Innovative Strategies to Overcome Disability Data Gaps for Inclusive Education in Emergencies

The case for more and better data on children with disabilities is clear, but how these data can be collected is yet to be well understood and systematized in emergency response. To contribute to this discussion, this case study examines how UNICEF Country Offices (COs) in the Central African Republic (CAR) and Cox’s Bazar (Bangladesh) approached the collection of data on children with disabilities. Specifically, this document will highlight efforts to: 

A. Understand the inclusion of children with disabilities in education during emergencies in CAR. 

B. Identify children with disabilities at risk of exclusion from education programming in Cox’s Bazar, Bangladesh. 

Based on information and data collected through a mix of desk review and key informant interviews with UNICEF COs’ staff and partners, these examples underline the steps that COs took to operationalize information gathering and improve the inclusion of children with disabilities in education in emergencies. As the purpose of the data collection differs across the two countries, these examples underscore the role of education as a crucial entry point for collecting various types of disability data, including 1) the number of children with disabilities, 2) the barriers and risks they face, and 3) for providing services that enhance their participation and learning in emergency settings.