From Evidence to Action: Learnings from Local Amplification and a Global Dialogue

How can research move beyond publication to support meaningful change for Organisations of Persons with Disabilities (OPDs)?

Through AT2030, Global Disability Innovation Hub (GDI Hub) worked with OPD partners to understand the barriers they face in accessing funding and develop recommendations for improving funding practices. Building on this research, we explored how findings could be used to support advocacy and action at both local and global levels.

We supported four OPD partners in Sierra Leone, Tanzania, Kenya and Ethiopia to design and lead their own activities, including stakeholder workshops, policy advocacy, webinars, videos and translation.  We also co-designed a global webinar with two OPD partners, Welfare Society for the Disabled Sierra Leone (WESOFOD-SL) and Northern Nomadic Disabled Persons Organization (NONDO), Kenya, bringing together OPDs, funders and international development organisations.

The report identifies three key lessons:

• Local ownership matters: Research becomes more relevant when OPDs decide how findings are interpreted and used.
• Connections are essential: Moving evidence into action requires dialogue between OPDs and those who influence funding decisions.
• Participation must continue beyond publication: Investing in OPD-led amplification creates opportunities for advocacy, collaboration and continued engagement.

While these are early outcomes, the report demonstrates how participatory approaches to sharing research can help connect global evidence with local action and bring OPD priorities into international funding discussions.