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The impact of an inclusive education intervention on learning outcomes for girls with disabilities within a resource-poor setting

CAREW, Mark
DELUCA, Marcella
GROCE, Nora
FWAGA, Sammy
KETT, Maria
May 2020

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Background: Despite a global commitment to the right to education for persons with disabilities, little is known about how to achieve inclusive education in practice, particularly in low- and middle-income countries (LMICs), where the majority of the world’s people with disabilities reside. Moreover, although exclusion from education is magnified by intersecting gender and socioeconomic inequalities, there is especially little knowledge regarding what approaches to inclusive education are effective amongst girls with disabilities living in resource-poor settings.

 

Objectives: The objective of this article was to assess the impact of an inclusive education intervention led by a non-governmental organisation (NGO) on the educational attainment of girls with disabilities in the resource-poor Lakes region of Kenya.

 

Method: A quasi-experimental design was employed, where the literacy and numeracy educational attainment of the intervention and control groups was compared over two time points a year apart (Time 1 and Time 2; total matched N = 353). During this period, activities pertaining to six core components of a holistic inclusive education model were implemented.

 

Results: Relative to the control group, girls with disabilities in the intervention group reported a greater increase in literacy and numeracy attainment, adjusted for grade and level of functional difficulty.

 

Conclusion: Findings suggest that the intervention was successful in engendering additional improvements in the educational attainment of girls with disabilities from the resource-poor Lakes region of Kenya. Results highlight both the applicability of NGO-led interventions in settings, where national implementation of inclusive education is constrained, and the potential of taking such interventions to scale.

 

 

African Journal of Disability, Vol 9, 2020

To what extent is Universal Design for Learning “universal”? A case study in township special needs schools in South Africa

SONG, Yosung
2016

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This paper reports on a study examining the current challenges of developinginclusive education as well as the potential applicability of implementing principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL) in two township special needs schools in South Africa. The philosophy of UDL has been advocated by many educators as a means of developing inclusive classroom environments in the Western world. Despite the growing popularity of UDL, its universal application, especially in places with limited resources, has remained somewhat unquestioned. Using a theoretical framework that is critical of Western-centered understandings of inclusive education and pedagogy, this paper examines how understanding the educational circumstances and teacher knowledge of a local context can inform the applicability of UDL principles. The findings of this study reveal that despite teachers’ recognition of the benefits of implementing UDL principles in their practice, the unique socioeconomic conditions in South African township schools make teachers doubt the feasibility of implementing this Western concept in their classrooms. Yet, at the same time, the findings illustrate how teachers are already employing practices that are consistent with UDL principles in an attempt to cater for the needs of diverse learners. The paper concludes by asserting the need to consider the unique economic and political contexts of the global South when determining the applicability of inclusive education strategies beyond Western contexts.

 

Disability & the Global South (DGS), 2016, Vol. 3 No. 1

Equal rights at the heart of the post-2015 development agenda : position paper in response to the report of the high-level panel of eminent persons on the post-2015 development agenda

EQUAL RIGHTS TRUST
September 2013

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This position paper calls for the adoption of comprehensive equality legislation to be included as a specific development goal in the framework established to succeed the Millennium Development Goals (MDGs). The paper argues that a failure to address inequality has been one of the undeniable failings of the MDGs. It presents research to illustrate that status-based discrimination is a driver of both income poverty and denial of access to economic and social rights, such as education and health, which are central to the current MDG framework. The paper argues that establishing effective legal protection for the rights to equality and non-discrimination can provide an important mechanism for alleviating poverty and its consequences, and concludes that this is only possible with the adoption of comprehensive equality legislation

Education for all : or just those easier to reach?

