Sustainable Livelihoods and Disability at Work: Experiences, Resources, and Coping in Ethiopia

This study qualitatively explores the lived experiences of people with disabilities in the workplace in Wolkite Town, Ethiopia, through the lens of a sustainable livelihood approach (framework). Although there is a growing interest across existing studies on employment barriers for people with disabilities, few studies have examined how the interplay of social, human, and financial barriers shapes workplace experiences in low-resource urban settings. This phenomenological study involved key informants and in-depth interviews with 30 participants to investigate the challenges faced by people with disabilities in the workplace, the social and livelihood resources they mobilize, and the coping mechanisms they wield. Three main themes emerged from the study: difficulties in the workplace, social and livelihood resources, and coping mechanisms. The results of the study highlight widespread structural and attitudinal obstacles, such as discrimination in the workplace, lack of accessible infrastructure, social stigma, and institutional negligence, which contribute to poor access to human, social, physical, and financial capital. Regardless of these limitations, people with disabilities can be resilient, although they do not react to these challenges without adaptive coping strategies including cognitive reframing, social network dependence, and problem engagement. When the voices of people with disabilities are central, this study will provide context-specific knowledge to guide interventions that put the perspective of disabled individuals at the center of livelihood interventions and offer equitable employment opportunities in low-resource locations.