Education and Childhood

International News

Their mission? To mould us. The persistence of segregation in education, from its colonial roots to now. Plus a love-hate relationship with education. (Nov, Disability Debrief)

Not Invisible: Strengthening Protection for Children with Disabilities in Migration and Displacement. (Jul, USCRI)

Early childhood development strategy for the world’s children with disabilities. (Jun, Frontiers Public Health)

Experiences of accessing education among people with disabilities during the COVID-19 pandemic: evidence from five low- and middle-income countries:

“The pandemic exacerbated the existing failure of education systems to cater to the needs of people with disabilities and their families. Beyond education, losses in functioning, mental health, and family wellbeing were acutely felt by caregivers.” (Jun, Oxford Development Studies)

Are children with disabilities more likely to be malnourished than children without disabilities? Evidence from 30 countries:

“Children with disabilities are significantly more likely to experience all forms of malnutrition, making it critical to accelerate efforts to improve disability inclusion within nutrition programmes. Ending all forms of malnutrition will not be achievable without a focus on disability.” (Jun, BMJ Nutrition, Prevention & Health)

How to finance disability inclusion in education to transform systems and leave no one behind. “Reflections and recommendations to enable financing of inclusive education in lower-income countries.” (May, Global Partnership on Education)

Position Paper on the Right to Sign Language for Families of Deaf Children (May, World Federation of the Deaf)

UNICEF's Guide to Disability-Inclusive Evaluations (Mar, UNICEF)

How to meaningfully measure learning outcomes of learners with disabilities 4 recommendations to make learning assessments more inclusive of learners with disabilities. (Mar, Global Partnership on Education)

Equitable access to play critical for children with disabilities:

“Access to age–appropriate play and recreation is an often neglected but critical aspect of improving the wellbeing of children with disabilities.” (Mar, Diplomatic Courier)

Strategies for addressing the needs of children with or at risk of developmental disabilities in early childhood by 2030: a systematic umbrella review. (Feb, BMC Medicine)

Inclusive Education, Intellectual Disabilities and the Demise of Full Inclusion

“The movement for full inclusion started by focusing on the education of students with intellectual disabilities but has encountered roadblocks to the implementation of full inclusion because of the practical difficulties of addressing the unique needs of students with intellectual disabilities in mainstream schools and the accumulating evidence that special education placements appear more effective in achieving better outcomes in terms of their inclusion in their communities post school.” (Feb, Journal of Intelligence)

Do children with disabilities have the same opportunities to play as children without disabilities? Evidence from the multiple indicator cluster surveys in 38 low and middle-income countries. “Children with disabilities have approximately 9% fewer play opportunities than those without disabilities“. (Jan, eClinicalMedicine)

Global Leaders Falling Short on Commitments to Create More Inclusive Schools and Communities:

“The global state of inclusion in education in 2023 was a mixed bag. Some governments made modest progress in advancing more inclusive practices in their education systems. But far too few countries had laws on their books mandating inclusive schools, and even fewer countries had policies translating those mandates into sustainable practices.” (Jan, Special Olympics)

Disability-Inclusive Education in Emergencies: Key Concepts, Approaches, and Principles for Practice. (Jan, Education Links)

The right to education for persons with albinism Report of the Independent Expert on the enjoyment of human rights by persons with albinism, Muluka-Anne Miti-Drummond. (Jan, OHCHR)

Addressing stigma and discrimination toward children and youth through social and behaviour change: a disability toolkit. (UNICEF)

Towards Greater Inclusion The devastating impact of armed conflict on children with disabilities. A discussion paper based on literature review and interviews with experts. (Jan, UN)

Over 450,000 children institutionalized across Europe, Central Asia. A UNICEF investigation “reveals that children with disabilities account for up to 87 per cent of those in care, where data is available.” (Jan, UN)

How to improve digital inclusion and accessibility for girls with disabilities. (2023, UNICEF)

Disability Inclusive Child Protection Competency Framework for the Social Service Workforce. (2023, UNICEF)

Bridging divides: The role of inclusive technology for learners with disabilities. (2023, Global Partnership on Education)

Always included a report on uninterrupted education for children with disabilities before, during, and after a crisis. (2023, Humanity and Inclusion)

How to make education inclusive for students with disabilities: Youth perspectives on inclusive education and what actions world leaders need to take to improve the education of students with disabilities. (2023, Global Partnership on Education)

Do children with disabilities have the same opportunities to play as children without disabilities? Evidence from the Multiple Indicator Cluster Surveys in 38 low and middle-income countries. “Children with disabilities have approximately 9% fewer play opportunities than those without disabilities”. (2023, MedRxiv)

Global Report on Children with Developmental Disabilities “a call for action to accelerate changes at individual, family, community and society levels to achieve inclusion and health equity.” (2023, UNICEF and WHO)

Approaches to Deliver Inclusive Education in Sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia. “The review examines in what ways (and the extent to which) different approaches have been operationalized and contextualized to enable the inclusion of children with disabilities in mainstream education systems, focusing specifically on primary schooling.” (2023, World Bank)

Notions around a “Successful Woman with Disabilities”: Exploring voices of girls in Nepal, Malawi and Uganda. “Success for both girls with and without disabilities encompassed not just financial independence and accumulation of material wealth but also personal characteristics such as kindness and human connection.” (2023, Inclusive Education Initiative)

Thinking critically about inclusive education in Southern contexts volume 10 of disability and the global south is a special issue dedicated to this. (2023, DGS)

Focused interventions for girls with disabilities fuelled ‘life-changing’ impact on aspirations and self-esteem. An evaluation of the Girls’ Education Challenge Phase II. (2023, Cambridge) See also a blog discussing its results.

