‘They Give Him a Chance’- Parents’ Perspectives on Disability and Inclusive Primary Education in Uganda

Abstract

Inclusive education interventions in low-income countries are dominated by definitions and frameworks from disability studies and educational research scholars from high-income countries. Disability studies scholars have argued for valuing diverse understandings and a different discourse when studying disability and inclusion in low-income countries. In this paper, we explore the meaning of belonging and inclusion to parents of children with disabilities in central Uganda. Through case study analysis we aim to give alternative starting points for inclusive primary education programmes. We explore the themes ‘missing parts’, the ‘ability to manage’, ‘belonging to a family’, and ‘being given a chance’ as key concepts of disability and inclusion. We argue not to translate parents’ descriptions into international categories and framework, but to reflect on the larger and underlying meaning of the concepts to form a more culturally embedded and relevant starting point of education for all. We propose to address the gaps of the postcolonial education system that has taken teachers’ and families’ away from the concept of ‘obuntu bulamu’, and focus interventions on re-creating this togetherness and value the strength of concepts of belonging and caring for each other.

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