Examples are outlined of how good practices in the provision of accessible learning materials are being put into practice by USAID in partnership with organisations addressing the education needs of students with disabilities:
Expanding access through Universal Design for Learning in Cambodia: All Children Reading
Applying a user-centered design approach in Kenya: eKitabu and Deaf-led Sign Language Video Stories
Promoting sustainable accessible standards in Rwanda: Soma Umenye
Supporting underserved languages in accessible formats: The Global Digital Library
Fostering parental involvement in Tajikistan: USAID Read with Me
India Inclusion Summit is a community driven initiative that aspires to build an Inclusive India by 2030. It is an annual event that began in 2012 to create awareness about disabilities and the need for Inclusion. The event brings together thought leaders and unsung heroes from the field of disability and inclusion to deliberate, discuss and drive change in our society.
Videos of some of the presentations are available including:
Purpose: The study focussed on the effect of Abacus training on numerical ability (comprising of counting and mathematical operations) of children with hearing loss.
Method: 90 students with hearing loss were sampled from 6 special schools in Mumbai, India. A quasi- experimental study was employed using two group pre-test and post-test design. Data were collected using the Numerical Ability Test (NAT) as an instrument. Six null hypotheses based on the objectives were formulated and tested at 0.05 level of significance using t-Test - Assuming Equal Variances.
Results: The findings revealed that the experimental group which was instructed through Abacus showed higher proficiency in numerical ability as compared to the control group instructed through the conventional method. Gender as a variable seems to influence the mean achievement of numerical ability of students with hearing loss. While girls and boys did not differ in simple tasks such as counting, boys were found to be better in mathematical operations and overall numerical ability.
Conclusions: The Abacus teaching method results in higher mathematical achievements among students with hearing loss. Gender also plays an important role in mathematical learning, as evidenced by boys demonstrating more numerical ability than girls in the study sample.
This report takes stock of evidence from LMICs, drawing on findings from a thematic evidence review combined with emerging findings from the Gender and Adolescence: Global Evidence (GAGE) survey and qualitative research baseline studies in Bangladesh, Ethiopia, Jordan and Palestine. These interviews involved more than 6,000 adolescents and their caregivers – including approximately 600 girls and boys with physical, visual, hearing or intellectual impairments, alongside service providers and policy actors. The report draws attention to the multiple and intersecting capabilities that need to be supported in order for adolescents with disabilities in LMICs to reach their full potential. It goes beyond a focus on their access to education and health services, and also considers their rights to psychosocial wellbeing, protection from violence, mobility and opportunities to participate within their communities, as well the skills, assets and support they need to become economically independent once they transition into adulthood.
Nineteen original research articles on a variety of topics including the cost of raising a child with autism, experiences of care givers to stroke survivors, dyslexic's learning experiences, communication rehabilitation, disability and food security, hearing children of deaf parents and rehabilitation of stroke survivors, disability policy, learning for deaf learners, aquatic based interventions for children with cerebral palsy, evaluation of community based rehabilitation programmes, the impact of stroke and barriers to the implementation of inclusive education.
Seven review articles: Intellectual disability rights and inclusive citizenship in South Africa: What can a scoping review tell us?; The benefits of hydrotherapy to patients with spinal cord injuries; Simple ideas that work: Celebrating development in persons with profound intellectual and multiple disabilities; The relationship between social support and participation in stroke: A systematic review; Parents of children with disabilities: A systematic review of parenting interventions and self-efficacy; Implementation of the 2006 Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities in Zimbabwe: A review; Part 1: A review of using photovoice as a disability research method: Implications for eliciting the experiences of persons with disabilities on the Community Based Rehabilitation programme in Namibia
There is an opinion paper entitled - Deafening silence on a vital issue: The World Health Organization has ignored the sexuality of persons with disabilities
There is a case study - Lessons from the pilot of a mobile application to map assistive technology suppliers in Africa
The People’s Republic of China is home to over 20 million d/Deaf and hard-of-hearing people, many among them belonging to ethnic minorities. Drawing on ethnographic fieldwork in two minority regions, the Tibet Autonomous Region and the Inner Mongolian Autonomous Region, this article comparatively discusses findings on sign language use, education and state welfare policies. The situation in these domains is analysed through the framework of the ‘civilising project’, coined by Harrell, and its impacts on the d/Deaf and hard-of-hearing among ethnic minorities are shown. For instance, through the promotion of Chinese and Chinese Sign Language over and above the use of local sign and written languages as well as through education and the medicalisation of disabilities.
This is a quiz game in Kenyan Sign Language (KSL), designed to inform and educate deaf Kenyans about HIV and AIDS and reproductive health issues. The interface has been kept simple with minimal visual distractions, which makes it suitable for students with very low computer skills. The quiz would be useful for Kenyan schools, HIV and AIDS testing clinics, internet cafes, resource centres and libraries
This extensive bibliography includes over 900 articles, chapters and books relating to the social and educational responses to disability, deafness and mental health issues in China, Korea and Japan from antiquity to present day. It would be useful for anyone interested in disability studies, research and disability and development
This quantitative study compares HIV and AIDS knowledge among hearing and deaf individuals in Nigeria, in order to identify if, and in what way, deaf community members lack access to AIDS information due to low literacy or problems in communication. Significant differences in levels of understanding and access to accurate information were found, indicating the need for inclusion of people with disabilities in HIV and AIDS strategies, and the need to address their specific vulnerabilities. The article would be useful for health and development professionals working in the field of HIVand AIDS, or with deaf individuals in Nigeria
This paper reports on a quantitative study to identify whether there are differences in the level of knowledge about HIV and AIDS between hearing and deaf community members in Swaziland. Significant differences in levels of understanding of HIV issues were found, especially with regards to mistaken ideas about HIV transmission and prevention. The outcomes indicate the need for targeted education campaigns and improved accessibility in health care for deaf individuals in Swaziland. The article is useful for health and development professionals working in the field of HIV and AIDS, as well as those working with deaf individuals in Swaziland
This extensive website focusing on inclusive education is regularly updated, primarily with publications written by people working and living in the South. The website’s resources database covers a wide range of themes including: action research and image-based methodologies, early childhood, emergencies, deafness, gender, parents, policy, teacher education, among others. The website also contains EENET’s newsletters, plus event and job vacancy announcements.
The website is also available from EENET as a CD-ROM