Global leadership is needed to optimize early childhood development for children with disabilities. “UNICEF and other international bodies must produce a clear plan that prioritizes development and education for children with disabilities, especially in low- and middle-income settings, as required for achieving the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals.” (2023, Nature Medicine)

The Routledge International Handbook of Children's Rights and Disability (2023, Routledge)

For the first time, the State of the World's Children report has a statistical annex with data on children with disabilities. (2023, UNICEF)

Evidence brief on impact of collaboration between parents and teachers on children with disabilities in school. (2023, Disability Evidence Portal)

Guidance note Qualitative Assessment Approaches for the Protection of Children with Disabilities Within Humanitarian Contexts. (2023, Alliance CHPA)

Global State of Inclusion in Education “the vision of international inclusive education is falling short of including all learners, no matter their identity, background, or ability.” (2023, Special Olympics Global Youth and Education) See also an overview: “too many children with intellectual disabilities remain marginalized.”

Included, Every Step of the Way Upholding the rights of migrant and displaced children with disabilities. (2023, UNICEF)

Measuring inclusive teaching practices that support learning for all. Includes a module with tools on disability. (2023, World Bank)

Disability Inclusive Pre-Primary Education Landscape Review. (2023, Education Links)

A review of evidence on disability inclusive Early Childhood Development and Education in Humanitarian Settings. (2023, Institute of Development Studies)

Why Assistive Technology matters thematic briefs explore its relations to inclusive education and climate action. (2023, ATScale)

The Inclusion Dialogue “Based on fascinating and unique conversations with leading academic experts across the globe, Joanne Banks uses in-depth interviews to examine current debates in special and inclusive education and provides a clear overview of the key tensions which impact policy and practice across different national contexts. Her book also highlights how inclusive education policies do not always translate into inclusive practices in our schools.” (2022, Routledge)

Inclusive Interventions for Children with Disabilities. An evidence and gap map from low- and middle-income countries. See a visualization of data and gaps in different areas. (2022, UNICEF)

Inclusion is better for everyone but children with disabilities are 6 times more likely to be out of school. (2022, Plan International)

Tools to support TVET policy makers and education providers to plan and deliver inclusive TVET provision for persons with disabilities (2022, Leave No One Behind)

Inclusive Education for Learners with Multisensory Impairment: a book that “offers a synthesis of best practice with the latest theory and research”. (2022, McGraw Hill)

Transforming education: reflections on the calls made to protect the rights of persons with disabilities. (2022, Sightsavers)

Children with learning differences are being excluded (2022, World Education Blog)

Global Partnership for Education factsheet on on inclusive education for children with disabilities. (2022, Global Partnership on Education)

The world is diverse and education should reflect it by including persons with disabilities. (in Spanish, 2022, UN)

Fact Sheet on Children with Disabilities (2022, UNICEF)

Value for Money: “Why investing in children with disabilities is worth every penny” (2022, Able Child Africa)

The evidence for benefits of flexible and adaptive curricula in inclusive education. (2022, Disability Evidence Portal)

Deaf education in the developing world: what needs to change post-pandemic? (2022, Global Partnership on Education)

The Role of Parenting Interventions in Optimizing School Readiness for Children With Disabilities in Low and Middle Income Settings. “The global agenda urgently needs to move beyond token recognition of this marginalized group to inclusive early child intervention programs that consider existing practices, cultural beliefs, and developmental goals in the targeted communities. Children with disabilities in LMICs should receive culturally sensitive parenting interventions to improve learning and educational outcomes.” (2022, Frontiers in Pediatrics)

Testing a wide range of technologies to address the reading needs of marginalized children “35% of the awards supporting solutions for children with disabilities.” (2022, World Education Blog)

Education Cannot Wait Policy and Accountability Framework on Disability Inclusion: Realizing the right to inclusive and equitable quality education of children and adolescents with disabilities in emergencies and protracted crises (2022)

Dismantling barriers and advancing disability-inclusive education: an examination of national laws and policies across 193 countries:

“While strong guarantees exist across diverse countries, we find that notable gaps remain. Forty-six percent of countries do not broadly prohibit disability-based discrimination through the completion of secondary education. Legislation in 35% of countries does not guarantee persons with disabilities access to integrated education in mainstream education environments along with necessary individualized accommodations through the completion of secondary school.” (2022, International Journal of Inclusive Education)

World Vision's child protection work A visual journey of disability inclusion (2022, World Vision)

UNICEF School Guide to Supporting Marginalized Caregivers of Children with Disabilities “Inclusive practices are supported when there is meaningful family engagement.” (2022, UNICEF)

Evidence brief on utilising community resources to detect and support children with disabilities? - (2022, Disability Evidence Portal)

A research protocol for study of Effectiveness of Inclusive Interventions for Children with Disabilities in Low- and Middle-income Countries. (link to pdf, 2022, UNICEF)

A short guide on Achieving Quality Education for All (2022, Centre for Inclusive Futures.)

Further events on the CaNDER Seminar Series engaging seminars bringing researchers and practitioners together. (2022)

Students with disabilities hardest hit by school closures (2022, University of Gothenburg)

When All Truly Means Everyone: Fulfilling the Right to Education of Children with Disabilities in Our Global Education Crisis Response. ECW is "committed to reaching 10% of children with disabilities across our investment portfolio. " (2022, Education Cannot Wait)

Researching Disability-Inclusive Education: Perspectives from Researchers in sub-Saharan Africa and South Asia.

“Northern scholarship has long dominated the policy discourse on disability-inclusive education. The continued absence of Southern scholarship and overreliance of evidence and perspectives from the North is impeding contextual understanding and action on disability-inclusive education.” (2022, IEI)

Best of UNICEF Research 2021: highlights research on support provided to children with disabilities in Montenegro and how children with developmental disabilities in Palestine experience stigma and discrimination. (2022, UNICEF)

A "landscape review" of ICT for Disability-Inclusive Education (link to pdf, 2022, World Bank)

An in-depth Inclusive Education Resources and Toolkit "reference for all staff working in education programming to mainstream inclusion in their work" (2022, Save the Children)

Evidence brief on overcoming issues of access to digital learning for primary school learners with disabilities in LMICs during Covid-19.

