The Issue of Disability in Education

Introduction

According to UNICEF, fewer than 10% of children with disabilities are in school in Sub-Saharan Africa.

According to UNICEF again, around 240 million children (1 in 10) are considered to be living with a disability worldwide, and fewer than 20% of children with disabilities who attend school in Sub-Saharan Africa ultimately gain access to employment, out of a total of 1.3 billion people living with a disability in the world.

The notion of disability has always been of major importance, and even more so today because of changing lifestyles and because it touches on various underlying issues, notably human rights, equal opportunities, development in the broad sense, but also the development of human potential.

In reality, there can be no sustainable development without human development, because Man is the main actor of sustainable development. As a result, all external transformations, however relevant, cannot lead to the expected effect as long as people themselves do not benefit from these transformations.

The question of managing disability, although characterised by significant disparities in how each country approaches it, remains at the heart of the global debate.

That is why in our analysis we will look at different aspects, starting with why managing this question is crucial for sustainable development, then an overview of the challenges related to disability in development, and finally an assessment of the situation in Africa with some possible solutions.

I. Managing disability: a necessity for social justice and sustainable development

A. Definition of disability

The CRPD (Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities), in its Article 1, defines disability as follows:

"Persons with disabilities include those who have long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments which in interaction with various barriers may hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others."

Source: Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities

"Disability is not rare and is an integral part of human diversity. An estimated 15% of the world's population has a disability, a percentage expected to rise in the future because of poor health systems and early-life nutrition, ageing populations and civil conflicts. For every child killed in conflict, an estimated three times as many are injured or permanently disabled. Among people with disabilities, about 80% live in developing countries and are over-represented among the most disadvantaged. This is important because disability affects not only individuals but also their families and caregivers."

Source: Conceptualising inclusive education and contextualising it within UNICEF's mission

According to the most reliable data from the World Health Organization (WHO) and the World Bank:

• About 16% of the world's population, i.e. 1.3 billion people, live with some form of disability (WHO data 2022).
• This is equivalent to 1 person in 6 worldwide.

These disabilities may be physical, sensory, intellectual or psychosocial, and their impact varies according to the accessibility of care, education, employment and society in general.

B. Managing disability effectively: a necessity for sustainable development

Beyond the economic definition of development (the one focused on economic growth) and the broader definition (the one integrating the social and human dimension), the dimension that appears most relevant is the contemporary one, focused on the notions of sustainable development and inclusion.

Development is thus conceived today as a sustainable, equitable and inclusive process that takes into account:

• The economic dimension (growth, employment, innovation),
• The social dimension (equity, social justice, inclusion of vulnerable groups, human rights),
• The environmental dimension (protection of resources, fight against climate change).

Example: the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) (2015–2030).

In summary: Development can be defined as a global and multidimensional process aimed at the lasting improvement of people's living conditions, combining economic progress, social justice, respect for the environment and respect for human rights.

Since the human being is both the author and the consumer of development, it goes without saying that managing the question of disability and integrating it into everyday practices is an indisputable necessity, without which, beyond the well-being and fulfilment of individuals in society, which is a major objective, development in the strict sense cannot exceed a certain threshold.

Development, in its social well-being dimension, cannot be complete without the fulfilment of people in society.

II. Overview of the challenges related to disability in education

A. On the human and social level

The major social challenge concerns how disability is perceived. It is necessary to change the narrative around disability, in a way demystifying this notion in people's minds. Many times, even when being well-meaning towards people with disabilities, we may unconsciously create a kind of unease.

Policies for educating populations about disability are needed to help everyone understand that people with disabilities are exactly like us and must be treated as full persons.

Even in well-meaning attitudes, it is important to show tact in order to find a kind of balance.

Moreover, beyond this demystification of the notion of disability, seminars and training sessions on the subject would be needed with the various personnel (administrations, schools, companies, health, etc.) to instil a completely different approach and way of handling interactions and relationships with people with disabilities.

B. On the practical level

The challenges here are major and we can mention several:

• The unsuitability of public infrastructure: absence of ramps, adapted transport vehicles, toilets or any other facility needed in educational establishments
• The inadequacy of school curricula, which are designed only for people at 100% of their capacities
• The insufficient or even total absence of staff training in schools.

C. On the administrative level

Here, we can mention:

• The insufficiency of qualitative data, which is very often aggregated and does not allow differentiation by type of disability, age, sector and area
• The insufficiency of disability-related budgets when they exist and, in extreme cases, the total absence of this notion in national and sector budgets.

III. An assessment of the situation in Africa

A. In Africa

It is important to welcome the considerable efforts driven by international organisations, notably the UN, the World Bank, UNESCO and UNICEF, which have so far put in place various agendas, objectives and recommendations in this area. I am thinking in particular of the inclusive classrooms advocated by UNESCO, which countries such as Senegal are striving to implement. Other countries such as South Africa, Namibia, Zambia, Tanzania, Kenya and many others also apply this recommendation.

We also note that all African countries have to date adopted and ratified the CRPD (Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities). However, it should be noted that adoption and ratification are not always synonymous with effective implementation.

Some countries are nevertheless advanced. We can mention:

B. On other continents

Conclusion

After this brief overview, which gave us a general view not only of the importance of managing disability but also of the different levels of progress in the world, certain crucial points remain in my view.

I wish to welcome the efforts of the African Union, which through its Agenda 2063 and its Continental Education Strategy for Africa (2016–2025) aims at an inclusive, united Africa without discrimination, not forgetting the efforts of other international institutions and in cooperation.

Indeed, figures are not always usable to draw effective conclusions on the policies to be put in place, owing to the aggregation of data and to the definition of disability, which varies from one country in the world to another.

Moreover, I think it important to point out that a change of mindset and approach on this question is the starting point of everything, a sine qua non without which nothing concrete and lasting can be put in place.

We would therefore need to:

• Change the social narrative around disability in order to "educate" all layers of society about it and lead them to demystify this question.

Changing this perception in minds will make more people feel concerned by this fight and make the various actors willing to each bring their stone to the edifice by playing their respective role in their position in society.

• Rethink the notion of inclusion, which can often be lost despite the desire to do well. This is the case with special schools, which sometimes tend to isolate further the young people or adults concerned. What about inclusive education, or a more mixed system with gradual integration into inclusive classes?
• Review the legal and judicial context by imposing quotas on companies to host these young people for internships or training, or even as employment. However, this approach must not be justified by a kind of charity.
• The big question of mentoring, that is a form of personalised support that is currently developing in countries such as France, the United Kingdom, Canada, the Netherlands and Sweden, to name only these, but where we do not yet observe sufficient consideration of disability (integration of young people and professionals with disabilities).
• The question also of bilateral cooperation in this long march towards more inclusion, beyond existing multilateral cooperation.

Of course this list is not exhaustive and the debate remains more open than ever…

Sonia BEGUIDE