Education for all

Sikeh wearing glasses at school

Our impact last year

  • 8.3k children with disabilities helped to go to school

Nearly 50% of children with disabilities are not in school.

Without education, children are much less likely to be able to fulfil their potential and are more likely to live in poverty as an adult.

Why are children with disabilities not at school?

There are many reasons why children living with disabilities in poverty miss out on an education:

  • Wheelchair users or those with mobility restrictions may not be able to get to school, or access the buildings;
  • Teachers may not have the tools or training they need;
  • In some communities, people believe that disabled children cannot or should not be educated, because of stigma and prejudice;
  • Families with disabled children are often very poor so struggle to afford the school fees required in many developing countries.

How we help

CBM works in some of the poorest communities of the world to help children with disabilities access good quality education by:

  • Training teachers to meet the needs of disabled students;
  • Equipping schools with the right resources;
  • Providing support at school to children with disabilities;
  • Helping parents into employment so they can afford to keep their children at school;
  • Working to change attitudes, showing that people with disabilities can participate in all aspects of life, including going to school.

In action

Helping girls with disabilities into education in Zimbabwe

An estimated 1 in 5 secondary school-age girls in Zimbabwe are not at school – and girls with disabilities are among…

Read more

News

Miriam is wearing a blue t-shirt and is sitting at a desk in a classroom. She is reading braille.
7th Nov 2023

Girls in school: five years of disability inclusive education in Zimbabwe

Read full story

Blog

15 year old Nomazulu stands holding a dish full of scones, together with her Mum, CBM Project Manager Elfreda and CEO Kirsty
15th Aug 2023

Leaving a lasting impact: Sustainable support for girls with disabilities in Zimbabwe

Read full story
Back

Keep up to date! Sign up to our e-news here