Teachers who had just begun receiving training and support on inclusive instruction, classroom management, and addressing long-held cultural beliefs on disability stopped providing the same level of care to students with disabilities in the classroom across contexts, according to research conducted on the closure of U.S.-funded disability inclusion programs.
Date: 6/26
Region: Global
Country: Global
Topic: Gender Equality & Inclusion, Education
Policy Lens: Moral Leadership
Entry Type: Secondary Effect
Additional Context: This information comes from a report produced by Inclusive Development Partners, or IDP, a research and technical assistance organization. Using a mixed-methods design under IRB approval from the University of Massachusetts Boston, the study triangulated a global survey of staff from 82 projects across 80 implementing organizations with key informant interviews and focus group discussions across eight countries where IDP had existing programs: Bangladesh, El Salvador, Kenya, Liberia, Malawi, Nepal, Nigeria, and Pakistan. Data collection took place between January and March 2026.
According to IDP, as a result of these classroom changes, there has been a significant increase in the number of children out on the streets rather than in school. In Nigeria, where communities have experienced significant violence linked to Boko Haram, focus group participants expressed concern about rising violence and idleness among children, including children with disabilities, following the closure of USAID-supported schools.
Source: Inclusive Development Partners