International Day of Persons with Disabilities Statement from the Director General of Education Cannot Wait Yasmine Cherif
NEW YORK, December 3, 2023 /PRNewswire/ — Children with disabilities have an undisputed right to quality, inclusive education. We will never achieve true equality – or the overarching goals set out in the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development – if they are left behind.
As we make important progress in providing these girls and boys with the opportunities and hope that a quality education provides, we must act by providing more financial resources, more inclusive policies and better access to learning for children and adolescents living with disabilities – particularly those affected by crises.
For too long, these girls and boys have remained in the shadows, while around one in six of us suffer from a significant disability. Children and adolescents with disabilities suffer extreme difficulties during violent conflicts and climate crises, in refugee camps and displacement centers. They are more vulnerable than the majority of children in the world.
Compared to children without disabilities, children with disabilities are: 49% more likely to have never attended school; 47% more likely not to attend primary school; 42% less likely to have basic reading and numeracy skills; and 33% more likely to have not attended lower secondary school, according to UNICEF.
Children with disabilities are not only disproportionately excluded from school and denied their right to a quality education, but they are also often denied equitable opportunities to make an economic and social contribution to their communities.
Building on commitments made during the Transforming Education Summit Call to Action for inclusive education for people with disabilities and the Global Disability Summit 2022, education cannot wait (ECW) takes concrete steps to ensure inclusive and accessible education for all.
Guided by our Policy and accountability framework on the inclusion of people with disabilities, ECW ensures that at least 5% of our funding goes to support equitable access, participation, and success for people with disabilities. We have high standards for systematically improving outcomes for children with disabilities.
And we are applying a dual approach to simultaneously embedding disability inclusion and using targeted interventions across our funding windows to support their inclusion. ECW’s investments have already benefited more than 100,000 children and adolescents with disabilities.
In 2022 alone, our funding enabled 65,000 children with disabilities to access essential learning and support materials, as well as devices such as hearing aids, glasses, Braille typewriters , sign language interpretation services, long canes, wheelchairs and large print materials. Because inclusion starts in the classroom, we have supported more than 14,000 teachers with training in inclusive education.
In Colombiathis means refugee girls with disabilities like Sammie can go to school, South Sudanthis means a wheelchair for Achol Marieand in Syriait means chance for girls like Kawtarwho is stunted, to go to school for the first time.
The path to inclusion and equity is a process, not a destination. As we commemorate the International Day of Persons with Disabilitiesjoin us in calling on public and private sector donors to make financial commitments to ensure no child is left behind.
With a supplement 1.5 billion US dollars In terms of funding, ECW will be able to significantly increase our vital and sustainable multi-year investments in education. With financial resources, we can deliver on our promise to reach more children with disabilities like Sammy, Achol Marie and Kawtar. They deserve no less.
SOURCE Education Can’t Wait
