Challenges of inclusion: a qualitative study exploring barriers and pathways to inclusion of persons with mental disabilities in technical and vocational education and training programmes in East Africa

Abstract

Purpose: To explore barriers and pathways to the inclusion of persons with mental and intellectual disabilities in technical and vocational education and training programmes in four East African countries, in order to pave the way to greater inclusion. Materials and methods: An explorative, qualitative study including 10 in-depth interviews and a group discussion was conducted with coordinators of different programmes in four East African countries. Two independent researchers coded the interviews inductively using Atlas.ti. The underlying framework used is the culture, structure, and practice model. Results: Barriers and pathways to inclusion were found in the three interrelated components of the model. They are mutually reinforcing and are thus not independent of one another. Barriers regarding culture include negative attitudes towards persons with mental illnesses, structural barriers relate to exclusion from primary school, rigid curricula and untrained teachers and unclear policies. Culture and structure hence severely hinder a practice of including persons with mental disabilities in technical and vocational education and training programmes. Pathways suggested are aiming for a clearer policy, more flexible curricula, improved teacher training and more inclusive attitudes. Conclusions: In order to overcome the identified complex barriers, systemic changes are necessary. Suggested pathways for programme coordinators serve as a starting point. ä IMPLICATIONS FOR REHABILITATION Clear and up-to-date information on mental disability is required to engender societal participation; especially that of stakeholders in technical and vocational education and training programmes. Affirmative action and policy implementations of national and international human rights legislations are required to address the challenges of enrolment in technical and vocational education and training programmes. Disability organisations and government should adopt a more open and strengths-based attitude, tailor-made curricula, specific teacher training as well as clearer policies to ensure better inclusion of persons with mental disabilities in technical and vocational education and training programmes. ARTICLE HISTORY

Employability of Persons With Mental Disability: Understanding Lived Experiences in Kenya

“…Few studies have explored the employment experience of persons with mental disabilities in Kenya or looked into the interplay between societal and individual factors from the perspective of persons with mental disabilities. We have explored the perspectives of other stakeholders such as employers, mental health-care providers, workers in disabled persons/mental health organizations in separate articles (30, 31). This study aims to highlight not only the individual and environmental barriers to employment experienced by persons with mental disabilities in Kenya but also how they, as individuals, supported by their environment, manage against all the odds to find employment.…”

A Review Study of Research Articles on the Barriers to Inclusive Education in Primary Schools

“…Article Discrepancies between legislation and practice Alborno, 2017;Daly et al, 2020;Ebuenyi et al, 2020;Hodges et al, 2020;Keon, 2020;Materechera, 2020;Miles, Westbrook and Croft, 2018;Parey, 2022;Qu, 2019;Suc, Bukovec and Karpljuk, 2017 Educational barriers in the classroom Alborno, 2017;Alderton and Gifford, 2018;Anglim, Prendeville and Kinsella, 2018;Hodges et al, 2020;Kerins et al, 2018;Martos-García and Monforte, 2019;Mowat, 2019;Mukhopadhyay, Mangope and Moorad, 2019;Sánchez, Rodríguez and Sandoval, 2019;Suc, Bukovec and Karpljuk, 2017;Tso and Strnadová, 2017 Transdisciplinarity as a challenge Alborno, 2017;Anglim et al, 2018;Ebuenyi et al, 2020;Hankebo, 2018;Hodges et al, 2020;Imasaka et al, 2020;Kerins et al, 2018;Martos-García and Monforte, 2019;Mukhopadhyay et al, 2019;Ndhlovu and Varea, 2018;Overton, Wrench and Garrett, 2017;Quibell, Charlton and Law, 2017;P. A. Sánchez et al, 2019;Tso and Strnadová, 2017 Qualitative research designs with no ambitions to formulate more general theoretical hypotheses predominate investigations into IE Alborno, 2017;Alderton and Gifford, 2018;Anglim et al, 2018;…”

“…We can see pressure supporting IE as a fundamental human right, but we can also feel considerable resentment from parents and the general public. They feel that any otherness hampers other pupils and delays their development, negatively affecting their educational outcomes (Ebuenyi et al, 2020;Keon, 2020). In the Irish context, these attitudes reflecting public antipathy have been termed 'soft barriers' (Cradden, 2021;Keon, 2020).…”

Improving work and employment opportunities for women with psychosocial disabilities: an action research protocol

“…A study by Ebuenyi et al . made note of multiple barriers that PWPD face in gaining employment in Kenya [ 11 ]. Firstly, and most notably, the stigma surrounding psychosocial disabilities in Kenya is high.…”

“…Presently, the only published research that has been done on employment for PWPD in Kenya is the work conducted by Ebuenyi et al . [ 7 , 8 , 11 - 13 ]. This is an important observation as it has been noted that in order for a PWPD to succeed at work, their circumstances need to be considered and support from their personal, social and political context needs to be established [ 14 , 15 ].…”