Disability under Siege - Development Award

15% of the world's population - 1 billion people - experience some form of disability, with the prevalence even higher in lower- and middle-income countries exacerbated by poverty and conflict (LMIC) (World Bank, 2018). Furthermore, there is a significant gendered dimension to disability, where three quarters of disabled people in LMICS are women. Disability negatively affects socio-economic outcomes, including education, employment and participation in society, and the gendered dimension of disability exacerbates these outcomes for women and girls. Therefore, the need to map, review and build on this body of work in contexts of conflict and crisis is essential in order to make meaningful progress toward meeting the SDGs focused upon inclusive quality education provision (specifically UN Sustainable Development Goals 4.2, 4.5, 4.6, 10.2 and 10.3).

While the challenges arising from provision for disability in education in conflict-affected states is a global issue, the work of this project focuses on one specific region: The Middle East - and specifically the countries of Lebanon, Jordan and Palestine. This region has been chosen as it provides a differentiated conflict and crisis context through which to strengthen the theoretical and empirical evidence base on the subject of Education in Conflict and Crisis with a focus on disability.

Project team members and partners in the region have identified and prioritised the importance of understanding, challenging and co-producing new ways of understanding disability as a pre-requisite for addressing the challenges in implementing inclusive, quality education, a global challenge exacerbated in LMIC countries and further compounded in contexts of conflict and crisis.

This Development Award will be used for developing equitable partnerships with local organisations, mapping research and policy, gathering and disseminating information via inclusive workshops, developing educational training materials and constructing a range of legacy-building activities to ensure the outcomes of the Award are taken forwards for future beneficiaries. Each of the planned actions and activities are intended to raise awareness of issues surrounding education provision for those with disabilities and to improve the quality of this education to support those where they need it most.

The Award will allow local partner organisations in the regions to lead on the identification of the issues they feel are most problematic based on their direct experiences. Expertise and knowledge will be drawn from all levels, from international organisations such as UNESCO, to local schools and educational experts, in order to share best practice and build capacity. The Award team will share outcomes directly with local communities in the pursuit of social, educational and economic benefits for all of those involved. Training and educational materials will be developed in conjunction with schools and academic networks will be established to drive forwards the agenda of improving educational outcomes for those with disabilities.

By providing more effective education, the Award team hopes to reinforce a pathway out of poverty by increasing potential for economic activity and eroding social barriers experienced by those with disability as a result of limited access to education.

It is intended that the activities proposed within this Development Award will be undertaken in the pursuit of social, educational and economic benefits primarily for those with disabilities and their communities in the countries of Lebanon, Palestine and Jordan, with potential future impact to extend to other countries in the region based around the planned legacy activities.

Stakeholder organisations, such as Legal Agenda, UNICEF and the Queen Rania Foundation, will have the opportunity to be involved in key workshops throughout the duration of the Award, where they will be able to contribute to discussions around educational provision and challenges encountered based on their own experiences. The knowledge gathered in these workshops, and during the literature and policy mapping process, will feed into the design and early planning for educator training materials, which can be used by schools and relevant organisations in the region. The workshops will also provide a space for networking and collaboration opportunities between the organisations and with individuals who are affected by disability in relation to education.

The workshop discussion topics, preparation of best practice materials and policy briefing documents will be presented at an open dissemination event, which will focus on changing public attitudes and discourses of disability. This event and dissemination activity, along with the establishment of a South-South facility for networking and collaboration between organisations, will be of paramount importance for ensuring the agenda remains relevant and that improving outcomes for children with disabilities in the Middle-East is prioritised by future policy makers, local support organisations and schools.