Inclusion in Education for Persons with Disabilities | INEDIS
Project Coordinator: Alemayehu Teklemariam Haye
Coordinating Institution: Addis Ababa University
Partner Institutions: University of Vienna (Gottfried Biewer), Dilla University (Ababu Teshome Ayalew), Gondar University (Meseret Hassen Ayele)
Partner Country: Ethiopia
Project Duration: 1st of March 2017 - 30th of June 2020
Abstract
The overall objective of INEDIS is to strengthen capacity building at higher education institutions (HEI) to facilitate inclusive education for students with disabilities at university level and strengthen the ability of HEI to contribute to inclusive community and school development with a special focus on the intersection of gender and disability. INEDIS addresses necessities for capacity building in three areas:
- Strengthening the capacities of HEIs and employing institutions by empowering students with disabilities at universities and by further developing research and teaching capacities on disability and inclusion at high levels of scientific excellence. Addis Ababa University leads the development of an evidence-based training for HEI staff that will enable universities to better support students with disabilities in higher education.
- Fostering knowledge development and competencies to facilitate research and teaching with respect to gender and disability and developing direct measures to empower female students with disabilities in education and the labor market. The University of Gondar conducts a participatory research study on challenges for women with disabilities in higher education and secondary schools. Findings will be included in the training developed by Addis Ababa University and inform the development of support structures, e.g. at disability centers.
- Enhancing knowledge, skills and competencies of academic staff to research and teach issues of community and school development and strengthen university community services to support inclusive development. A participatory research study implemented by Dilla University focusses on views, practices and prospects at community and school level and provides the basis for a university training on inclusive community development for community workers. Additionally, a resource center for persons with disabilities, families, community workers, teachers and other stakeholders will be set up at Dilla University.
A special emphasis is given to capacity building of research, teaching and management skills as well as exchange of research findings and knowledge within the consortium. The University of Vienna will contribute to and support the design and implementation of participatory research studies, the development of training curricula and materials, the publication of research results, and the management of the project. Additionally, co-teaching and participation in international conference visits will further develop dissemination skills at high level of scientific excellence.
The article is in German only and briefly presents the 10-year long cooperation of the University of Vienna with Ethiopian higher education institutions in the field of inclusive education.
Addis Ababa, 24th to 27th of April 2018
INEDIS team members participated at APPEAR event about inclusive education
The event took place on 23rd of October 2018 in Vienna.
The second team meeting of INEDIS took part in April 2018.
Workshop on Building the Capacity of Students with Disabilities
In March 2018 a two-day training was given to teachers by the Faculty of Education, Department of Special Needs and Inclusive Education to enhance the psychological, social, academic, and self-management skills of students with disabilities and to increase their awareness on gender-based violence.
Seminar report on gender-based violence
The seminar was organised in order to get input for the research to be undertaken with the title: “Gender-based violence among female students with disabilities in some selected higher education institutions in Ethiopia”
The participants were twenty female students with disabilities attending their education in primary and secondary schools, four parents, six teachers in and around Gondar City Administration as well as social affairs and police focal persons and representatives of the University of Gondar Gender Directorate and Disability Association.
Workshop on Inclusion in Education of Persons with Disabilities in Higher Education
The workshop was organized mainly for two major purposes:
- To enhance the awareness of the participants about inclusion of students with disabilities in AAU;
- To present and deliberate on the findings of the survey to participants drawn from the six colleges that were included in the study;
- To get input on the inclusive education guideline developed by the INEDIS team.
The kick-off meeting of INEDIS took part in April 2017