Balancing Act | School of Rehabilitation Therapy

Learning from Global Examples of Effective Community Support for People with Disabilities

Why this matters

In many parts of the world, families of people with disabilities struggle to access appropriate support. In Canada, services are underfunded and patchy—often depending on income, geography, or the ability to self-advocate. Globally, these gaps can be even more severe.

Without adequate support, families often face:

Poorer physical and mental health
Financial strain and poverty
Isolation and exclusion
Increased gender inequality, as most care work is done by women and girls

The Power of Natural Supports

Natural supports—like help from friends, family, or neighbors—are often invisible, unpaid, and undervalued. But when they’re present, research shows they can:

Reduce caregiver stress and burnout
Improve mental health and well-being
Enable parents (especially mothers) to work
Strengthen social inclusion and resilience
Promote independence for people with disabilities

Yet, few systems are truly designed to integrate formal and natural supports in ways that reflect what families actually need.

Our Goals

Balancing Act is rooted in participatory research and lived experience. In partnership with families, researchers and organizations in six countries, we aim to:

Understand how natural supports are created, valued, and sustained

Identify practical strategies to better align formal and natural supports

Share global lessons that can inform more inclusive and responsive support systems in Canada and globally

Promote dignity, autonomy, and equity for people with disabilities and their families

Explore Our Partners »

Meet Our Team »

News & Updates »

Our Partners

UNITED KINGDOM:

Amaze Sussex

Amaze Sussex is a family-founded charity based in Brighton & Hove and East Sussex, UK. It supports over 5,000 families of children and young people (aged 0–25) with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND). From peer support groups and advice lines to youth programs and workshops, Amaze builds strong natural support networks. Families are at the center of this work, contributing to designing, delivering, and growing the services they once needed themselves.

ETHIOPIA:

University of Gondar

Ethiopia’s case is led by the University of Gondar’s long-standing CBR program, which supports children with disabilities and their caregivers. It offers help in health, education, employment, and social inclusion. The program is supported by partners like Light for the World, but uniquely, its community-based workers are employed by the federal government. This integration into public systems makes the model more sustainable. It shows how formal systems can invest in local, family-focused care.

UNITED STATES:

Community Choices

Located in rural Illinois, Community Choices is built around the belief that people with disabilities deserve lives filled with choice, dignity, and meaningful community connection. Their services—including customized employment programs, community navigation, and peer mentorship—are grounded in the idea that “people need people.” With a strong commitment to diversity and shared responsibility, Community Choices creates innovative, person-centered supports that empower families and individuals to thrive.

GUATEMALA:

AIDEPCE & CBM

In Guatemala, AIDEPCE and CBM support people with disabilities and their families through home-based care, center-based services, peer support, and community inclusion. They serve rural and urban communities, including Spanish and Indigenous language speakers. The program connects families with local and national services which are both governmental and non-governmental. Their work promotes inclusive schools and public spaces, which is especially important in regions facing high levels of poverty and limited access to formal services.

BANGLADESH:

Carers Worldwide & Centre for Disability in Development (CDD)

In partnership with the Centre for Disability in Development (CDD), Carers Worldwide runs programs across urban and rural Bangladesh that improve the lives of children and adults with disabilities by supporting their unpaid family carers. Through emotional support groups, skills training, advocacy, and even respite centers, this model has improved mental health, boosted household income, and increased visibility of carers at the national level. Over 1,000 carers are directly supported, and their voices now help shape national policy.

MOZAMBIQUE:

Light for the World & Ministry of Gender, Child and Social Action

In Mozambique, disability support is being woven into the provincial social system. Using a Community-Based Rehabilitation (CBR) approach, Light for the World works with the government to offer home-based care, peer support groups, and links to both public and private services. These programs reach children and adults with disabilities, even in areas frequently impacted by cyclones. The work began when organizations of persons with disabilities demonstrated how CBR could improve lives, leading to changes in social worker training and policy. Their programs also include inclusive education, eye health, and women’s economic empowerment.

Our Global Research Journey

Jul 2023

Project begins

Our first team meetings begin, building relationships with all project partners.

Dec 2023

Project launches worldwide

Project is publicly launched with community gatherings and workshops in each case partner site from December 2023 through to March 2024.

Jul 2024

Data collector training begins

First group of data collectors trained in the USA in July 2024, with training in the UK, Guatemala, Bangladesh and Mozambique following between September - March. Persons with disabilities, and family and community members are trained in five out of our six partner sites to conduct interviews with their peers.

Aug 2024

Phase one of data collection begins in USA

Our first phase of data collection begins in the USA: interviewing persons with disabilities, family and community members, and staff connected to each of our case study partners to help us understand each organization.

Sep 2024

Data collection in the UK and Ethiopia

Data collector training takes place in the UK, followed by data collection. Data is then analysed by the academic and community teams over the following months. In Ethiopia, a graduate research fellow conducts interviews and analysis as part of his PhD project.

Oct 2024

Data collection in Guatemala

A team of community members are trained in data collection in Guatemala, and they collect data over the next few weeks. Data is then analysed by the academic and community teams over the following months.

Nov 2024

Data collection in Bangladesh

Parent carers are trained in data collection. They collect data over the next few weeks. Data is then analysed by the academic and community teams over the following months.

Mar 2025

Data collection in Mozambique

A team of data collectors in both rural and urban settings are trained in Mozambique, and conduct the final round of interviews for phase one of the study.

Mar 2025

Participatory Analysis

Participatory analysis sessions, where we work through the data with our community teams, take place with interviewers trained in each partner site from March - June 2025.

Jul 2025

Sharing preliminary findings

From July - December 2025 we will once again be working with community partners to co-present the preliminary findings of phase one of the project, and ask "what next? Who else needs to hear this? And how should we show them these results?"

Jul 2025

Phase two of data collection begins in UK

From July - December 2025, graduate researchers will conduct interviews with formal support providers in each case site, beginning with the UK in July.

2026

Cross-case analysis

Bringing together the analysis from all six case sites to conduct a single cross-case analysis.

2027

Knowledge Mobilization and Focus Groups

More details soon!

2028

Project Concludes

Acknowledgments

This project was made possible through funding by the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC), and with support from Queen’s University and our international partners.