SA-DRDLC: Disability Research, Documentation and Learning

Good advocacy needs good evidence. Without data, it is hard to make the case for change. Without documented lessons, the same mistakes get repeated. SA-DRDLC exists to fill that gap — building the knowledge base that SAFOD and its affiliates need to push for real, lasting change across the region.

Persons with disabilities remain poorly counted and poorly understood in most data systems across Southern Africa. National surveys often miss them. Policy decisions get made without evidence on their lives, needs, or exclusion. SA-DRDLC works to change that by commissioning research, documenting what works, and sharing findings across the network.

The work spans several areas. SAFOD conducts and commissions studies on key issues affecting persons with disabilities. Findings are disseminated through workshops, webinars, and publications. Research is also used directly to inform SAFOD’s advocacy — particularly the campaign for the SADC Disability Protocol and the push for disability-inclusive social protection systems.

Notable research under this programme includes:

• A regional study on the impact of COVID-19 on persons with disabilities, covering ten countries across Southern Africa. The study used interviews and focus group discussions to show how the pandemic worsened exclusion and violated the rights of persons with disabilities.
• A parallel study with the Centre for Human Rights at the University of Pretoria, which monitored the human rights impact of COVID-19 emergency measures on persons with disabilities in seven countries.
• A COVID-19 research dissemination webinar in May 2022, reaching 62 participants, to share findings and recommendations with OPDs, governments, and development partners.
• Baseline studies and mapping exercises on disability and disaster risk reduction in Zambia, Zimbabwe, and Malawi — carried out as part of the CBM DiDRR project.
• A regional meta-analysis on inclusive social protection mechanisms for persons with disabilities in Southern Africa, drawing on national studies from Malawi, Zambia, and Zimbabwe.
• The SAFOD Regional Guidelines on Inclusive Social Protection Mechanisms for Persons with Disabilities in Southern Africa (2025), developed with CBM and German Cooperation.
• Development of the SAFOD Monitoring and Evaluation Framework (2021–2025) to track programme results across the organisation.

Research under SA-DRDLC does not sit on a shelf. It feeds directly into SAFOD’s advocacy, shapes its programmes, and strengthens the voice of OPDs when they engage with governments and donors.