This short cheat sheet from the Disability Inclusion Helpdesk sets out why infrastructure is vital to social development and economic progress, and why its benefits are often not distributed equally. It notes that inadequate consideration of barriers related to gender, disability and other social factors can exclude whole groups of people from infrastructure projects, and that where infrastructure fails to serve people of diverse groups, the entire project cycle suffers.

It is written for policy makers and programme staff, and explains how to mainstream gender equality, disability and social inclusion into infrastructure initiatives across the project cycle, from analysis and design through to implementation, monitoring and evaluation. It links this to the UK's International Development Strategy and Disability Inclusion and Rights Strategy, and closes with key tips on integrating inclusion into project design, promoting meaningful participation and consultation, and designing for equitable access.