Disability Mainstreaming: Practices and Challenges among Selected Governmental Organizations of Bahir Dar City Administration

Disability mainstreaming program is a newfangled strategy devised to enhance the rights of PWDs and create disability-inclusive development.  As the program is new, in Ethiopia researches on its practice are limited. Therefore, to increase body of knowledge towards the program, this case study research conducted on the practice of disability mainstreaming in account of challenges for implementation among three selected government organizations of Bahir Dar city. Interview and FGDs were used to collect data. The collected data were analyzed using thematic analysis technique. As the findings revealed, there are visible and encouraging trends regarding the practice of disability mainstreaming. Study sectors strive for disability-inclusive development through devising appropriate programs, building human capacity, creating linkages, appointing disability focal person and developing manuals and checklists. Although, there are the aforementioned initiations in practicing disability mainstreaming, some deterring factors put a shadow on these efforts. Factors like, absence of ministry for disability issues, dearth of involvement of PWDs and DPOs, absence of budgeting and institutional and team loafing restrained the practice of mainstreaming. Besides, in the study sectors the practice of mainstreaming affected by lack of awareness, slack follow-up and nominal power of responsible organizations, poor documentation and reporting and hopelessness and sentimentality. The study recommends awareness creation activities have to be done to change the pejorative attitudes of service providers and passive character of service users. Collaborative efforts should be implemented by different stakeholders to realize the effectiveness of the program.  Besides, newfangled and all-inclusive trainings should be given for managers, disability focal persons, staffs and service users to facilitate opportunities for disability equality. Keywords: Disability Mainstreaming, Disability, Peoples with Disabilities, Inclusive Development, Bahir Dar DOI: 10.7176/JCSD/61-04 Publication date: September 30 th 2020