Our approach

For the last 40 years Able Child has been part of a progressive change to support African organisations working to improve the lives of children with disabilities. As our reach has grown over the last ten years, we began a process to analyse what our role has been, what it is now and what it should be in the future.

We have developed a new way forward.

A direction that creates an organisation which is fit for purpose, that builds a model aligned with the interests of our current partners in Africa, and ensures we are best placed to achieve our vision of ensuring no child with a disability is left behind.

We support a network of African organisations that protect, educate and amplify the voices of children and young people with disabilities.

Together, we work across Africa, breaking down barriers to inclusion so that children with disabilities are able to thrive.

Our theory of change

Value for money

Investing in the inclusion of children with disabilities is fundamentally about upholding and defending human rights, but it also makes economic sense.

The exclusion of children with disabilities is costly. It limits the opportunity of nearly 240 million children with disabilities globally from contributing to national and global income, it impoverishes and increases the economic burden on families, and it increases reliance on costly social welfare spending. In contrast, investing in children with disabilities creates diverse societies and leads to more productive and profitable economies, whilst offering benefits for all children.

The cost of inaction or failure to invest in children with disabilities is a real threat to value for money. The various ways in which the inclusion of children generates economic growth means investing in children with disabilities is worth every penny.

Our Network Members