“Primary school learners with disabilities continue to face barriers or continue to be left behind in online/digital learning solutions as a result of the enduring implications of the ongoing COVID-19 restrictions on education. However, access can be improved if, learners with disabilities, parents and their teachers are consulted in the design and implementation of digital learning solutions.” (2022, Disability Evidence Portal)

Joint Statement on the Rights of Children with Disabilities. Adopted by the Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) and the Committee on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD). (link to docx, 2022, OHCHR)

A call to action from a coalition of disability organizations on Transforming Education Summit calling for “resilient and inclusive education systems, equitable financing, and the removal of institutional and social barriers to inclusion so every child can benefit from quality education.” (2022, GLAD)

A new book Global Directions in Inclusive Education Conceptualizations, Practices, and Methodologies for the 21st Century. Edited By Matthew J. Schuelka, Suzanne Carrington (2021, Routledge)

In Inclusive education, The case for early identification and early intervention in assistive technology: assistive technology enables learning and so children who need it must be identified as soon as possible. (2021, Assistive Technology Journal)

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Asia-Pacific

Disability-inclusive Comprehensive Sexuality Education: An Assessment of Teacher Needs. (2022, UNESCO)

Ensuring continuity of education of children with disabilities during emergencies (2021, Global Partnership for Education)

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Eastern Europe and Central Asia

The role of boarding schools for vulnerable children A summary of evidence on the current use and impact of boarding schools in the Europe and Central Asia region. (May, UNICEF)

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Latin America and the Caribbean

Educational situation of girls, adolescents and women with disabilities in Latin America: information document. (2023, UNESCO)

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Middle East and North Africa

Hard Lessons: An inquiry into children with disabilities’ exposure to protection risks in Lebanon and Northwest Syria. (2023, World Vision)

The real lives behind the data: Children with disabilities in education across Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon and the occupied Palestinian territory. (link to pdf, 2022, Humanity and Inclusion)

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Africa

“I Really Wanted to Further My Education but That Wasn’t Possible” Out of School Experiences of Youth with Disabilities in Ethiopia, Ghana, and South Africa:

“The strongest factor leading to the discontinuation of education across all contexts was the loss of key social support networks and relationships. Participants credited much of their success and inclusion to their supportive relationships. They indicated the essential role that family, peers, mentors, teachers, school staff, personal assistants, and other community members played in supporting them financially and emotionally, assisting them with their academics, and providing disability-related supports in their daily lives.” (Feb, International Journal of Disability, Development and Education)

Girls and young women raise their voice profiles of 10 young female advocates in Eastern and Southern Africa. (2023, UNICEF)

Children with Disabilities in Eastern and Southern Africa: A statistical overview of their well-being (2023, UNICEF)

Mapping and Recommendations on Disability-Inclusive Education. In Eastern and Southern Africa (2023, UNICEF)

Mapping Learning to Earning Opportunities in Eastern and Southern Africa:

“Several countries in Eastern and Southern Africa provide government sponsored skills-building and training to youth with disabilities in both special and inclusive settings. Despite these efforts and emerging promising practices, limited outreach leaves youth with disabilities and their families unaware of initiatives. In addition, employers, mentors and investors often do not have processes in place to successfully onboard interns, mentees and employees with disabilities, and some may be reluctant to host them at all because of negative perceptions of disability.” (2023, UNICEF)

A Manifesto for Inclusive Education across African Countries. (2023, HI)

Cross-Country Brief on Trends in Inclusive Education (2023, Mastercard Foundation)

Manifesto on Inclusive Education made by representatives of organizations of persons with disabilities. (2022, African Disability Forum)

A needs assessment of School Violence and Bullying of Children with Disabilities in the Eastern and Southern Africa Region. I hadn't heard of this before, in Zambia, one informant reported:

“There are traditional beliefs, that having sexual relations with a person who is disabled helps you to become cured from a particular disease such as HIV and AIDS. That persons with disabilities can be used as avenues for cleansing and that takes a step further from bullying into sexual violence, sexual abuse, and so on." (link to docx, 2022, Leonard Cheshire)

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Angola

Meeting of children with disabilities and the Ministry of Finance supported by UNICEF. Dorivaldo Correia, aged 9, said his hopes and reams were like those of any other child. (In Portuguese, Jul, UNICEF)

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Congo-Kinshasa

Violent Discipline in North Kivu: The Role of Child Gender and Disability Status in Cross-sectional Analysis: “levels of violence in conflict-affected households in North Kivu, DRC are high, with women reporting higher levels of violent discipline overall, and amplified use of violence against girl children with disabilities.” (2023, Maternal and Child Health Journal)

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Egypt

First e-library for blind people launched in Alexandria (2022, Disability Insider)

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Ethiopia

From exclusion to inclusion: The need for improved education policies for girls with disabilities in Tigray. (Sep, Brookings)

China wins praise for its educational assistance to Ethiopia's vulnerable students. “This came during a special ceremony held Tuesday to mark the topping-out of a Chinese-funded, multi-purpose school building for Alpha School for the Deaf in Addis Ababa” (2023, Xinhua)

A New Lease on Life: Ensuring Education for Children with Disabilities in Ethiopia. (2023, World Bank)

Research finds “double burden” for high school students with disabilities in conflict affected Oromia region. (2023, Addis Standard) Research is on the impact of political instability on inclusive education.

