Paper/Proposal Title
Ensuring Inclusive Development in Africa: Fostering Inclusive Education of Students with Disabilities
Location
Kennedy Union 310 (on UD's main campus)
Start Date
November 2023
End Date
November 2023
Abstract
The right to education is essential for human development. It is undeniable that persons who cannot access education do not reach their full potential. For persons with disabilities, education is the bridge to participate in innovation and improve their quality of life. Therefore, ensuring the education of students with disabilities is crucial to secure an inclusive development in Africa.
However, historically persons with disabilities considered as curse for their families, are viewed as ‘uneducable’ and kept behind closed doors, away from schools and therefore are bound to be excluded from development. To address this problem, the international community adopted various treaties to cater for education for all including, the Convention on the Right of the Child and the Convention on the Right Persons with Disabilities in which the right to education for all is central. At the African regional level, the African Charter on Human and People Rights (the Charter), the African Convention on the Rights and Welfare of the Child provide for the right to education of children. Moreover, the current draft Protocol to the Charter on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities emphasizes the right to education for students with disabilities.
Nevertheless, while it is good to adopt laws to foster inclusive tertiary education, it is essential to ensure their implementation. The aim of this paper is to explore what should be done to further inclusive education for the benefit of students with disabilities. This is critical to ensure their involvement in development policies and processes. It argues that the starting point should be to raise awareness on disability as element of human diversity. In addition, policy makers should ensure the explicit inclusion of the right to education of students with disabilities in national constitutions. Disability rights and the right to education in particular should be given a special place in the national policy arena as to addressing budgetary and awareness gaps associated with various aspects of the education of students with disabilities. Ultimately, inclusive tertiary education should be fostered as to ensure that students with disabilities are not left behind in Africa’s development.
Ensuring Inclusive Development in Africa: Fostering Inclusive Education of Students with Disabilities
Kennedy Union 310 (on UD's main campus)
The right to education is essential for human development. It is undeniable that persons who cannot access education do not reach their full potential. For persons with disabilities, education is the bridge to participate in innovation and improve their quality of life. Therefore, ensuring the education of students with disabilities is crucial to secure an inclusive development in Africa.
However, historically persons with disabilities considered as curse for their families, are viewed as ‘uneducable’ and kept behind closed doors, away from schools and therefore are bound to be excluded from development. To address this problem, the international community adopted various treaties to cater for education for all including, the Convention on the Right of the Child and the Convention on the Right Persons with Disabilities in which the right to education for all is central. At the African regional level, the African Charter on Human and People Rights (the Charter), the African Convention on the Rights and Welfare of the Child provide for the right to education of children. Moreover, the current draft Protocol to the Charter on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities emphasizes the right to education for students with disabilities.
Nevertheless, while it is good to adopt laws to foster inclusive tertiary education, it is essential to ensure their implementation. The aim of this paper is to explore what should be done to further inclusive education for the benefit of students with disabilities. This is critical to ensure their involvement in development policies and processes. It argues that the starting point should be to raise awareness on disability as element of human diversity. In addition, policy makers should ensure the explicit inclusion of the right to education of students with disabilities in national constitutions. Disability rights and the right to education in particular should be given a special place in the national policy arena as to addressing budgetary and awareness gaps associated with various aspects of the education of students with disabilities. Ultimately, inclusive tertiary education should be fostered as to ensure that students with disabilities are not left behind in Africa’s development.
