About the report
Published November 4, 2025, the report is co-authored by Joshua Elias and Ksenia Dubova under the guidance of Daniel Mont (CIP), with support from Armenia’s Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs, the “Nork” Social Services Technology and Awareness Center Foundation, and Georgetown University’s Global Human Development Program.
Getting a disability determination shouldn’t depend on which assessor you happen to see, or whether you can afford to make the process go faster. That was the core problem with Armenia’s old disability benefits system, and it’s the starting point for this disability assessment reform report, a joint publication from the Center for Inclusive Policy (CIP) and the Asian Development Bank.
From Medical Categories to Functionality Scores
Until recently, Armenia sorted people with disabilities into one of four fixed groups, based almost entirely on a medical panel’s judgment of their ability to work. In 2023, the country replaced that system with a digital platform built on the WHO’s International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF), which scores each person’s functionality from 0% to 100% based on their individual circumstances, not a category assigned by a regional panel.
What Changed?
The reform brought four major shifts: a move from a medical to a social model of disability; digitalised assessment process; individualised functionality scores instead of broad disability groups; and a randomly assigned, double-blind pool of assessors that now includes psychologists, occupational therapists, and speech therapists alongside traditional medical specialists.
What's Working?
Less Room for Corruption
Because assessors and applicants no longer know each other’s identities in advance, stakeholders reported that the double-blind system reduced opportunities for favouritism and bribery.
Richer Data for Policy
The new platform produces 30-page reports on each case, compared to three pages under the old system, giving the government far more detail to design targeted services.
What Still Needs Work?
Public awareness remains the biggest gap. Many Armenians, especially outside Yerevan, don’t understand the new system or fear losing benefits they already have. There’s also a shortage of trained paramedical professionals, inconsistent scoring between similar cases, and a six-day training period that assessors themselves say isn’t enough to fully apply the ICF framework.
Why Does This Matter Beyond Armenia?
CIP’s report frames Armenia’s experience as a possible model for other middle-income countries considering similar reforms: proof that a rights-based, digital assessment system is achievable even with limited resources, provided training, outreach, and monitoring keep pace with the technology.
Interview: Behind the Scenes of the Report
Disclaimer: After writing the report, one of the authors began working with the U.S. government. The views expressed are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of the U.S. government.