Disability-Inclusive Education and Employment: Understanding the Context (2023, Mastercard Foundation)

Revisiting Equity COVID-19 and Education of Children with Disabilities (2021, WISE)

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Ghana

Disability-Inclusive Education and Employment: Understanding the Context (2023, Mastercard Foundation)

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Guinea-Bissau

Students with disabilities hit the books to make their parents proud “Bengala Branca is the country’s first inclusive school, bringing together children with and without disabilities.” (2023, WFP)

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Kenya

Raising a child with autism: Facing stigma, finding glimmers of hope. (Feb, NPR)

New bill seeks to ensure children with disabilities get education “The Learners With Disabilities Bill, 2023 has undergone its first reading at the Kenyan National Assembly.” (2023, K24)

STEM Courses in Rural Kenya Open Doors for Girls With Disabilities (Short video, 2023, Voice of America)

Recommendations from a research study on inclusive education and assistive technology: “tax exemption on assistive technology would contribute to the development of education targeting learners with disabilities.” (2023, NewTimes)

Feature on ANDY's work to promote early childhood education for children with disabilities. (2023, KBC Channel)

Inclusive Early Childhood Development and Education in Kenya: what do parents, teachers and children understand, perceive and experience? (2023, Disability and the Global South)

Feature on the Kenya Institute of Special Education's work on Braille. (2023, Star)

Disability-Inclusive Education and Employment: Understanding the Context (2023, Mastercard Foundation)

Conversations from the field: Stakeholders’ perspectives on inclusive education in western Kenya. (2022, Canadian Journal of Disability Studies)

Task-force must address state of disability rights in schools (2022, Irungu Houghton)

Youth with disabilities decry costly learning equipment (2022, The Star)

Are ALL Our Children Learning Uwezo Learning Assessment 2021 "1 in 5 girls with disability dropped out of school due [to] Covid-19 enforced schools' closure". (2022, Usawa Agenda)

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Madagascar

Children with disabilities receive rehabilitation to walk and speak, and prepare to go to school. (2023, UNICEF)

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Malawi

Short documentary film Falling Behind exploring “Mismanagement of Funds and A Lack of Accessible Financial Assistance Information Put Students with Disabilities at Risk” (2022, Disability Justice Project)

‘I might be lucky and go back to school’: Factors affecting inclusion in education for children with disabilities in rural Malawi. (2022, African Journal on Disability)

A New Challenge Chrissy Matumba Becomes the First DeafBlind Student at Prestigious Malawian Secondary School (2022, Disability Justice Project)

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Morocco

Nearly 26,000 children with disabilities enrolled in school in 2023, an increase from 16,000 in 2021. (In French, Jan, Le Matin.ma)

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Mozambique

Breaking Educational Barriers for Children with Albinism (2023, Africa.com)

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Niger

Childhood disability in rural Niger: a population-based assessment using the Key Informant Method. (2022)

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Nigeria

Girls with Disability Suffer, Rejected in Lagos Special Schools a detailed look at a lack of accessible and hygienic toilets and hygiene facilities. (Jan, This Day)

Disability-Inclusive Education and Employment: Understanding the Context (2023, Mastercard Foundation)

Inclusive Education celebrating an amazing partnership & lasting impact (2022, CBM UK)

Translating Human Rights in Education: The Influence of Article 24 UN CRPD Comparing the meanings of inclusive education in Nigeria and Germany, and how the development of inclusive education has depended on “institutionalized special education” rather than a rights-based approach. (2022, University of Michigan Press)

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Rwanda

Every Child Welcome: Teaching Students of All Abilities. (2023, USAID)

Disability-Inclusive Education and Employment: Understanding the Context (2023, Mastercard Foundation)

Visually impaired teachers want teaching assistants (2022, The New Times)

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Senegal

Disability-Inclusive Education and Employment: Understanding the context. (2023, Mastercard Foundation)

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Sierra Leone

Collecting disability data in schools in Sierra Leone (2023, UKFIET)

Transforming learning for children with disabilities in Sierra Leone’s most remote communities. (2022, Global Partnership on Education)

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South Africa

“We eat food with ants”

“The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) is investigating PCD College in Montana, Pretoria, following allegations of racism, discrimination, and unfair labour practice that Deaf employed electrical learnership students are apparently subjected to by their white superiors.” (Jun, Diary Series of Deaf People)

Inclusion of learners with learning disabilities in the Vaal Triangle mainstream classrooms. “This study argues that for learners with learning disabilities to be more included in mainstream classrooms, the learner population should be reduced to a maximum of 30 learners per class, and collaboration with parents should be enhanced.” (2023, African Journal of Disability)

Dire shortage of school places for autistic children “There are currently 133 children on the waiting list at Quest School for Learners with Autism, the only public specialist school in Gqeberha” (2023, GroundUp)

Accessibility to education for persons with disability ”Shocking statistics reveal how people living with disabilities in South Africa are denied a right to education.” (2023, Soweto Urban)

Towards interventions on school dropouts for disabled learners amidst and post-COVID-19 pandemic. Calls for a “a systematic multi-stakeholder local community-based intervention approach”. (2022)

Inclusive education in South Africa: path dependencies and emergences. “Addressing barriers to inclusive education seems to be less about clearing successive hurdles in a steeplechase race and more about understanding the complex ecology of education systems, and the various actors and socio-cultural, historical and economic processes that constitute these systems.” (2022, International Journal of Inclusive Education)

Too many disabled children still fall through schooling gaps. Article points to a wild range of estimates of children with disabilities out of school: from 40,000 to 600,000. (2022, Mail and Guardian)

Digital technology should be prioritised in schools for pupils with learning disabilities (2022, Sunday Times )

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South Sudan

‘Difficult choices’: The particular vulnerability of children with disabilities and others who have fled from Sudan. (May, The Irish Times)

Feature on supporting access to education for children with disabilities: My Wheelchair, My Journey. (2022, Education Cannot Wait)

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Tanzania

Leaving no one behind an article exploring inclusive education. (2022, The Citizen)

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Uganda

Facing the challenge of understanding how Northern biases and assumptions impact the research process: Considering the researcher positionality in exploring local practice of disability-inclusive education in Uganda. (2023, Disability and the Global South)

Breaking barriers: FCA Uganda ensures access to education for children with disabilities. (2023, Finn Church Aid)

Experts blame special needs poor grades on few teachers. “The poor performance among special needs learners, both in classwork and at national examinations, has been attributed to a lack of skilled teachers and inadequate learning materials and equipment, a top education official has said.” (2023, Monitor)

Concern as deaf learners perform poorly in Primary Leaving Exams. (2023, Monitor)

Disability-Inclusive Education and Employment: Understanding the Context (2023, Mastercard Foundation)

