Narratives of Three Stakeholders: Setting Up a School for Students With Disabilities in Afghanistan

• In Event: Friday Roundtable Session 9:45 am
  In Roundtable Session: Disability-Centered Systemic Change in the Global Research Community (Table 16)

Abstract

Following decades of social and government upheavals, the COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated challenges for the education system in Afghanistan, particularly the education of students with disabilities living in under-resourced conditions. In this article, we explore the narratives of three members of a non-governmental organization (NGO) in Afghanistan about the development of a pioneering special education school with an inclusive education approach in Kabul, Afghanistan. Our findings highlight (a) the benefits of a multi-sectoral whole family approach to education, (b) the obstacles to the school’s establishment and the reliance on NGOs for such initiatives, and (c) complex inner workings of gender and disability for female students in the country.

Authors

• Shehreen Iqtadar, Rowan University

• Brent C. Elder, Rowan University

• Nasir Ahmad, North Eastern Hill University