Economic Barriers to Success of Income Generating Activities of People with Disability: Evidence from Iringa Municipal Council, Tanzania

Abstract

Experience in developing countries suggests that People with Disabilities (PWDs) are earning significantly less from self-employment and the share of self-employment income in the total income of their household is lower than for the people without disabilities. This study investigates the economic barriers to the success of Income Generating Activities (IGAs) of PWDs in Iringa Municipal Council, Tanzania. The study adopted a mixed method approach targeting PWDs undertaking IGAs in the study area. A sample size of 60 key respondents and 10 key informants were drawn using purposive sampling technique. Questionnaire, interview and focus group discussion methods were used to collect primary data, while documentary review was used to collect secondary data. The study found that limited access to credits due to existence of unfriendly conditions and procedure; being not trusted by financial providers; lack of entrepreneurship education due to difficulty to reach training location and lack of information; and lack of reliable market for their IGAs commodities were the economic barriers to the success of IGAs undertaken by PWDs in the study area. The study recommends some ways to improve IGAs undertaken by PWDs that include stakeholders’ innovation to allow flexibility in addressing PWDs barriers to credit accessibility, entrepreneurship education, and markets of their business commodities.