They may have lost sight, but digital assistive learning technologies have given learners a vision. (2022, UNICEF)

A Fundraiser by Connor Scott-Gardner to help Salama Blind School after a Devastating Fire (2022, Go Fund Me)

Understanding child disability: Factors associated with child disability at the Iganga-Mayuge Health and Demographic Surveillance Site (2022, Plos One)

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West Africa

Information and Communication Technologies and Inclusive Education "Despite their potential to foster inclusive learning, the use of ICT in schools in the intervention countries faces a number of barriers" (2022, Humanity and Inclusion)

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Zambia

A study of inclusive education provision ”Limited curriculum reform remains one of the main impediments to the implementation of the inclusive policy for children with SEN in Zambia.” (2023, African Journal of Disability)

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Afghanistan

Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey Findings Report 2022 to 2023 survey. Percentage of children age 5-17 years with functional difficulty in at least one domain is 35%. (2023, UNICEF)

Towards Inclusive Education: Narratives of Setting Up a School for Students
with Disabilities in Afghanistan (2023, Disability and the Global South)

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Armenia

Transforming lives of children with special needs in Armenia

“As of recent reports, approximately 4,000 children with disabilities are enrolled in special education institutions, while around 2,000 are integrated into mainstream schools with varying levels of support.” (May, Civilnet)

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Bangladesh

Insights from Fieldwork with Learners with Deafblindness and Women with Disabilities in Bangladesh. (2023, IDS)

Majority of children with disabilities in Bangladesh not enrolled in formal education. A national survey shows that “60 percent of children with disabilities aged 5-17 years are not in education.” (2023, The Daily Star)

Over 500,000 special needs children affected by school closure "As many as 1,700 private and 77 government special needs schools were closed all over Bangladesh, impeding the mental and physical growth of special needs children. " [Since March 2020] (2022, Dhaka Tribune)

Disability and Intrahousehold Investment Decisions in Education: Empirical Evidence from Bangladesh:

“we find the existence of disability bias on the part of parents, especially with regard to the enrollment decision for their children. Results from the direct method using the individual child dataset suggest that there is also a possibility of disability bias in investment decisions even for children who are already enrolled.” (link to pdf, 2022, Asian Development Review)

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Bhutan

Perceptions of Youth with Disabilities in Bhutan on Family Support, Attitudes, and Encouragement towards Meaningful Community Engagement: Implications for Parental Self-Efficacy. (2023, Disability, CBR & Inclusive Development)

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China

Disabled orphans bear brunt of China's overseas adoption ban. (Oct, BBC)

Over 1,500 schools launch new alliance to promote inclusive education “The alliance aims to focus on and ensure every child, especially those with special needs, has equitable and quality education” (Oct, China Daily)

Children with dwarfism discuss why accessibility, awareness are needed in Hong Kong (Sep, SCMP)

Investigation of sexual assault case at a school for disabled children in Hubei Province (In Chinese, 2023, Weixin)

Discussion on Families We Need Erin Raffety's book on Disability, Abandonment, and Foster Care's Resistance in Contemporary China. (Podcast without transcript, 2023, New Books Network)

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India

Prevalence of functional difficulty among school-aged children and effect on school enrolment in rural southern India: A cross-sectional analysis:

“This study shows that at least one in a hundred children in this region have severe functional difficulties and nearly half of these children are not enrolled in school” (Sep, Journal of Epidemiology and Global Health)

A Systematic Review on Inclusive Education Research: Identifying Concerns over Children with Disabilities. (Jun, Asian Journal of Education and Social Studies)

Prevalence of functional difficulty among school-aged children and effect on school enrolment in rural southern India: A cross-sectional analysis:

“This study shows that at least one in a hundred children in this region have severe functional difficulties and nearly half of these children are not enrolled in school, highlighting the need for further efforts and evidence-based interventions to increase school enrolment among these groups.” (Apr, Journal of Epidemiology and Global Health)

Parents of special school students take to streets in Goa. “The parents said that they were told to stop sending the students to the center based in the old SCERT building [...] following a student's death”. (Jan, Times of India)

“If he has education, there will not be any problem”: Factors affecting access to education for children with disabilities in Tamil Nadu. “Despite legislative progress, significant gaps in attendance, learning and social inclusion remain for children with disabilities” (2023, Plos One)

Could Inclusive Education for Kids With Disabilities Transform Indian Classrooms? (2023, The Better India)

A Long Road to Inclusion: Education of Children with Disabilities in Rural Indian Government Schools:

“Our findings suggest that deficit-oriented views dominated teacher thinking, but they showed a readiness to engage with disability issues, recognising the value of education for all. However, they struggled in their classroom practices in relation to meeting diverse learner needs and exclusionary practices were further amplified for children with disabilities. Teachers were unwilling to take responsibility for the learning of children with disabilities, expressing significant concerns about their own preparedness, while highlighting the lack of effective and appropriate support structures.” (2023, International Journal of Disability, Development and Education)

STEM education for blind kids is the need of the hour. (2023, News Trail)

Inclusive education in practice: disability, ‘special needs’ and the (Re)production of normativity in Indian childhoods. (2022, Children's Geographies)

Around 71% of govt schools across country made "disabled friendly" according to Ministry data (2022, Times of India)

For kids with disabilities, the pandemic may have been a reprieve “If not going to school has given them their first taste of learning in a safe and happy place, then schools have to be made safer and happier now that they are heading back” (2022, Indian Express) I'm sure this doesn't generalize, but great to see cases of people who had a better time.

