USAID pays special attention to improving the quality of life, advocating and protecting rights, meeting special needs and ensuring better services and opportunities for people from disadvantage and vulnerable groups, including people with disabilities (PWDs) and children at risk.

USAID is acknowledged in the development community as an international leader in developing policies and programs that raise awareness of disability issues and address the needs of PWDs.

USAID was one of the first bilateral donor agencies to develop a specific policy that addressed both discrimination against PWDs and the need for including their concerns in all facets of development work. It was also one of the first international donor agencies to establish standards in the area of accessible construction. One of the USAID’s major efforts is to build the capacity of local organizations of disabled persons around the world and to link USAID offices, bureaus, and missions to those local organizations to ensure better inclusion of PWDs in development.

USAID remains fully committed to integrating PWDs into all of its programming, projects, and activities, and developing policies and initiatives that address the needs and concerns of PWDs that they themselves define.

USAID places special emphasis on addressing needs of children at risk, including orphans and children with disabilities. Programs center on strengthening the capacity of families and communities to address the physical, social, educational, economic, and emotional needs of children in crisis. They also aim to preserve family structure; promote growth and development of vulnerable children; and develop community and government structures to care, support, and protect vulnerable populations.

USAID supports programs and activities that provide direct assistance to vulnerable children, their families, and communities and also the design, implementation, and monitoring of programs that provide evidence-based guidance or models of programs that can be expanded or replicated.

In Belarus, USAID works to improve social services and ensure better integration of disadvantaged and vulnerable groups such as orphans, children at risk and PWDs by addressing discrimination and strengthening the capacity of local disabled people’s organizations and communities.