ECDD action relies upon the following strategies to accomplish its Mission:

1. Training for awareness creation: creating disability inclusion awareness, change of attitudes and motivation among the public, government officials, development personnel, employers and persons with disabilities
2. Capacity building: influencing the policy and practices of organizations and their personnel for disability inclusion through disability awareness training, accessibility audits and technical support
3. Networking: promoting partnerships and participating actively in national and Africa regional networks
4. Empowerment: empowerment of persons with disabilities and their organizations for self-reliance, participation and to support disability mainstreaming
5. Information sharing: promoting accessible ICT, maintaining a website, and a public Disability Information Center, preparing guidelines, checklists and brochures
6. Communication and Media: using social media, and working with print, radio and TV media to create awareness and disseminate information
7. Performance monitoring: data collection, management and analysis for performance assessment to improve program implementation and impact
8. Experience-sharing: gathering evidence for disability inclusion, sharing of good practices and lessons learned, and promoting learning through documentation and action research
9. Disability supports: providing or arranging disability adjustment and accessibility supports including organizational accessibility audits, technical standards for accessibility, Braille transcription of documents, sign language interpretation, and wheelchair accessible transportation

ECDD is a development organization. As such it engages with mainstream organizations in Ethiopia working in selected development sectors. The ECDD Strategic Plan gives priority to the following development sectors and objectives during the period 2013-2018:

1.Inclusive Health Services

Inclusive health extension services

Objective: increased awareness among health professionals on how to provide basic services, including maternal and child health as well as referral services, to persons with disabilities and their families 

Inclusive family planning/sexual and reproductive health services

Objective: increased access and use by women and men with disabilities of mainstream family planning and sexual and reproductive health services

2.Inclusive Education

Inclusive primary and secondary education

Objective: increase in the number of children and youth with disabilities attending regular schools operated by partner organiza

Inclusive higher education, both public and private

Objective: increase in university services for students with disabilities and increased capacity of disabled student associations to promote inclusion and the participation of students with disabilities in the social life of the university.   

3.Inclusive Livelihoods

Inclusive Technical and Vocational Education and Training (TVET)

Objective: increase in the number of youth with disabilities attending mainstream vocational skills training courses in both public and private TVET college

Inclusive formal sector employment

Objective: increase in the number of persons with disabilities employed in both public and private sector firms and organizations

 Inclusive income generating opportunities

Objective: increase in the number of individuals with disabilities participating in group sustainable income-generating activities.

  Inclusive financial services

Objective: increase in the number of persons with disabilities participating in Village Savings and Loan Associations (VSLAs) and other savings groups and having access to savings and credit services.

 4. Inclusive Community Development

Inclusive rural community development

Objective: increase in the number of persons with disabilities participating in mainstream rural community development programs

  Accessible water and sanitation services (WASH)

Objective: increased knowledge and application of accessibility standards by those responsible for the design of public water and sanitation services and facilities

 Inclusion in pastoralist communities

Objective: increase in the number of children, youth, women and men with disabilities in pastoralist communities participating in and/or benefiting from government and mainstream pastoralist development organization programs

2 Men (of which both are  with disabilities ), 5 women (of which 1is with disability)