Sightsavers is an international development organization focused on disability rights. They have 24 education programs across 12 countries in Africa and Asia, championing every child’s right to an inclusive, quality education. Their work helps address the inequality faced by the world’s 240 million children with disabilities, who in many countries are more than twice as likely to be out of school as their peers without disabilities.

Sightsavers’ inclusive education portfolio ranges from early childhood education to tertiary education. Their approach is to strengthen existing education and governance systems rather than developing parallel ones, which is why they provide strategic and technical support to ministries of education. They place a strong emphasis on teacher and pre-service training, so that the workforce has the necessary skills to deliver inclusive education. In Zambia, they developed a low-cost inclusive education model from early childhood through to vocational education and we are expanding this to a whole province.  

They also support schools and communities by collaborating with education providers, families, organizations of persons with disabilities and community members. In Malawi, their programs identify the most effective ways of supporting children with disabilities’ wellbeing and foundational literacy and numeracy skills.

To learn more about Sightsavers’ education work, visit their website here.