Promoting the development of disability friendly schools

Handicap International's Inclusive Education: Expanding Access for Persons with Disabilities Project in Ethiopia aimed to support the government's Special Needs Education/Inclusive Education strategy. The project identified several key issues, including limited access to resource centers, lack of specialized resources, and attitudinal barriers among teachers, families, and the wider community. The project created a two-year pilot project to develop a model for 'disability-friendly schools' that could increase the inclusion of children with disabilities in educational programs. Six primary schools were selected to participate in the project, in collaboration with Regional Education Bureaus and USAID-funded organizations. The project aimed to equip six Disability Resource Centers, reinforce teachers' skills to include persons with disabilities, raise awareness among families, and develop guidelines for inclusive education. The project's expected results included reducing dropout and repetition rates among children with disabilities, creating conditions for mainstream schools to receive more learners with disabilities, improving the quality of education for children with disabilities and non-disabled children, and improving the skills and capacities of persons with disabilities. The project's success was measured by the establishment of six Disability Resource Centers, the training of teachers, and the development of guidelines for inclusive education. Inclusive education is a journey that leads to unique solutions, and a focus on creating more disability-friendly schools helps communities reflect on what they want from education for all their children. The project's findings highlight the importance of awareness-raising, challenging negative beliefs and practices, and creating disability-friendly school environments. The project's success demonstrates the potential for inclusive education to improve the lives of children with disabilities and their families.