Livelihood outcomes in a cohort of youth with disabilities following participation in an economic empowerment programme in rural Uganda.

BACKGROUND

Little evidence exists on the livelihoods of young people with disabilities in low- and middle-income settings.

OBJECTIVE

This study examined employability and livelihood outcomes among a cohort of youth with disabilities who participated in an economic empowerment programme in rural Uganda.

METHODS

Prospective cohort of youth with disabilities participating in an economic empowerment programme in rural Uganda. Livelihood outcomes of participants were assessed through structured interviews at baseline (n = 297) and again at 12 months (n = 252) and analysed using chi-squared tests and generalized estimating equations.

RESULTS

Of 297 participants at baseline, 144 (48%) were women and the mean age was 21.7 years. At 12 months follow-up, participants were significantly more likely to have a job (OR 3.04, 95% CI 2.10-4.39); to have accessed finance (OR 5.52, 95% CI 3.18-9.56); and experienced community support (OR 2.23, 95% CI 1.51-3.29) compared with baseline. There were no statistically significant changes in having enough money for food or in having experienced community discrimination.

CONCLUSIONS

The findings suggest that targeted vocational skills training, apprenticeships scheme and a start-up financial package may improve the livelihoods of young people living with disabilities in rural African settings.