Disability Inclusive Education Forum: Reaching the most marginalized
The Disability Inclusive Education Forum: Reaching the most marginalized, held the day after the United Nations annual International Day for Persons with Disabilities, issued a timely reminder that, in an unpredictable 2020, children and young people already facing the greatest barriers and highest risk of exclusion are being left further behind, without the opportunity to reach their full potential.
Hosted by the Government of Norway, Education Cannot Wait, the Global Campaign for Education, Special Olympics, International Disability Alliance (IDA), International Disability and Development Consortium (IDDC) and Inter-agency Network for Education in Emergencies, the Forum’s message was not lost on the large audience of self-advocates, organisations of persons with disabilities multilateral, UN and NGO organizations and government representatives who tuned in. Speakers included Norwegian Minister Dag Ulstein, Ecuador’s Vice Minister for Education, Isabela Maldonado, chair of the African Disability Forum and board member of the International Disability Alliance, Mr Alzouma Maiga Idriss; Alejandra Perez, Special Olympics Venezuela athlete; self-advocate Salma Eltabbakh from Egypt and more, echoed that the basic right to education, especially for children and young people with a disability, has been impacted as resources become more strained and they become harder to reach.
The Forum sought to encourage local, national, and international decision makers to ensure that inclusive education for learners with disabilities – particularly in humanitarian emergencies – should be a key focus of education systems, delivery and planning as well as COVID-19 response and recovery efforts.
A few additional resources and follow-ups are available for you to access.
- Jamboards from the concurrent sessions can be viewed here.
- An overview of the current recommendations can be found in the press statement released following the event