Children with disabilities face multiple barriers to education
244 million children worldwide are excluded from education, more than 40% of whom live in the sub-Saharan region (UNESCO, 2022). Children and young people with disabilities are even further left behind, with almost 50% out of school in low- and middle-income countries (UNESCO2016) .
Barriers to access and fulfillment in education include inaccessible infrastructure, unsuitable materials and curricula, lack of teacher training and support, persistent stigma and discrimination at school. disability, lack of technology and assistive devices, violence and lack of security, and household poverty.
Due to the persistence of these obstacles and the growing number of conflicts and crises on the African continent, there is an urgent need for action. This is why the African Disabled People’s Forum and other disabled people’s organizations are calling on all stakeholders to mobilize so that education leaves no one behind.
“Every child, including a disabled child, has the right to education. Education is a key and powerful tool for development at individual and national levels. It is the gateway to inclusion in society and its positive impact is lasting.” – Manifesto to advance the inclusion of persons with disabilities in education on the African continent
A manifesto on inclusive education across African countries
In October 2022, the African Disability Forum organized a regional workshop on inclusive education, in Addis Ababa. Disabled People’s Organizations from 7 African countries shared their experiences and knowledge, discussed gaps and set the stage for further collaboration to advance the inclusion of people with disabilities in education. The Manifesto is the result of these exchanges and sets their intentions to join their efforts and advocate together.
These activities were carried out within the framework of the HELASIA project (Health, Education and Livelihoods in Africa: a Sustainable Inclusion Approach), funded by the Norwegian development agency (Norad) and implemented by Humanity and Inclusion, the African Forum of persons with disabilities and its partners in Benin, Rwanda, Ethiopia, Madagascar and Mozambique. The project has provided further opportunities to unite the strengths of Disabled People’s Organizations and amplify their voices in national, regional and international spaces.
A call for the inclusion of learners with disabilities in education
January 24 marks the International Day of Education, a date proclaimed by the United Nations General Assembly to recall the role of education for peace and development. This role can only be achieved if the right to education is respected for all, including people with disabilities.
The Manifesto developed by the African Disability Forum and its members provides a set of recommendations to advance the inclusion of persons with disabilities in education across African countries, calling for:
- UN bodies and agencies to support the collection of disability-disaggregated data, also looking at the experiences of children and the barriers they face;
- Governments and donors to increase the budget allocated to inclusive education;
- All governments must ratify and implement international instruments, such as the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and the Protocol to the African Charter on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities;
- All stakeholders to ensure the meaningful participation of people with disabilities and their representative organizations, parents and caregivers of children with disabilities, learners with disabilities and education professionals at all stages of the education process.
“We want to see a complete transformation of education systems that is consistent with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities; which considers a whole person, school and system approach; so that learners with disabilities have the same educational opportunities as learners without disabilities.Fatma Wangare, Inclusion Africa (Kenya)
If you would like to join the African Disability Forum for further information, please contact [email protected].
