Families in Action: Case Studies of Family Mobilisation around the World
Report
Family groups of people with intellectual disabilities play diverse roles in their communities, from peer support to economic empowerment to advocacy.
This report presents case studies of 9 family groups from Latin America and sub-Saharan Africa, documenting their unique stories of formation, evolution, and impact.
For the rights of people with intellectual disabilities to be fulfilled at the community level, family groups
Families in Action: Case Studies of Family Mobilisation around the World
are essential for spreading a vision of inclusion. Groups of individual family members of people with
intellectual disabilities – parents, siblings, grandparents, and others who have a person with an
intellectual disability in their life whom they love – come together in groups to help combat exclusion
and create real change in their communities. By coming together, these family members strengthen
their voices and their impact.
Through these case studies, the report explores how family groups come together, why they matter, and how they leverage their unique approaches to make real change on issues like inclusive education, economic empowerment, and access to services.
These examples serve as models for future family leaders and provide insights for organizations seeking to better engage with and support these essential grassroots movements.
This report is an important tool both for emerging family groups to learn lessons from established groups, and for any organisation working on disability inclusion – for whom family groups are a crucial partner and catalyst for change.
Inclusion International’s research and analysis of the role of families of people with intellectual disabilities in supporting grassroots advocacy for inclusive education was funded by the World Bank’s Inclusive Education Initiative (IEI).