The collapse of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) happened “overnight,” according to Founding Partner and Executive Director at Inclusive Development Partners (IDP), Anne Hayes. That action, in January 2025, has led to a devastating impact on people with disabilities worldwide, according to Hayes and others in the international disability rights community. The closure came at a time of momentum, not struggle.
“This was not a system in decline, but was a system that had proven it could work and was
in the process of becoming something larger and more robust,” Hayes said in reference to the “Nothing Without Us” Disability Policy, which was published by USAID in October 2024, with final approval by then USAID administrator, Samantha Power. “The communities that built it and depended on it are now managing the losses alone.”
Hayes previously served as a disability specialist at USAID in the early 2000’s. When she was there, she spent a lot of time talking with colleagues about why disabilities should be included as a part of USAID’s efforts and why disabilities are important.
“Then up until the dismantling, there was a shift and people understood that it was important and now they were looking at how to do it, and give evidence to what works,” she said. “What’s upsetting is I feel like we have gone back to when I started. Disability is now not a part of the Department of State. People are having to go back to those old conversations about why it needs to be put back in and why you can’t exclude it. It does feel like a regression of all of that work and all of that momentum. And all of the research and materials were [digitally] taken down as well.”
Hayes serves as a co-founding partner with Dr. Valerie Karr, the president of IDP. Hayes and Karr founded IDP in 2013. IDP is a woman-owned business that works in a variety of spaces—including inclusive education, disability-inclusive development systems, and evaluation and situational analyses.
IDP conducted a webinar in June 2026, aptly titled, “When Programs End Overnight: The Impact of the Dismantling of USAID on Persons with Disabilities.” The webinar primarily discussed the key findings of a research report of the same name, which was conducted by IDP, and published in June 2026. Over 300 people worldwide attended the webinar. Established in 1961, USAID was formed under President John F. Kennedy and was called The Foreign Assistance Act of 1961. This information has been digitally preserved by Brittanica. USAID, according to Kennedy, would provide an important service to humanity. “WITH THE SIGNING into law of this bill, a Decade of Development begins,” Kennedy said. “The long-term commitment of development funds, which the bill authorizes, will assist the under-developed countries of the world to take the critical steps essential to economic and social progress.” This information has been digitally preserved by The American Presidency Project at UC Santa Barbara.
After the collapse of USAID, IDP was at risk of going bankrupt, as were many other organizations in this line of work. IDP lost 90% of its funding, due to the collapse. By way of a GoFundMe campaign in January 2025, IDP raised $25,000. IDP decided to put the money earned from their campaign towards this research report, as they felt this research was highly needed for the foreign aid community. IDP also put $25,000 of their own funds into the project.
To create the research report, there were three methods used to collect information and extract data: surveys, key informant interviews, and focus-group discussions. In total, 316 participants were used across all three methods. Research took place across eight countries—Bangladesh, El Salvador, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Nepal, Nigeria, and Pakistan.
Five professionals across the fields of disability advocacy were present as speakers for the discussion—including former USAID administrator, Andrew S. Natsios, who served as the keynote speaker. Natsios served as the administrator of USAID during the George W. Bush Administration, from 2001 to 2006. He believes the disbandment of USAID was a “completely reckless” move by the federal government.
“I am absolutely appalled at the destruction of USAID,” Natsios said. “What took 60 years, Elon Musk and Russell Vought, the Head of Office for Management and Budget (OMB), destroyed the agency in a matter of a couple weeks. It’s astonishing to me the damage without them understanding at all what USAID did and how [the department] did it.”
After Natsios spoke, Dr. Karr, who is also an associate professor at The University of Massachusetts, Boston, showcased key findings of the research report in a presentation. The outcome of the research report by IDP produced 5 key findings.
- USAID was recognized as a global leader in disability-inclusive development and positioned for expanded implementation following the release of its 2024 Disability Policy.
- The abrupt closure of USAID caused disproportionate harm to persons with disabilities and their families.
- The closure triggered a systemic collapse of the disability-inclusive development ecosystem that will take decades to repair.
- No government, donor, or multilateral actor has stepped forward to fill USAID’s role, and the communities, institutions, and systems that depended on that leadership are now operating without the technical and financial support previously provided.
- The USAID closure has done more than just end development programs; it has affected the credibility and global standing of the U.S., which may present long-term challenges for future U.S. re-engagement.
To view the entire research report, click here. To view the webinar website page and to access the recording, click here.
During the presentation, Karr shared that IDP lost 20 active USAID programs across 17 countries. As a result of the research report, there’s documentation showcasing the negative impacts of the USAID shutdown, which are prevalent across a variety of programs.
“This study really shows us that when the program shut down, there was no transition plan, no warning, no handover,” Karr said. “Children who were attending school, stopped going. The therapies and promised devices vanished. When assistive devices broke, there were no repair systems. It was also reported that lifesaving medications were no longer being distributed.”
Stuart Chauluka, technical expert at IDP, based in Malawi, Africa, gave an example of how the dismantling of USAID is affecting people on the ground. Chauluka collected data with his research partner Augustine Kayendula for the IDP research report and heard a critical experience from a fellow OPD member during their focus group discussion.
“There’s a critical shortage of sunscreen lotion because she used to go to the hospital and access sunscreen lotion there—she went to the hospital twice and there was no sunscreen lotion available,” he said. “As a result, she had to go to the shop to buy sunscreen lotion. At the same time, it’s not just about going to the shop and buying another lotion [when you run out]. You need to buy a sunscreen that has over 40% vitamin C, which is very expensive. As a result, more people, especially those with albinism, may not be able to protect their skin with the lotion. Then the risk of cancer may be an issue.”
Chauluka believes these kinds of USAID programs made all the difference for the people living in Malawi, Africa.
“This conversation broke my heart, but at the same time it highlights the brutal reality that international aid is not just lines on the budget spreadsheets,” Chauluka said. “For most people, these programs are the difference between basic human dignity and total isolation. When you end the projects or programs overnight, you are not just leaving behind unfinished projects, but you are leaving behind vulnerable people who have been stripped from their social safety nets.”
At this webinar, there were many discussions surrounding the impact of USAID on various communities, with suggestions for solutions that should be pushed forward. Towards the end of the webinar, Charlotte McClain-Nhlapo, former USAID Senior Coordinator on Disability Inclusive Development, shared her thoughts on what financial investment into disability development looks like.
“There is no single actor that can replace the scale that USAID brought to disability inclusive development,” McClain-Nhlapo said. “However, a coordinated ecosystem that brings together bilateral donors, philanthropy, MDB’s, the private sector and very importantly OPD’s I think can help us step into that space. This could help us drive innovation, find out resource systems, and ensure that disability inclusion is not optional but remains foundational.”