Quarterly Progress Report: Expanding Participation of Persons with Disability (EPPD) Follow –on Project

The project focuses on providing quality education services and plans to support inclusive education. Key activities include organizing learning and experience sharing school visits, capacity building training programs for regional education bureau staff, and developing in-depth training material on inclusive methodologies. During the reporting quarter of April to June 2016, the project team implemented multiple activities at community, school, and regional/zone levels. At community level, awareness raising programs were conducted in collaboration with Disability People's Organizations (DPOs) to create awareness regarding disability, inclusive education, and the rights of children with disabilities. At school level, action research was organized for children to identify barriers in schools, teachers were trained on how to teach children with disabilities, and supplementary reading materials and equipment were donated to schools. Capacity building programs were organized for regional education bureau staff, and training sessions aimed at increasing the capacity of DPOs were conducted. Children with and without disabilities were trained on how to conduct action research to identify barriers in their schools. The project also organized experience sharing school visits for education experts from zone and woreda education offices and teachers from supported schools. The project distributed 4,000 copies of publications on inclusive education, including "Promoting the Development of Disability Friendly Schools" and "Lessons Learned from Handicap International's Inclusive Education." These documents are used as a reference for inclusive education and present approaches to inclusive education, the role of DPOs, and other concepts. Training sessions were provided for 162 teachers from supported schools, covering topics such as teaching children with disabilities, inclusive education, identification and screening, and early interventions. The training sessions were effective in improving the understanding of the topics covered by the trainers, as indicated by pre/post tests. Accessibility audits were conducted in collaboration with the school community, and engineering estimates were compiled for 19 schools. National tenders were launched for accessibility work in these schools. Renovation work in the schools was also finalized, with the process completed to carry out renovation works. The project has made significant progress in achieving its objectives, with almost all planned activities completed. The project has organized capacity building programs for regional education bureau staff, created learning environments that facilitate inclusive education, and trained teachers on specific impairment-related educational needs. The project has also distributed publications on inclusive education and conducted accessibility audits and renovation work in schools.