Historical Trends of Disabilities in African Contexts and Their Impact on the Schooling System

Abstract

Disability is an important aspect to consider in education development, given a long history of humiliation, stigmatization, and exclusions in terms of human attributes such as ability, race, gender, religion, etc. This chapter advocates for inclusion of students with disabilities in the education system, especially in South Africa and other parts of the continent. Its argument is that individuals with disabilities are still the most marginalized population in society despite commitments to address their plague and foster their inclusion in all spheres of life. These could be attributable to beliefs that are inherent in the models adopted to provide education and services for individuals with disabilities. The reader will be aware that beliefs about disability vary and have changed over time. The adoption of international policies globally, aiming at addressing the needs of people with disabilities, has framed a positive attitude towards education perspective.