GREGORY, Peter
SUTHANTHIRARAJ, Kavitha
VAN ZOEREN. Peter
2012

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"This report examines the extent to which issues of gender and disability are considered in the design, development and monitoring of education programs undertaken by AusAID, the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank in Indonesia, Papua New Guinea and the Philippines. This is examined through a dual analytical approach involving assessment of institutional education policy and design documents to determine gender and disability policies and priorities, coupled with a review of operational documents ie: planning documents, evaluation reports and independent evaluation documents"

Equity and inclusion for all in education

GRIMES, Peter
BAGREE, Sunit
2012

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"This report advocates that DFID dedicate adequate resources to tackling the exclusion of all marginalised groups from education in a strategic manner, in line with Millennium Development Goal (MDG) 2 to achieve universal primary education, the Education for All (EFA) goals and international human rights instruments such as the Convention on the Rights of the Child. Mainly, it focuses on these wider issues of marginalization"

Toolkit for long term recovery|Haiti : reconstruction for all

GPDD WORKING GROUP ON HAITI RECONSTRUCTION
August 2010

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This toolkit suggests strategies and tools to improve disaster recovery and reconstruction practices for disabled people. It is structured around the following seven major thematic areas related to disability inclusive recovery and reconstruction: physical environment; livelihood, employment and social protection; transportation and communication; education; health; capacity building of disabled people's organisations (DPOs); and organisational and operational issues. This toolkit is useful for humanitarian agencies and NGOs in disasters situations

Community-based rehabilitation : CBR guidelines|Supplementary booklet

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO)
et al
2010

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"These community-based rehabilitation (CBR) guidelines are applicable to all disability groups. However, the need was identified for a supplementary booklet to highlight a number of issues which CBR programmes have historically overlooked, i.e. mental health problems, HIV/AIDS, leprosy and humanitarian crises...CBR is a strategy for community-based inclusive development which takes into account the principles of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, e.g. non-discrimination and the need to include all people with disabilities in development initiatives. Therefore, it is important that CBR programmes take steps to address issues which they have traditionally excluded, such as mental health problems, HIV/AIDS, leprosy and humanitarian crises. While these four issues have been chosen for inclusion in this booklet, CBR programmes are encouraged to think broadly about other issues (e.g. CBR and children, CBR and ageing) that are particularly relevant in their communities and which may be included in future editions of the guidelines"

Living conditions among people with disabilities in Mozambique : a national representative study

EIDE, Arne H
KAMALERI, Yusman
January 2009

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"This report provided results of a study of living conditions among people with functional limitation in Mozambique. Two comparative studies of different indicators of living conditions were carried out. These studies include: (i) a comparative study of households with and without family member(s) with functional limitation and (ii) a comparative study of individuals with and without functional limitation. In addition, a detailed study that specifically addresses the situation of individuals with functional limitation was also conducted"
SINTEF A9348

Promoting access to the built environment

WILM, Susanne
NOE, Christiane
November 2008

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“"These guidelines on 'Promoting Access to the Built Environment' reflect international standards and recommendations about accessibility in the built environment, and have been developed to assist CBM, its partners and other interested agencies in creating a more fully accessible environment"

Parenting behaviours and children's development from infancy to early childhood : changes, continuities and contributions

GUTMAN, Leslie Morrison
FEINSTEIN, Leon
May 2008

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This study investigates how children and parenting behaviours change from infancy to early childhood, how parenting influences concurrent and future child development, and whether parenting itself is affected by and responsive to child development. Also investigated was whether individual indicators of socioeconomic status moderate (i.e., strengthen or weaken) these associations. Results showed that mothers with higher levels of education provided more interactive and engaged parenting

Evidence for the effectiveness of rehabilitation-in-the-community programmes

VELEMA, Johan P
EBENSO, Bassey
FUZIKAWA, Priscila L
March 2008

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"The present literature review identified 29 reports from 22 countries in Asia, Africa and Central America reporting on the outcomes of rehabilitation-in-the-community programmes in low and middle income countries published between 1987 and 2007. Interventions included home visits by trained community workers who taught disabled persons skills to carry out activities of daily living, encouraged disabled children to go to school, helped find employment or an income generating activity, often involving vocational training and/or micro-credit. Many programmes had a component of influencing community attitudes towards disabled persons. The information collected shows that such programmes were effective in that they increased independence, mobility and communication skills of disabled persons, helped parents of disabled children to cope better and increased the number of disabled children attending schools. Economic interventions effectively increased the income of disabled persons although they rarely made them financially independent. CBR activities result in social processes that change the way community members view persons with disabilities, increase their level of acceptance and social inclusion and mobilise resources to meet their needs"
Leprosy Review, Vol 79, Issue 1

