Policy Monitoring on Accessible Technology for Inclusive Education – Research Findings and Requirements for a Software Tool

Abstract

Statistics about disabled people usually do not receive as much attention as statistics highlighting other socio-economic problems. However, such statistics is important due to its actual weight. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), about 15% of the world population, meaning one billion people, live with disabilities, and 80% of them live in developing countries. UNESCO claims that 90% of the children with disabilities in developing countries do not attend schools. Thus, it is of upmost relevance to raise awareness and strengthen public policies for the use of Assistive Technology (AT) to ensure Inclusive Education and Access to Information for people with disabilities, particularly in developing countries. Contributing to such efforts, this paper presents research findings on policy monitoring and evaluation tools and defines requirements for a software tool for monitoring a public policy for the use of AT to ensure Inclusive Education and Access to Information for persons with visual and hearing impairments, with particular focus on Uganda. The research findings and tool requirements presented in this paper could be adapted by other countries that pursue such policies.