Worldwide, it’s estimated there are 93-150 million children with disabilities. Although accurate data is not available, one reputable recent study found that approximately 40 per cent of children with disabilities in low and middle income countries are out of school at primary level, and 55 per cent at lower secondary level. Another study of 15 low and middle income countries found that disability reduces the probability of school attendance by a median 30.9 percentage points. In West and Central Africa, children with disabilities are kept out of school by poor policy and political commitment and action, inadequate data, inaccessible facilities and services including protection and prevention of gender based violence, poor governance, conflict and crises.
Publication date: October 2020
We're attending the conference in Miami on 6-14 March to share our expertise, engage with the education community and explore how we can transform inclusive education.
Collaborating with organisations of people with disabilities (OPDs) on our inclusive education projects has earned the Sightsavers-led Inclusive Futures consortium a Zero Project Award in 2024.
As learners with disabilities are disproportionately affected by global crises such as climate change, we're urging governments to build more resilient education systems for everyone.