Futuremakers

This global community initiative, in partnership with Standard Chartered, aims to tackle inequality and promote economic inclusion among young people with disabilities.

A group of young people with disabilities sit in a corporate boardroom, wearing smart work attire.

Sightsavers is working with Standard Chartered Foundation to remove the barriers that young people with disabilities face in accessing decent employment for this generation and generations to come.

There are between 180 million and 220 million young people with disabilities worldwide, and nearly 80% live in developing countries. For young people with disabilities, finding a job that delivers a fair income, rights and good career prospects can be a huge challenge. Young women with disabilities usually face even greater challenges due to prejudices in society about disability and gender.

As part of Futuremakers by Standard Chartered, we’ve launched projects in Bangladesh, Kenya and Pakistan to support young people with disabilities to secure employment so they can participate fully in society. To do this, we work with individuals,and employers, and address gaps in labour market systems so they can adapt and be more inclusive.

Download our inclusion guides

To support the Futuremakers initiative, Sightsavers, the African Disability Forum and Youth Business International have developed a series of guides funded by Standard Chartered Foundation to support disability inclusion across all Futuremakers programmes. Download the free guides here (zip file)

What does the Futuremakers initiative do?

We support jobseekers

We enable young jobseekers with disabilities to learn new skills and prepare for the future of work. Through targeted recruitment, we help them gain valuable experience in job application processes, enabling them to secure paid employment.

We help employers

We work with employers to reduce barriers to hiring people with disabilities in their recruitment processes, to connect them with employment-ready jobseekers, to create accessible workplaces and build their confidence as inclusive employers.

We create networks

We bring together employers and organisations of people with disabilities to share knowledge. We work with organisations to strengthen job vacancy portals, and work with governments to influence employment policies that will support people with disabilities.

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Ismail’s story

Ismail sitting in his office, wearing a smart shirt.

Ismail is 26 years old and has mild cerebral palsy. Despite achieving a degree in business administration, he struggled to find a job. “Most of the time, I passed the screening test but dropped in interviews. I was always rejected due to lack of confidence,” he says.

In March 2022, he enrolled in the first Futuremakers cohort in Pakistan, learning about career planning, interview techniques and networking. He later applied for a job at a government agency and was invited to an interview, where his training paid off and he was later offered the job. “The moment that made my career and life was when I received the job confirmation call from the employer,” he explains.

Ismail is now looking at international professional fellowship programmes to improve his leadership and professional goals.

More on our employment projects

A staff member at a call centre wears a headset and sits at a computer. He's wearing dark glasses and smart clothes.

The programme is testing innovative ways to improve economic empowerment and inclusion for people with disabilities, enabling them to find employment and earn a living.

Students sit in front of laptops at desks in a classroom. In the foreground, a teacher stands next to a student, giving instruction.

Delivered by Sightsavers and partners, the IT Bridge Academy offers young jobseekers with disabilities who have a passion for IT the chance to train and get hands-on experience in the sector.

Two young people hold up flip charts on the wall as part of a training programme in Kenya.

Stories / Disability rights /

We’re working with partners in Kenya to give young people the skills and practical experience they need to begin a career in IT.

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