Early detection of disability among children is important (2021)

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Indonesia

Challenges on Inclusive Primary Education in Indonesia

“However, despite many positive steps taken, inclusive schools face several significant challenges. Funding limitations often hinder the provision of complete facilities and adequate adaptive technology, especially in remote areas. Additionally, not all teachers have adequate training to teach in inclusive environments, feeling unprepared to handle the special needs of students. Social stigma also remains a significant barrier, both within the community and within the schools themselves, towards students with special needs. In many remote areas, school infrastructure such as buildings and basic facilities is still severely lacking, making the implementation of inclusive education more difficult. The lack of educational materials that support inclusive learning also poses a significant obstacle in implementing this policy.” (May, Modern Diplomacy)

Including Students with Disabilities in School in Rural Areas An online pilot program to assess needs of students with disabilities. (Feb, World Bank)

Policy Note on Inclusive Early Childhood Education for children with disabilities. “Inclusion in preschools needs to mean more than just access to the school building.” (2023, Inclusive Education Initiative)

Assistive Technologies for Children with Disabilities in Inclusive and Special Schools in Indonesia (2023, World Bank)

Key issues for children with disabilities. A discussion paper. (2023, UNICEF)

The Hurdles to Disability-Inclusive Education (2022, Jakarta Globe)

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Jordan

A video of a teacher slapping a child with disabilities at a disability centre causes outcry on social media. (In Arabic, May, BBC)

Jordanian parents challenge government policy on disabled children. (2023, Raseef 22)

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Kuwait

Experts of the Committee on the Rights of the Child Commend Kuwait’s Disability Allowance for Children (2022, OHCHR)

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Lebanon

The Paper Plane animated video on inclusive education (In Arabic, with English subtitles, 2023, Walid Sarrouh)

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Malaysia

Transition from Education to Employment in Malaysia: Situational Analysis of Youth with Disabilities (Apr, Fora Education)

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Myanmar

"We wish for both of our sons to be educated" The hard choices a family is making for their child living with disability in eastern Myanmar. (Jun, UNICEF)

A window to the world multimedia storybooks offer new learning opportunities for children with disabilities. (2023, UNICEF)

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Nepal

Field note on Promoting Disability Friendly WASH in Schools. (2023, UNICEF)

Supporting deaf learners in Nepal via Sustainable Development Goal 4: Inclusive and equitable quality education in sign languages. (2022, Int. Journal of Speech-Language Pathology)

How schools are including children with disabilities (2022, UKFIET)

Books adapted into Nepali Sign-Language by Let's Read Asia with the Nepali Government (2021, All Children Reading)

Revisiting Equity COVID-19 and Education of Children with Disabilities (2021, WISE)

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Palestine

Disability-Inclusive Education in the occupied Palestinian territory (2023, Relief Web / HI)

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Philippines

An Accessibility Conundrum in the Philippines detailed look at advocacy methods on “strategic reform to unlock the implementation of accessibility features in Philippine public schools.” (Jan, InAsia)

Intersection of Gender and Disability on Returns to Education A Case from Metro Manila, Philippines. (2023, Merits)

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Qatar

Revisiting Equity COVID-19 and Education of Children with Disabilities (2021, WISE)

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Saudi Arabia

Quality of Life Among Family Caregivers of Disabled Children “Variations in QoL were observed among caregivers, indicating significant challenges for some individuals.” (2023, Cureus)

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Singapore

Schools inculcating empathy for students with special needs; Ministry of Education calls on parents to help too. (Apr, Ministry of Education)

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South Asia

Deaf children and mental health: The challenges and how we’re tackling them. (2022, Global Partnership on Education)

Mapping of Disability-Inclusive Education Practices in South Asia (2021, UNICEF)

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Syria

A promising future for Ameer a blog on non-formal education programmes that reached hundreds of children with disabilities. (2022, Global Partnership on Education)

How Cognitive and Pyschosocial Difficulties Affect Learning Outcomes: A study of primary school children. “The findings suggest that psychosocial and cognitive support for children in emergencies is needed, not just for their wellbeing but to enable them to learn effectively.” (link to pdf, 2022, Journal on Education in Emergencies)

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Tajikistan

Including Children with Disabilities in Early Grade Math Assessments (2022, Inclusive Development Partners)

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United Arab Emirates

Examining culturally responsive inclusive education practices in mainstream schools in the United Arab Emirates: A preliminary study to trial an evidence-based framework. (2023, Disability and the Global South)

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Vietnam

Efforts made to ensure best care for children with disabilities (2022, Vietnam Plus)

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Yemen

Multiple Indicator Cluster Survey Findings 2022-2023 across 20,000 households. Percentage of children age 5-17 years with functional difficulty in at least one domain is 21%. (2023, UNICEF)

How one blind boy helped rebuild his school. (Short video, 2023, BBC)

The children of a forgotten war stories of children living with injuries from the war. "Buy me a gun,” says Amir, “I will load a bullet in my gun and fire at those who took my leg.” (2023, BBC)

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Europe

Children with Disabilities in Europe and Central Asia: A statistical overview of their well-being (2023, UNICEF)

Better Health, Better Lives? 10-Years on From the World Health Organization’s Declaration on the Health of Children With Intellectual Disabilities (2022, Journal of Intellectual Disabilities)

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Austria

Going in the wrong direction, “In Carinthia, despite all human rights recommendations, a new residential facility for disabled children is currently being built” (2023, ENIL)

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Belgium

Belgium has the most pupils in special education in all of Europe: why is that? (In Flemish, I used Google Translate, 2022, VRT)

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Germany

German far right’s Höcke wants to kick disabled kids out of regular schools (2023, Politico)

Translating Human Rights in Education: The Influence of Article 24 UN CRPD Comparing the meanings of inclusive education in Nigeria and Germany, and how the development of inclusive education has depended on “institutionalized special education” rather than a rights-based approach. (2022, University of Michigan Press)

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Ireland

Children with disabilities waiting years for vital services access to disability services is full of “constant worry, uncertainty, inadequate support and endless struggle”. (2023, Irish Examiner)

Special classes not best option for students with disabilities:

“Although special classes have been in existence in Ireland since the mid-1970s, their numbers have increased dramatically over the last decade from more than 500 in 2011 to over 2,000 this year. These developments have taken place in the context of research, by the Economic and Social Research Institute and more recently the Department of Education and Skills (DES) Inspectorate, which show little evidence that students in these classes benefit from such placements.” (2022, Irish Times)

