this partnership, SPARK strengthened staff capacities, updated programme tools and encouraged more inclusive approaches to income generation in agricultural value chains.

A defining feature of SPARK was its model of Disability Inclusion Facilitators. These facilitators, many of whom were persons with disabilities themselves, worked directly in villages to raise awareness, build confidence and link people to services and opportunities. Their leadership helped shift community attitudes and ensured that rural development programmes reached those who had historically been left behind. At the same time, SPARK promoted institutional learning through regular reviews, mentoring and documentation, creating a foundation for scaling inclusive practices across districts.

Lata Korde, a facilitator from Maharashtra, shares her story on how SPARK has impacted her life. Lata first encountered SPARK through a newspaper advertisement and saw it as an opportunity to contribute to her community. Through the project she gained new knowledge about disability rights, grew more confident speaking with government officials and built meaningful connections with other persons with disabilities. She described how, in many villages, people with disabilities were referred to only by their disability rather than by their names. During community meetings she would gently encourage others to address them with respect, and many women expressed how significant it felt simply to be acknowledged. Her reflections highlight the human dimension of SPARK’s work and are drawn from her published story with the ILO.

Lata’s journey also showed how SPARK fostered personal empowerment. The skills she gained helped her secure a new role as a Community Facilitator with WaterAid, where she continued to advocate for disability inclusion. She even purchased a scooter to travel independently to villages, expanding her reach and demonstrating how mobility and agency transformed what was possible.

The SPARK Project offered a practical pathway for rural development programmes to become more inclusive and equitable. By positioning persons with disabilities as leaders, strengthening institutional capacity and creating opportunities for meaningful participation, SPARK contributed to a future where disability inclusion was embedded in the fabric of community life rather than treated as an afterthought.

Following the International Day of Persons with Disabilities, which took place on 3 December 2025, highlighting commitments like these remain critical for continuous conversations for a more inclusive future.

Read more on SPARK here.

Read Lata’s full story here.