Village-Owned Enterprises and Disability Inclusion in Rural Indonesia: A Multi-Case Qualitative Study

Abstract

This study examines how Village-Owned Enterprises (Badan Usaha Milik Desa, BUMDes) relate to vocational and social inclusion for persons with disabilities in rural Indonesia. Although BUMDes have become important instruments of village-level economic development, their role in disability-inclusive rural livelihoods remains insufficiently understood. Using a qualitative phenomenological multi-case design, this study investigated six BUMDes in East Nusa Tenggara Province. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, participant observation, and document analysis, involving BUMDes managers, village officials, persons with disabilities, and family members. The data were analyzed using Colaizzi’s seven-step phenomenological method, supported by cross-case thematic analysis. Three major findings emerged. First, persons with disabilities were generally recognized as part of village communities, but this recognition rarely translated into systematic inclusion in BUMDes employment, training, or governance. Second, participation was constrained by interrelated structural, social, and institutional barriers, including inaccessible infrastructure, transportation difficulties, charity-oriented perceptions of disability, limited disability-disaggregated data, and the absence of adaptive organizational practices. Third, despite these barriers, BUMDes showed significant potential to function as locally embedded platforms for inclusive livelihoods because of their proximity to village residents, operational flexibility, and connection to local governance structures. The study argues that community-based economic institutions do not become inclusive by default; rather, inclusion depends on whether accessibility, participation, representation, and accommodation are intentionally built into local enterprise practices. These findings contribute to disability-inclusive development scholarship and provide practical insights for strengthening inclusive rural enterprise governance in Indonesia.