Advancing Inclusive
Development Research

Karachi Disability Network (KDN) drives research on inclusive development, generating insights, guiding policies, and empowering communities to ensure persons with disabilities actively participate and benefit from social, economic, and educational opportunities. 

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Introduction: 

Center for Research on Inclusive Development: In Pakistan, estimates of persons living with disabilities range between 3.3 million and 27 million, depending on government data or independent research sources.

Early initiatives in the 1980s, such as special schools and employment quotas, marked initial efforts toward inclusion. While these steps were significant at the time, they fell short in effectively integrating persons with disabilities into mainstream society.

Many persons with disabilities in Pakistan still face barriers to exercising civil and political rights, accessing quality education, and securing meaningful employment. Historically, policies focused on rehabilitation and welfare rather than a rights-based, inclusive approach. The UNCRPD, ratified by Pakistan in 2011, provides a framework for inclusion, yet progress has remained slow.

In response, Karachi Disability Network (KDN) launched the Center for Research on Inclusive Development in 2019. The center serves as a collaborative think tank, preparing policy researchers and offering independent studies, roundtable dialogues, and academic courses on disability-inclusive development in partnership with universities. Reports, thematic publications, and periodic journals will disseminate this research.

Simultaneously, the center provides practical information to persons with disabilities and their families, guiding them about available services and facilities to live fully integrated in society.

Operational Mechanism 

The center will function as a research hub managed by two full-time researchers under the supervision of an advisory team and a principal researcher experienced in rights-based approaches to disability. The team will prioritize inclusion of persons with disabilities and collaborate with national and international academic institutions. Resource experts will contribute to training programs and academic courses.

The institute will operate autonomously as a not-for-profit entity in partnership with the National Library of Pakistan, ensuring open access to research and inclusive development knowledge.

Our Services

The Center for Research on Inclusive Development by Karachi Disability Network (KDN) will serve as a comprehensive hub for information on services, facilities, and policies available to persons with disabilities across Pakistan. It will also offer counseling and mentoring support to individuals and their families, ensuring guidance is practical and empowering.

Research-driven approaches to disability-inclusive development will be closely linked with academic institutions, promoting evidence-based practices and fostering collaboration between researchers and policymakers.

The center will enable persons with disabilities to challenge systemic and market-driven barriers to their rights by making critical information accessible, strengthening local advocacy skills, and supporting claims in political and economic decision-making arenas.

It will systematically address disability-related concerns within mainstream policies and the legislative framework, ensuring that national policies reflect inclusive and equitable development principles.

Through legal and evidence-based advocacy, the center will enhance accountability among development actors and ensure that programs meet both national obligations and international commitments regarding disability rights.

Politicians, government employees, and leaders in the corporate and development sectors will all get capacity-building training on disability inclusion.