Support for the Underprivileged in the South

This chapter presents the support provided by the countries in the West to the underprivileged schools in Zimbabwe, through a non-profit organisation. Theoretical concepts drawn from decolonial theory, Ubuntu philosophy, and social model of disability were used to analyse the kind of support provided by the West to the South, and the activities of the organisation in disadvantaged schools and communities in rural Zimbabwe. Data were collected by scanning the organisation's website, newsletters, published material, and resources on the organisation, including journal articles and books on literature on the specific theoretical concepts. The argument for this chapter is that though it has been conceived that the West through coloniality oppresses the South, there are humanitarian lessons, both the South and West can learn from each other, which can improve both worlds educationally, socially, and culturally.

Disability and Education in Cameroon

This chapter draws on the author's own experiences as a student and educator to provide another perspective of inclusive education in Cameroon. It is a call to attention to the day to day challenges that students with disabilities face in acquiring education in inclusive settings in the country. It may suffice for policy to state that education for persons with disabilities is best provided in inclusive environments based on their perceived advantages. However, an on-the-spot appreciation of the experiences of those in the field may reveal alternative results. This may be due to the milieu, the ignorance or negligence of those put as caregivers, and the non/poor implementation of policy. The author argues that while a significant volume of research is available in the country, presenting these experiences through a living theory methodology brings the reader closer to the personal experiences of students with disabilities and persons working with them. It further highlights issues which are often taken for granted when mainstream methodologies are adopted.

Dynamics of Disability for South African University Students in the Fourth Industrial Revolution

This chapter focuses on the relational nature of disability especially with respect to experiences of disabled students with access to assistive technologies particularly within the context of the fourth IR. The chapter presents a background on various interpretations relating to disability and implications to identities within an academic context. The chapter also highlights the various experiences by students in diverse university spaces. Using informal interviews and observations, the chapter explores the nature of the identities of disability, how individuals negotiate the experiences in the diverse spaces of interaction with other beings or technology. Focus is also on relations created as disabled students interact with non-disabled students and lecturers in diverse situations. Conceptually, the chapter draws from the social model on disability in which disability is viewed as a socially constructed phenomenon. In addition, Foucauldian analysis of disability is used to explore notions of how disabled students experience power as thy deal with day to day academic obligations.

Technology and Innovation in the Global South

This chapter addresses the problem of literacy and technology for rural impoverished and deprived children in Zimbabwe. While technological innovation is understood as the Western concept, too far-fetched for poor countries in the Global South, this chapter argues that poor disadvantaged countries have their own innovation and technology that befits its context and needs. Decolonial theory is used to analyse a unique programme that has been able to improve literacy and technology levels of rural and impoverished children of Zimbabwe. The finding is that despite remoteness and poverty, a unique kind of innovation and technology is possible to enhance literacy in disadvantaged contexts in the Global South when the locally available resources are mobilised in a scientific way. The chapter hopes to help the understanding that advanced technological innovation is not only a Western concept, but also the South.

Institutional Dynamics and Support for Students With Disabilities in Botswana's Technical Vocational Education and Training (TVET) Colleges

This chapter focuses on the dynamics surrounding inclusionary practices in Botswana's TVET institutions and how these impact on the experiences of students with disabilities. The chapter draws from interviews conducted for a doctoral study informed by the capability approach. The researcher argues that the nature of institutional support can produce enabling and constraining features within the structure and relations at hand. Support for students in TVET is of importance despite aspects such as inadequate resources and untrained personnel on disability matters. The chapter also focuses on the contradictions that have marked the education of students with disabilities. In particular, academics have different perceptions of inclusion and what constitutes good practices of the appropriate inclusion for students with disabilities. A group of 17 students with mild intellectual disabilities formed part of the participants, and the study used in-depth interviews for data collection.

Ubuntu and African Disability Education

In this chapter, the researcher seeks to challenge the view that Western cultures are the ‘givers' and the ‘teachers' of disability education while African cultures are the ‘takers' and the ‘taught'. Firstly, the researcher argues that the displacement of African knowledge systems by colonialist hegemony has to be refuted to prepare the foundation of African disability education. Secondly, the study draws lessons from an African culture, particularly the Shona culture, by using selected proverbs to show how disabled persons are respected in communities, how they are given freedom for innovation, and how they are encouraged to participate in daily activities. Thirdly, the research provides responses to standard objections that are raised against the use of proverbs in drawing out philosophical arguments. Lastly, the researcher argues that disability ethical teachings that are enshrined in Shona cultural thought have the potential for global application.

Re-Thinking Inclusive Higher Education for Students With Disabilities

Several studies address the notion of inclusive higher education from the perspective of access questioning who participates, where, and how in the sense of equity, raising issues of enrolment of disadvantaged groups. This chapter approaches the concept of inclusion in the Ethiopian higher education system from an epistemic access perspective. The argument is that discussions on access to higher education for disadvantaged groups should go beyond mere physical access and should be conceptualized in a manner that reflects educational outcomes and post-enrollment experiences. This chapter aims at exploring the notion of inclusive higher education and epistemic access to students with disabilities in Ethiopian public universities. The study is based on in-depth interviews of 25 students with disabilities from five Ethiopian public universities. The chapter argues that the higher education system in Ethiopia should re-approach the notion of access and take a proactive measure to ensure epistemic access to students with disabilities.

Students With Disabilities' Learning in South African Higher Education

This chapter discusses how the normative practices and structures ‘disables' students with disabilities in their learning in the context of the South African higher education. Empirically, examples from the students' lived experienced have been drawn from the previous study that has been conducted in one institution of higher education, which is a privileged space, by virtue of being formerly advantaged. Data combines available literature on normativity and disablement of students with disabilities and empirical data, which were collected through interviews with students with disabilities studying specific professional degrees. Decolonial theory informed deeper understanding of the cause of normative assumptions and consequently disablement of students with disabilities. Literature and lived experiences of students with disabilities reveal that despite efforts of disruption normativity and disablement have continued to be reproduced at different levels because systems of domination are so durable and inventive.

Disability and Sport

Disability and sport have received so much recognition basing on the number of declarations, charters, treaties, and policies crafted on the rights of people with disabilities throughout the world. These individuals with disabilities need to be empowered to overcome barriers and constraints that may affect their participation in sport in mainstream schools. This chapter briefly looks at the background of disability sport, concept of disability and sport, definition of sport and disability. The chapter will also look at among other issues, strategies for including learners with disabilities in sport. Other key issues to be highlighted include disability participation in sport, challenges faced by learners with disabilities in mainstream sport, benefits of sports for children with disabilities, barriers to participation in mainstream sport. The chapter concludes by looking at perceptions of teachers and learners on children with disabilities in sport.

The Dynamics of Inclusivity in Teaching and Assessing Mathematics for Lower Grade Learners

The chapter explores the diverse interpretations related to the learning of mathematics for learners at lower grade levels. At the core of understanding the dynamics of teaching and assessment of mathematics tasks for lower grade learners lie the general perceptions on the subject and how these have shaped educator and learner approaches to the subject as well as associated nuances of cognitive development. The chapter also explores how educators deal with inclusivity in the context of the curriculum and cognitive capabilities of learners in teaching and assessment. Different interpretations to assessments are also explored. A different approach to assessment that locates learners on a continuum of current proficiency is advocated. A flexible teaching philosophy is proposed which rather than cut the class into a pass/fail dichotomy, acknowledges each learner's right to progress in particular through the use of targeted teaching for challenged learners.