WHEEL of Livelihoods

24 June, 2025

Driving Success: Youth with Disabilities at the Steering Wheel of their Lives

Unlock the potential of youth with disabilities (YWD) through the innovative WHEEL of Livelihoods model. Rooted in the best practices of Liliane Fonds’ partners, this approach transforms lives by guiding youth from unemployment and exclusion to meaningful work and inclusion.

This is done through a customised learning pathway for each individual youth with disability based on their own specific goals and needs. With a focus on personalised professional development plans, extended preparation of both the YWD and their training and work environments, and active stakeholder involvement, the WHEEL of Livelihoods ensures accessibility and inclusiveness during every phase of the project cycle.

The word WHEEL is an acronym for the 5 stages identified in the project cycle.

Stages of the WHEEL of Livelihoods

W – Who? What? Why? Identification and Selection of Participants: understanding the interests and needs of YWD and the demand of labour, products and/or services in the local economy
H – How? Training Preparedness: preparing the training environment and the YWD for skills development
E – Educate Vocational, Business and/or Employability Skills Training and/or Workplace Learning
E – Employ or Enterprise Transition to Work in wage employment or their own (individual, group or family) businesses; matching YWD to employment opportunities; starting or growing businesses.
L – Let’s Go! Follow-up with YWD and stakeholders, measuring outcomes, and sustainability

Who’s it for

Practitioners who (want to) implement disability inclusive livelihoods interventions: NGO staff, local government staff, staff of vocational training centres, private sector company staff providing services for entrepreneurs or workplace learning, etc.

Online Tool

Start exploring the WHEEL of Livelihoods model in here.

Do you want to receive the WHEEL of Livelihoods Implementation Manual?

The manual offers comprehensive guidance across six chapters, beginning with an introduction and followed by one chapter for each phase of the WHEEL of Livelihoods. It includes practical tools, frameworks, and real-world examples to support the design and implementation of disability-inclusive livelihoods interventions.

Length: 55 pages
Language: Available in English

Request the WHEEL of Livelihoods implementation manual here

Good to know:

A French-language version is currently in development and is expected to be available by 2026.

Contributors

This knowledge product was developed by Liliane Fonds and shaped by the expertise and practices of partner organisations working to advance disability-inclusive livelihoods in diverse contexts.

Cheshire Disability Services Kenya (CDSK), Kenya
National Union of Disability Organizations of Rwanda (NUDOR), Rwanda
Nicky’s Foundation, Cameroon
NLR Indonesia, Indonesia
Research Centre for Inclusion (RCI), Vietnam

Contributing Projects:

“Work and Respect Project” (Kenya, Rwanda, and Ethiopia)
“Inclusive Livelihood Skills Training Project Mamfe” (Cameroon)
“Kelompok Usaha dan Bisnis Inklusif (KUBIK) – Inclusive Business and Entrepreneurs Groups” (Indonesia)
“Inclusive employment – Inclusive young people with disabilities” (Vietnam)

Pilot Project: