Disability, Society and Theology: Voices from Africa

Chapter Ten: Education, Employment, and Health: A Disability Perspective

Education, Employment, and Health CHAPTER TEN Education, Employment, and Health:A Disability Perspective Anjeline Okola W hile people in the rich world are talking about Independent Living and improved services, in Africa we are talking about survival. (By Joshua Malinga – a leading disability activist from Zimbabwe and a past Chair of Disabled Peoples International (DPI).) Introduction Education, employment and health are the core indicators of development. To determine the Human Development Index (HDI) of a country, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) uses data from education, employment and health collected at the national level. Therefore, literacy levels, rate of unemployment and life expectancy are key in composing the HDI. In most countries inAfrica, provision of basic health services, water, sanitation, roads, bridges, education and security are the responsibility of the state. Where there are limited resources, the state may not avail all these services to all citizenry. In such cases, the most affected are marginalised groups and persons with disabilities (PWDs) because they are disadvantaged. They cannot provide for their families because of their economic situation. Disability, Society, and Theology There is a close relationship between poverty and disability. Incidences of disability among the poor are caused by malnutrition – mothers are weakened by frequent childbirth, inadequate immunisation programmes and accidents in overcrowded homes. These factors somehow contribute to disability. From a different perspective, disability creates and exacerbates poverty by increasing isolation and economic strain, not just for the individual but for the family. Hence, there is no doubt that in poor countries, PWDs are amongst the poorest. Poverty leads to lack of education, employment or access to health services thus making PWDs more vulnerable. This Chapter discusses disability concerns in education, employment and health. It also looks at possible ways in which the government, disabled peoples’organisations (DPOs), churches and the general society can contribute towards inclusion of PWDs in these three areas. Education According to Byrne (1987), the primary aim of all educational effort should be to help boys and girls attain the highest degree of individual achievement of their potential. However, evidence suggests that achievement of personal goals depends largely on an individual’s ability and available facilities, help notwithstanding. Brian Dutton1 once said: “Education brings PWDs in close contact with society and if you share a desk with a child with a disability in school, it’s a lasting experience.” For children with disabilities, access to quality education and thereafter to employment has long-term social and economic impacts. The development of the entire society is at stake when children with disabilities are excluded from primary education. Therefore, their access to education should not be solely a personal and family issue. Social exclusion is a key dimension of poverty. 142 __________________________________ 1 Brian Dutton is the director general of Leonard Cheshire Disability. Education, Employment, and Health Although equality of opportunity in education has long been espoused, the reality has been rather different.According to the latest UNICEF (2007) statistics, 90% of children with disabilities receive no formal education. Even if the school is physically accessible, many children with disabilities remain excluded. This is especially common in rural areas inAfrica. Two factors contribute to this state of affairs: first, some parents fear that their disabled children will not cope. Second, others do not think that it is worthwhile to invest in children with disabilities. According to a research done by Verma (1998), children who do get education often receive inferior treatment.As a consequence, they have low expectations of themselves and from others and do not get the support they need in order to equally participate in society. Children with disabilities often have fewer demands placed on them and therefore may learn less than non-disabled siblings even in an informal setting. Right from the start, they are excluded from many of the dayto -day interactions that are taken for granted. Access to education should not be seen only as a question of overcoming cultural barriers. There is a long held perception that it is actually “the key to liberation” (Bryne, 1987). As Verma (1998) found out in her study, it is widely regarded as the key to freedom from financial hardship, poverty, and boredom. Educational attainment can largely determine the type of occupation, level of pay and other life attractive qualities. Oliver (1985) points out that the existence of segregated education for children with disabilities is part of the repressive state apparatus. It does not...