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Italy

Embracing and rejecting the medicalization of autism (2022, Social Science and Medicine)

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Moldova

Turned Away From Teaching, Disabled Moldovan 'Astonished' By Discrimination. “Told she could not become a teacher because she was born without one hand and forearm, but she has never given up on her dream.” (Video feature, subtitles in English, 2023, Radio Free Europe)

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Norway

An Agent-Based Simulation Model of Epidemic Spread in a Residential School. “An agent-based model of a school for deaf children was developed from Norwegian archival sources and 1918 influenza pandemic data to test impacts of non-pharmaceutical interventions. Results show differences in the timing and pattern of spread based on whether the first case is a student or staff member, while epidemics are smaller with more student bedrooms or a hospital ward.” (2023, Scandinavian Journal of Disability Research)

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Slovakia

Great expectations: Report on “Inclusion of children with disabilities in the context of deinstitutionalisation of substitute care”. (Jun, UNICEF)

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Switzerland

Mis-education They want my good, but I prefer autonomy. Personal reflections on special educators. (Sep, Couper l'herbe sous les roues)

Disability at the end of class thoughtful discussion of debate on inclusive education. (In French, Jul, Couper l'herbe sous les roues)

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Ukraine

Where does Ukraine stand on inclusive education?

“But things are getting better,” [says Mariia Nikitina] “Especially for kids. Children are more aware and informed of what disability is, and they are more accepting and inclusive. These are positive changes in attitudes toward people with disabilities.” (Jan, The New Voice of Ukraine)

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United Kingdom

UK’s biggest sign-language school opens new teaching space:

“The design is intended to optimise communication and navigability, from the horseshoe layout of the classrooms and the lack of corridors to the colour palette. It also had to work well for pupils with visual impairments or mobility issues.” (Oct, Design Week)

Many disabled young people written off report on the transition from education to work for young disabled people:

“The report found disabled people faced continuous barriers, external to securing long-term employment, which began from when they first started nursery school.” (Oct, BBC)

Disabled children’s charity hands 43% of grants to rightwing think-tanks:

“Campaigners shocked to find that much of the Street Foundation’s funds are ‘not being spent on disabled children at all’.” (Sep, Good Law Project)

Restrained and scared: The £100k schools failing vulnerable children: “Private special needs schools accused of letting down children” (Aug, BBC)

Children mocked and bullied by staff at special needs school.

“An undercover reporter spent almost seven weeks at Life Wirral in Wallasey and witnessed staff using offensive language to mock pupils for their neurodiversity or learning disabilities, as well as manhandling them into dangerous headlocks.” (Jun, BBC)

Cropped out, banned, airbrushed: the school photos that show the ugly face of Britain today, as disabled children are edited out of school pictures. (Apr, the Guardian)

Lived Experience of Black/Global Majority Disabled Pupils and their Families in Mainstream Education (Apr, ALLFIE)

Fight for our future: a report calling for action for every disabled child to fulfil their potential. (Apr, Newlife)

The Development Process of the Inclusive Education Movement with Non-disabled Allies: Focusing on Disability Equality Training in England. (Mar, Educational Studies in Japan)

Over 50% of special school pupils could be in mainstream, an analysis of a major government intervention programme has found. (Feb, TES Magazine)

Parents urge councillors to apologise over special needs comments One councillor asked if "something in the water" was increasing special needs cases. (Feb, BBC)

British Sign Language GCSE set to launch in 2025 (2023, TES magazine)

History Depth Study: Fight for Rights in Modern Britain Student Book. (2023, Oxford University Press)

Wasting money, wasting potential: families are appealing a record number of decisions on not granting special educational needs, and “in 2021-22, the public sector wasted nearly £60 million losing EHCP tribunal disputes”. (2023, Pro Bono Economics)

A toolkit to support understanding and supporting mental health in infancy and early childhood. (2023, UNICEF)

Children with Disabilities forced to travel hundreds of miles for school. (2022, The Bureau)

Changing Children’s Attitudes to Disability through Music: "A core driver for change appeared to be sharing enjoyable musical activities with competent musicians who had disabilities." (2022, Disabilities)

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Cuba

How is education serving girls and boys with disabilities in Cuba? In the 2022-2023 school year, a total of 30,610 children with disabilities were enrolled in the country. (In Spanish, Mar, Granma)

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Mexico

Inclusive education: four years after reform, only 2% of matriculating students have disabilities. (2023, Yo También.)

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United States

When disabled kids are left behind in school shooting drills “School emergency planning often fails to account for disabilities, with traumatic consequences for children and their parents.” (Nov, The Washington Post)

More kids than ever need special education , but burnout has caused a teacher shortage. “Going into the current school year, more than half of U.S. public schools anticipate being short-staffed in special education” (Oct, The Conversation)

Beyond Inclusion: How to Raise Anti-Ableist Kids, a book (Jul, IPG)

Autistic Students at Shrub Oak School Have Suffered Without Oversight

“This School for Autistic Youth Can Cost $573,200 a Year. It Operates With Little Oversight, and Students Have Suffered.” (May, Pro Publica)

Creating a Welcoming Environment for Linguistically Diverse Families of Students in Special Education. (Mar, KQED)

Our Nation’s Public Schools are Failing Neurodivergent Learners.

