Workbook final

090 - Socio - Economic Empowerment of Persons with Disabilities,

Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Services, Cameroon

ONTACT

Cameroon Baptist Convention Health Services

Mr. Jacques Chirac Awa

Cameroon

237 676177732

VERALL GOAL

MISSION

Schools in Cameroon are primarily government owned, but do not practice Inclusive Education. Only a few special

schools exist, which are operated by nongovernmental organizations. A demographic study of the Northwest Region of

Cameroon states that 4.5% of the children are living with disabilities and are 20 times less likely to be enrolled in school

compared to their non disabled peers. This could be because of the poverty of their parents or because of the lacking

equipment of human and material resources at school. The mission of the SEEPD project is to improve the quality of life

for persons with disabilities by breaking the vicious cycle of disability and poverty though the components health and

rehabilitation, education, livelihood, gender, child protection, communication and research. In the sector of education

the “14 School Project” was established working with ten primary and seven secondary schools in the Northwest Region

of Cameroon to practically implement Inclusive Education.

HE SOLUTION THAT HAS BEEN DEVELOPED

The program runs two special schools: the Integrated School for Blind and the Integrated School for Deaf. These schools

also serve as nurseries where children acquire the skills of Braille and Sign Language to be able to attend mainstream

schools. Their learning in the mainstream schools is supported by basic resources and assistive devices which enable

them to take part in the curriculum as best as possible, for example Sign Language interpreters. Learners with visual

impairments have access to assistive devices such as digital recorders and others. The project also provides training on

inclusive teaching and learning practices to teachers of the pilot schools. The strategy of Inclusive Education has proven

to be cost effective and has shown that more children with impairments now attend mainstream schools and succeed at

end of course examination. Additionally an Inclusive Education model was drafted for Cameroon, which is being piloted

in the Northwest Region of Cameroon with funding from Australian Aid.