Monrovia – The Inclusive Development Initiative (IDI), a Non-For-Profit Human Rights organization is calling on the government of Liberia to allocate 20 percent of the national budget to the educational sector to improve the status of persons with disabilities in the country.
Report by J. H. Webster
IDI aims to support, promote and advocate for the rights and inherent dignity of persons with disabilities as well as underprivileged persons in Liberia.
Speaking during a one-day dialogue with communities members and members of the National Teacher Association on Wednesday, the Executive Director of IDI Alonzo Dorian Dixon said persons with disabilities need to be given five percent out of their proposed 20 percent budgetary allotment to the education sector.
Dixon said: “When the budget is passed, we want five percent of that amount to be used on persons with disabilities.”
Dixon noted that some of the materials used for persons with disabilities are very expensive, adding that instruments use and the training of teachers in special education are expensive.
He added: “So, the five percent of the budget we are talking about to be allocated for persons with disabilities – education is small, but it is the starting and it will be able to strengthen teachers in special education.”
According to Dixon, since the establishment of the Inclusive and Special Education Division in 2012 at the Ministry of Education there had not been any budgetary allotment for said division.
“That division suppose to be focusing on people with disabilities but there is no budgetary allotment for that division since 2012 until present. So, we are appealing to government to approve budgetary allotment for that division to be able to effectively deal with people living with disabilities in Liberia,” he said.
Dixon added: “Teachers should be trained with ‘C’ certificate and ‘B’ certificate in special education program. We are advocating to the Ministry of Education to train teaches who will be specialized in special education.”
“There is no training in Liberia for special education, only inclusive education but not special education for people with special need. The government needs to know that despite they want inclusive education we need both because there are many people who are not able to go to inclusive schools,” the IDI Executive Director said.
According to the Dixon, his organization has noticed the low enrolment of persons with disabilities in schools around the country.
“By next month February we will be engaging the National Legislature to present our policy document as our finding for the low enrolment of persons with disabilities and the reasons for which they (Lawmakers) should be able to increase our educational budget by 20 percent during this new budget year,” Dixon disclosed.
During the dialogue, many participants planned to take the message to their various communities’ leaders to make their various communities inclusive of persons living with disabilities.
One participant, Joseph Kannah of the Capitol Bye-Pass community called on various schools in the country to create a disabled friendly environment while another participant, Kolfala A. Konneh of Crown Hill community stressed the need for every government institution to employ or create a position for persons with disabilities.