“Setting neurodivergent students up to succeed begins by accepting them as they are, and not comparing them to the student we may think they should be. The picture of what “good learning” looks like in classrooms has a long legacy of upholding ableist, neuronormative patterns of behavior. Sitting in a chair, still, with both feet down on the floor, looking forward, and not fidgeting, does not equate to how much a student is learning. Neither does finishing all the problems in a designated time frame or being able to fit your thinking into a little box at the bottom of a worksheet or exam.” (Feb, EdSurge)

Few Interpreters, a Byzantine System, and a Child in Need of Learning —Welcome to New York. “Navigating the city’s services for students with disabilities is hard. Even more so for non-English-speaking parents.” (2023, Mother Jones)

America Promises Equality for Disabled Students. It’s Failing. A project exploring “how our country’s education system underserves them—and the fight to change that.”:

‘It has been nearly 50 years since the Individuals With Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) passed, guaranteeing a “free appropriate public education” to disabled students. But our system is not living up to this promise. More than one-third of these students don’t graduate high school. The Department of Education’s Office for Civil Rights has more than 2,500 open investigations into complaints from parents of children with disabilities; some have been unresolved for over a decade.’ (2023, Mother Jones)

How deaf education has changed in Minnesota over 160 years (2023, MPR News)

No Power but Deaf Power: Revitalizing Deaf Education Systems via Anarchism (2023, Social Inclusion)

How School Shooting Responses Leave Out Disabled Students. “Many schools have policies that leave behind vulnerable students and staff in the event of mass shootings, fires or other disasters.” (2023, Huffpost)

Oklahoma votes down ban of corporal punishment on disabled children. (2023, Washington Post)

Supreme Court unanimously rules for deaf student in education case. (2023, PBS)

Disability rights advocates call on Texas Legislature to better protect students from restraints. “Jeanna TenBrink said three years ago, when her daughter Leah was in middle school, she started coming home with unexplained bruises and getting upset when it was time to go to school. But because Leah is autistic and mostly nonverbal, TenBrink didn’t know why her daughter was upset until she managed to get access to camera footage.” (2023, Texas Public Radio)

How Educators Secretly Remove Students With Disabilities From School. “The removals — which can include repeated dismissals in the middle of the day or shortening students’ education to a few hours a week — are often in violation of federal civil rights protections for those with disabilities.” (2023, New York Times)

5 Helpful Resources for Teaching Students Disability History (2023, We Are Teachers)

The School That Calls the Police on Students Every Other Day “An Illinois school for students with disabilities has routinely used the police to handle discipline, resulting in the highest arrest rate of any district in the country. In one recent year, half of Garrison School students were arrested.” (2023)

Will shock treatment finally be banned? “The fact that autistic students are still being shocked at the Judge Rotenberg Educational Center is unconscionable.” (2023)

How should we reckon with history’s uncomfortable truths about disability? “My research found that eugenics, a theory popular from the late nineteenth century until World War II, had an early but profound influence on educational policy that lingers to this day in the rationale for, and funding of, educational provisions for students with disability.” (2022, Monash)

New Guidance Helps Schools Support Students with Disabilities and Avoid Discriminatory Use of Discipline (2022, Department of Education)

Education Department Finds that Most States Repeatedly Fail To Meet Special Ed Responsibilities (2022, Disability Scoop)

Surveillance Tech Is Wrongly Accusing Disabled Students of Cheating on Tests (2022, Truthout)

Reflections on Disabled Students & Active Shooter Preparedness “How can we use anti-ableism in all aspects of gun violence prevention?” (2022, Crip News)

I Gave My Child a Smartphone and It's Been the Best Thing for Her. More screen time has been beneficial for my disabled 10-year-old daughter. Here are five rules that make it all work for us. (2022, Wired)

Longest Sit-In in UCLA History Ends with Massive Victory for Students: "A 16-day sit-in by a coalition of students striking for hybrid access and equity for marginalized students got results. " (2022, Knock LA)

Cost of Heaven a moving exploration through graphics and text on the closure of a deaf school and importance of its heritage. "The cultural strength of the Deaf schools enable children to learn without the constant pressure to 'overcome' disability." (text transcript also available, 2022, Adrean Clark)

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Australia

Government allowed private organisation to hand out more than half a billion dollars of public money:

“A childcare operator was given the power to allocate more than half a billion dollars in federal funding set aside from 2016 to 2023 for children with disabilities, without any public record of how the money was spent.” (Nov, ABC)

Hannah's son was put in a box at school. She's one of many parents calling out the practice:

“The widespread use of 'restrictive practices' in Australian schools is leaving children with disability traumatised and their parents exasperated. Some teachers are also appalled by what they've seen.” (Oct, SBS News)

Funding for Australian school students with disabilities ‘woefully inadequate’ “A new national survey of 15,000 principals and teachers reports that just 11% of principals feel they have sufficient resources to support the educational needs of students with disabilities.” (May, the Guardian)

How can segregated special schools still be a choice? (2023, Centre for Inclusive Education)

‘A form of discrimination’: Australia’s school system accused of failing neurodiverse kids. (2023, the Guardian)

Special schools should be abolished “Educators are pushing for special schools to be scrapped and for all students to be educated together, regardless of their abilities.” (2023, Herald Sun)

What we should all know about authentic inclusive classrooms (2022, EduResearch Matters)

Why do students with disability go to 'special schools' when research tells us they do better in the mainstream system? (2022, the Conversation)

Experts slam ‘culture of low expectations’ surrounding kids with disability, ‘routinely being let down by a widespread lack of support across both mainstream and specialist schools.’ (2022, The Educator)

Push for special schools to be phased out under inclusive education plan (2022, SMH)

‘Devastating impact’: Rise in proportion of disabled students expelled from Victorian government schools during COVID pandemic. “We expect it to be worse this year,” she said. “Every time students have gone back to school following a lockdown period, we have seen both formal and informal exclusions increase.” (2022, The Age)

Could a national body for ‘Scientists with Disabilities’ level the playing field? (2022, Women's Agenda)

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New Zealand

The love/hate relationship we have with our teacher aides. “Our teacher aides helped us in the classroom when we needed it the most, despite our resentment for making us stand out when we just wanted to fit in.” (Oct, D*List)

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Argentina

Mental health as an educational outcome: Lessons for inclusive education from the Austral in Neuquén (2023, Disability and the Global South)

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Colombia

Listening to the voices of children with disabilities in Escuela Nueva schools. (2023, Disability and the Global South)

Mother says teacher offered her money to take her autistic daughter out of class (in Spanish, 2022, Blu Radio)

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Peru

Inclusive Education For Children With Disabilities a program from UNICEF. (2023, Forbes)

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