Facilitators and hindrances in the experiences of Ugandans with and without disabilities when seeking access to microcredit schemes

Purpose: This study aimed to identify facilitators and hindrances in the experiences of Ugandans with and without disabilities when seeking access to microcredit schemes. Method: Thirty-five statements were presented to 80 people, 50 of whom were disabled. Q-methodology was used to identify factors influencing access to microcredit schemes. Results: Running a business independently was solely identified by people with disabilities (PWD) as an important facilitator in accessing microcredit schemes, while relying on business skills was largely mentioned by people without disabilities. The disabled identified family-related items to be inhibiting factors. Having a group loan was ranked negatively by the disabled and ambivalently by the non-disabled. Conclusions: PWD experience different facilitators and barriers to access microcredit schemes compared to the non-disabled. PWD prefer individual loans and believe they can more successfully run a business on their own, instead of relying on family or having a group loan. Furthermore, they would benefit from microcredit schemes that take into account disability-specific circumstances. These are important findings to increase access to microcredit schemes and to let PWD benefit to the same extend from these programmes than do their non-disabled peers. Implications for Rehabilitation Research shows that people with disabilities (PWD) experience limited access to microcredit schemes than their non-disabled peers. Empirical evidence is necessary to increase our understanding of why PWD have less access to microcredit schemes, if this is different from non-disabled and identify the specific hindrances as well as supporting factors. This study showed that PWD experience different facilitators and barriers to access microcredit schemes compared to the non-disabled. PWD prefer individual loans and believe they can more successfully run a business on their own, instead of relying on family or having a group loan. Furthermore, they would benefit from microcredit schemes that take into account disability-specific circumstances.

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