Global Survey Reveals Severe Impact of Foreign Aid Cuts on Persons with Disabilities

In 2026, Humanity & Inclusion (HI) initiated a survey project to document the impact of cuts to international aid on disability inclusion and to develop policy recommendations to safeguard disability-inclusive aid.

The survey is based on evidence gathered from organizations of persons with disabilities on the human and organizational impacts of international aid cuts.

The findings are intended to inform and influence the decisions of policymakers and donors, holding them accountable for their decisions and commitments.

This survey panel, representing Organizations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs) across more than 35 countries, has revealed the devastating consequences of international aid cuts on persons with disabilities and the organizations that support them, with respondents warning of worsening exclusion, shrinking access to essential services, and growing threats to their survival. The report describes it as "the sharpest aid contraction in modern history."

Aid Cuts Impact on Persons with Disabilities

The report identifies 2025 as the year of the largest annual reduction in Official Development Assistance ever recorded, with global aid falling by 23.1% in real terms. For the first time on record, all five of the world's largest aid donors reduced their aid budgets in the same year. 

The report warns that the current aid cuts risk pushing disability inclusion further to the margins of international cooperation. At the same time, approximately 1.3 billion people worldwide are persons with disabilities, almost 80% of whom live in low- and middle-income countries.

Hannah Guedenet, HI-US Executive Director, says,

“Behind every budget cut is a person who may lose rehabilitation, education, healthcare, or the support they need to live independently. This report shows that aid reductions are not merely financial decisions; rather, they are decisions that determine whether millions of people with disabilities can fully participate in society. The international community must reverse this trend and protect disability-inclusive aid before the damage becomes irreversible."

More than eight in ten surveyed OPDs (82%) reported a high or very high negative impact on the well-being of persons with disabilities in their communities, directly linked to aid budget reductions.

Organizations of Persons with Disabilities Face an Unprecedented Funding Crisis

The survey found that 79% of OPDs have experienced severe or very severe funding reductions over the past 18 months, affecting organizations across all regions and all organizational levels.

The consequences have been immediate:

• 72% of organizations have canceled or suspended at least one program or activity.
• 43% report weak or very weak capacity to sustain their mission.
• 14% say they risk permanent closure if current trends continue.
• The United States sharply reduced its international aid engagement by dismantling USAID and terminating or suspending thousands of programs. This reduction in foreign aid was combined with the rollback of their previous Disability, Equity, Inclusion, and Accessibility (DEIA) policies in 2025. This represented a dual setback: both financial support and institutional commitments to inclusion have weakened simultaneously.

Women, Children, Refugees, and People in Rural Areas are among the Hardest Hit

The report finds that aid cuts are disproportionately affecting persons with disabilities who already face multiple forms of exclusion.

Among surveyed organizations:

• 85% identified children with disabilities as particularly affected.
• 84% identified women and girls with disabilities as particularly affected.
• 83% identified older persons with disabilities as particularly affected.

Respondents reported increased risks for women and girls with disabilities, including reduced access to specialized support services and increased exposure to gender-based violence.

Children and young people with disabilities are reported to be experiencing disruptions to rehabilitation, nutrition, education, and early intervention services, with some organizations documenting school dropouts, worsening malnutrition, and irreversible developmental setbacks.

Check the full report and its findings here.

Spokespersons are available for interviews upon request.