Closing the gap in a generation : health equity through action on the social determinants of health|Final report of the Commission on the Social Determinants of Health

WORLD HEALTH ORGANIZATION (WHO)
2008

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This is the final report of the World Health Organization’s Commission on the Social Determinants of Health (2005-2008). The report gives three main recommendations: 1 improve daily living conditions 2. Tackle the inequitable distribution of power, money, and resources 3. Measure and understand the problem and assess the impact of action. The Commission was created to provide evidence on policies that improve health by addressing the social conditions in which people live and work. The report is addressed to WHO, national governments, civil society, and other global organizations

The medical peace work textbook

ROWSON, M
MELF, K
Eds
2008

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This textbook provides an introduction to medical peace work and includes chapters relating to human rights; the causes and health effects of war and violent conflict; how health workers can promote peace-building and reconstruction; and the health and well-being needs of refugees and immigrants. The book is aimed at doctors, nurses, public health workers and other health professionals, and students. This e-textbook is part of an online course on Medical Peace Work. The book can be consulted, downloaded, or printed for free without registering for the course

Living conditions among people with activity limitations in Zambia : a national representative study

EIDE, Arne H
LOEB, ME
September 2006

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This report presents the findings of a study about the livelihoods of people with disability in Zambia using both individual data and data from household surveys with and without people with disabilities. The report, one of a series of regional research reports to establish baseline data on living conditions among people in Southern Africa, looks at the fields of health, employment, education, living conditions and services for people with disabilities

Socio-economic impact of disability in Latin America : Chile and Uruguay

CONTRERAS, Dante
et al
July 2006

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By using information from two national household surveys for Chile and Uruguay in 2003, this paper analyses the effect of economic and social policies to increase opportunities and social welfare for people with disabilities in the two countries. This paper would be of interest to those studying the socio-economic impact of disability

Globalisation and privatisation : the impact on childcare policy and practice

VANDENBROECK, Michel
January 2006

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This paper explores the impact of globalisation and neo-liberalism policies on child care provision, with a special focus on Belgium. It provides an overview of the historical context, and shows how even in Belgium social democratic welfare state globalisation has stimulated privatisation and decentralisation of services, and forced parents to take direct responsibility for the care of their children. The paper suggests that policy makers need to balance competing demands: government responsibility versus autonomy; standardisation versus diversity; inclusion versus exclusion

Trends in the timing of first marriage among men and women in the developing world

MENSCH, Barbara S
SINGH, Susheela
CASTERLINE, John B
August 2005

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The timing of first union merits investigation not only because of the close temporal link between marriage and the onset of childbearing, but also because the age when men and women marry has implications for the organization of family life and for gender relations within society. This paper begins by reviewing the contributions of various social science disciplines to an understanding of the timing of marriage. Using current status data from 73 countries provided by the United Nations Population Division and retrospective data from 52 Demographic and Health Surveys conducted between 1990 and 2001, we then examine recent trends in the timing of first marriage or union for men and women in the developing world. With the exception of South America for both sexes and South and Southeast Asia for men, substantial declines have occurred in the proportion of young men and women who are married. Given the differentials in the timing of marriage by educational attainment and residence, we assess whether the decline in the proportion of young people who are married is related to increases in schooling and urbanization. Expansion of schooling for women has had some impact, but a considerable portion of the reduction in early marriage is not explained by changes in levels of education. We consider other factors that might account for the increase in age at marriage. Finally, we review what is known about the consequences of changing age at marriage with a particular focus on risk of HIV infection.

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