Technological and digital divide in education drives divide in employment and socio-economic development for youth with disabilities in Bangladesh and Kenya

• In Event: Inclusive and tech-driven education: lessons and challenges from global initiatives

Proposal

Background and Objective:
Education is one of the most powerful tools by which economically and socially marginalised youth, including youth with disabilities, can lift themselves out of poverty and participate fully in society. Access to technology and digital learning resources has become increasingly crucial in education in today’s digital age. The Coronavirus pandemic and school closures highlighted the importance of access and barriers in accessing digital learning resource for learners across the world. This barrier to education, known as the digital divide, is the inequitable access to critical technology and digital resources among students, teachers and schools that supports learning.
The International Labour Organization highlights the significance of access to accessible and equitable educational and training services as a key resource to acquire a means of living. For many people with disabilities in low- and middle-income settings, access to these resources remains limited. Despite the technology and digital world becoming an increasingly important skillset for employees and workers, the gap between those who have and haven’t accessed technological and digital learning resources and its impact on skills acquisition is acute yet under researched. Additionally, impact of this digital divide on learner with disabilities and how that gap shapes their access to employment is unexplored.
This paper presents findings of a study that sought to build the evidence base around lived experiences, aspirations, and challenges youth with disabilities face in accessing livelihood opportunities in Bangladesh and Kenya. It considered the lives that these young people envision and aspire to, and the barriers and vulnerabilities which they believe are likely to stop them from realising their aspirations.

Methods:
This study was conducted in Gzipur-Sadar in Dhaka and Tarash in Srajgonj of Bangladesh and in Kibera and surrounding informal settlements in Nairobi city and Marindi, Mirogi, Kendubay and surrounding rural parts of Homa Bay County in Kenya. The research used a community-based participatory research methodology which involves respectful collaboration with the community to capture lived experiences of community members affected by the issue. We recruited 20 youths with diverse impairments in each country who worked as peer researchers and led data collection. They were taken through a one-week training on research methodology, research ethics, and safeguarding.

We collected both qualitative and quantitative data in this study. Qualitative data was generated through 100 in-depth interviews with youth with various types of impairments, 50 in each country. We used a snowball sampling to recruit participants with different impairments, genders and socioeconomic backgrounds. Qualitative data was analysed using the thematic analysis approach.

Quantitative data was then collected through a simple survey which included GPS (global positioning system) coordinates. The survey questions were informed by the analysis of the qualitative data and focused on the barriers and facilitators to inclusion. It was uploaded into an online data collection platform, CommCare and deployed on mobile devices by the peer researchers. Documentary photography was linked to each survey location to visualise the facilitators and barriers described. Peer researchers and stakeholders validated the study results and drew recommendations in a participatory workshop.

Results:
Nineteen percent of the 100 youth from two countries with various impairments found had completed secondary education and only 2% had a university degree. Around 65% of participants had attended only primary education. Despite these relatively modest educational qualifications, nearly all participants described further education as a life goal. Young people with secondary education or above were particularly keen to garner further educational qualifications in employable subjects like computer science, mathematics, health sciences and engineering. For many, education was the pathways to improving their chances of finding a permanent employment and obtain a position of leadership in order to help other youths with disabilities, either practically or through acting as a role model. Despite these aspirations, many youths discussed practical barriers that had impeded their own chances of further education. These included not being able to start, or having to withdraw the enrolment because their local schools lacked accessible technological and digital resources and could not accommodate their accessibility needs.
Thirty-nine percent of those who left formal education after primary school reported that lack of access to accessible learning resources and associated costs as the biggest driving factors preventing them from continuing education.
Among study participants, 54% in Bangladesh and 24% in Kenya were unemployed; 16% in Kenya and 22% in Bangladesh worked for pay and around 30% in both countries work in their family business or agriculture without pay. Participants attributed the barriers to employment and transition to work to a lack of access to appropriate educational resources, lack of accessible science, technology, engineering and mathematics teaching (including untrained teachers) and lack of digital literacy. Lack of digital literacy and accessibility were cited as barriers for individuals in accessing websites and online resources for learning and to search and apply for grants and employment opportunities.
The digital divide in education mirrored socioeconomic inequities faced by disabled youth with intersecting identities in both countries and disproportionately impacted those from rural, low-income, visually impaired and other marginalised communities.
Conclusion:
Learning inequalities caused by lack of access to appropriate technological and digital learning resources has led to employment inequality and lagging socio-economic development for youth with disabilities in Bangladesh and Kenya. Persistent inequalities driven by family socio-economic status and exacerbated by impairment-related accessibility needs drive differences in educational outcomes and digital literacy. These inequalities persist beyond education and into the world of work, entrenching individuals and their families in poverty.
It is only by provision of equitable and accessible inclusive education – across all subjects – that the cycle may be broken and opportunities for education and beyond into work – may be levelled. Opportunities for gaining technical and digital skills in later life are crucial for promoting employment opportunities and improved livelihood outcomes. Further research to identify and test effective strategies for delivering such interventions in an effective and cost-effective way are vital for economic development for all.

Author

• Sapana Basnet, Sightsavers