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Success in Africa: People with disabilities share their stories

SHAKESPEARE, Tom
MUGEERE, Anthony
NYARIKI, Emily
SIMBAYA, Joseph
2019

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Background: Whereas most narratives of disability in sub-Saharan Africa stress barriers and exclusion, Africans with disabilities appear to show resilience and some appear to achieve success. In order to promote inclusion in development efforts, there is a need to challenge narratives of failure.

 

Objectives: To gather life histories of people with disabilities in three sub-Saharan African countries (Kenya, Uganda and Sierra Leone) who have achieved economic success in their lives and to analyse factors that explain how this success has been achieved.

 

Methods: Qualitative research study of economic success involving life history interviews with 105 participants with disabilities from both urban and rural settings recruited through disabled people’s organisations and non-governmental organisation partners, framework analysis of transcripts to chart success and success factors.

 

Results: Participants had faced barriers in education, employment and family life. They had largely surmounted these barriers to achieve success on an equal basis with others. They were working in private and public sectors and were self-employed farmers, shopkeepers and craftspeople.

 

Conclusion: The findings of this study suggest that, given the right support, disabled people can achieve economic success, with the implication being that investment in education or training of disabled people can be productive and should be part of overall development efforts for economic reasons, not solely to achieve social justice goals.

 

 

African Journal of Disability, Vol 8, 2019

Inclusive education in resource-constrained environments: good practice examples and learning from implementation, Disability Inclusion Helpdesk Research Report No. 3

LEE, Harri
MYERS, Juliette
January 2019

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This rapid review addresses the query: What are recent examples of good practice in providing inclusive education in resource constrained environments, in terms of:

  • enrolling children with disabilities into mainstream schools
  • creating inclusive environments in schools, for example through teacher training, whole school approaches and awareness raising
  • identifying learning needs for children with disabilities, with a particular focus on intellectual disabilities
  • use of specialist education resources (eg. teachers, resource centres) to support mainstream schools

 

Case studies presented include:

  • DFID’s Girls Education Challenge – How disability disaggregated data can generate knowledge and help ensure education is more inclusive to girls with disabilities
  • Education for All in Bombali District, Sierra Leone
  • Supporting transition from primary to secondary for girls with disabilities in Kenya (2014-2022)
  • CBM’s experience providing inclusive education in Nicaragua
  • ADD International Tanzania

Applied research on disability in Africa : general mapping

INTERNATIONAL FOUNDATION OF APPLIED DISABILITY RESEARCH (FIRAH)
2014

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“The goal of this literary review is to report on existing knowledge about applied research on the African continent, regarding the living conditions of people with disabilities, poverty, violence and sexual abuse especially regarding children and women with disabilities, community-based rehabilitation and employment”

Ethnographic study of community-based child protection mechanisms and their linkage with the national child protection system of Sierra Leone

THE COLUMBIA GROUP FOR CHILDREN IN ADVERSITY
July 2011

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"Community-based child protection mechanisms (CBCPMs) are used widely by non-governmental organisations and communities to address and protect children from violence, exploitation, abuse, and neglect. The research in this study reviews the effectiveness and sustainability of CBCPMs and aims to strengthen the link between CBCPMs and the national child protection system"

Disability in and around urban areas of Sierra Leone

TRANI, Jean-Francois
et al
2010

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This report provides an overview of the situation for people with disabilities in and around urban areas of Sierra Leone. The report presents results from a pilot survey in five locations across the country focusing upon education, employment, health and social participation. The findings of this report are further illustrated through practical graphs, charts, tables and figures. This report is useful for policy makers, advocates, development actors and service providers when planning and implementing programs in Sierra Leone

Child-centred disaster risk reduction : building resilience through participation : lessons from Plan International

PLAN INTERNATIONAL
2010

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This report “presents the results and recommendations of a five-year programme and…includes a series of case studies illustrating how child-centred Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) supports the delivery of the Hyogo Framework’s Priorities for Action, as well as the realisation of children’s rights to education, health and participation within disaster risk contexts…Child-centred Disaster Risk Reduction is an innovative approach to Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) that fosters the agency of children and youth, in groups and as individuals, to work towards making their lives safer and their communities more resilient to disasters”

Violence free zone : end school-related violence, prevent HIV/AIDS

SALTER, Nick
SCHECHTMAN, Lisa
September 2007

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The objective of this call to action is to review the extent to which national education plans, the Fast Track Initiative, donor countries, and established international NGOs recognise and comprehensively combat school-related violence (SRV) in a review of 10 African countries. The brief contains five main sections and two Appendices. It outlines the details and consequences of school-related violence; and the major findings and broader trends from the country review process; it focuses on a discussion of models and programs employed to effectively counter SRV and highlights overall best practices; it reviews and critiques donor governments and international agencies in relation to their work on SRV; and it outlines the recommendations and call to action for going to scale with programmes to counter SRV

Disability, poverty, and schooling in developing countries : results from 14 household surveys

FILMER, Deon
November 2005

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This paper analyses the correlations between a young person’s disability, the economic status of their household, and their school participation. The survey was conducted using 11 household surveys in nine developing countries. The results show that some youth with disabilities live in poorer households, but the extent is not statistically significant. However, young people with disabilities are often less likely to start school and show lower transition rates. This finding suggests that, in developing countries, disability may lead to long-run poverty since youth with disabilities are less likely to achieve qualifications which would allow them to earn higher incomes in their later life
The paper is useful for policy makers and professionals working in development
SP Discussion Paper No 0539

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