1. Community efforts towards addressing the needs of persons with disabilities
in Niger
BACKGROUND
Individuals with disabilities in Nigerien society are often shunned and deemed
unable to contribute to society. As a result, children born with disabilities or
who later become disabled are not schooled, not trained in traditional ways of
employment, and are permanently cared for by their families or often end up
begging on the streets.
Niger is a vast country with a small population of approximately 17 million. It is
landlocked, mostly desert, with a population that is primarily Muslim (96%). The
poverty rate is extremely high: Niger was designated the poorest country in the
world in 2015 (UNDP). Health infrastructure is basic and concentrated in urban
areas, while approximately 75% of the population lives in rural regions.
Common types of preventable or treatable disabilities include:
 Blindness, associated with vitamin A deficiencies
 Cataract associated blindness
 Club foot
 Polio (almost no recent cases)
 Consequences of motor vehicle accidents
 Poorly treated injuries
 Consequences of traditional medicine or treatments
 Some disabilities associated with pregnancy/delivery complications
Other common physical malformation or deformation among children can be
linked to poor nutrition, poorly treated burns related to cooking on open fire,
and unsuccessful surgical procedures (e.g., for spina bifida).
The Nigerien government has long recognized the importance of addressing
the needs of persons with disabilities. Since 1978, national policies have called
for human rights and for the inclusion of children with disabilities into education.
Schools for the blind and for the deaf were eventually established in the city of
Niamey. A few small educational centers emerged to educate adults with
disabilities. In 2005, policies were revised to push for inclusive education,
integrating students with special needs and with physical disabilities into
mainstream school. However, cultural myths, lack of infrastructure, and
teachers not trained to work with children with disabilities, have been and
continue to be barriers to the full inclusion of children with disabilities into the
educational system.
Vivi Vo, Morgan Kennedy, Amina Alio, PhD
University of Rochester, Public Health Sciences
OBJECTIVES
The objectives of our project were:
(1) to explore socio-cultural, healthcare and policy factors associated with
physical disability in Niger; and
(2) to understand models and processes of service coordination and advocacy
for meeting the need of persons with disabilities.
METHODS
In June 2015, we spent 18 days in Niamey, Niger, where we conducted a
review of documents on the situation of physical disability in the country, with a
focus on services provided, and identification of local resources and efforts at
addressing the needs of individuals living with a disability. In the field, we
conducted key informant interviews and field observations among various local
agencies working on development that is inclusive of children, youth and adults
with disabilities.
Education of Children with Disability
• Of the 715,000 children with disabilities in Niger (estimate) school age children
with disabilities, only 300 attended an educational institution in 2005, or 0.86%,
compared with the 50% proportion of school children in the general population.
• Between 2005 and 2010, a slow improvement was observed (Table 1), with an
increase to 418 children with disability attending an educational institution,
while in the general population, the rate of school enrollment improved from
50% to 67%.
• Among the children attending these educational center, there exist disparities
by:
• Gender (36% are girls)
• Geographic region (most institutions are concentrated in urban regions)
• Disability type
• Numerous challenges include:
• Lack of trained teachers
• Infrastructure not disability-friendly
• Cultural beliefs and misconceptions about causes of disability
• Although there are policies in place since 1978 (revised in 2005) that are
calling for inclusive education, their implementation has been slow and
inadequate.
RESULTS
EDUCATION of Children with Disabilities
CONCLUSIONS
 There is an important network of international, local non-profit, and
government organizations working together to address the needs of
individuals with disabilities. Though this network map (Figure 1) is certainly
not complete due to limited time and data, it indicates the existence of
mutual shared resources and best practices, referrals and financial support.
 The cultural misconceptions and stigma associated with physical and
intellectual disabilities continue to hinder enrollment and recruitment of
persons with disabilities who are seen as incapable of providing to society
and are expected to remain dependents of family members or resigned to a
lifetime of begging on the streets.
 There is psychological trauma associated with society’s response to
disability, such as isolation, or difficulty marrying, an especially important
aspect of women’s lives in Niger.
 The challenges are similar across organizations and sectors.
 Lack of trained instructors to work with persons with disabilities
 Lack of culturally appropriate curricula for training the trainers
 Need for addressing the educational and health needs of those with
intellectual challenges and deficiencies
 Need for the implementation of existing policies for improving
acceptance and ensuring the rights to education and healthcare for
persons with disabilities.
 The need to address cultural assumptions and misconceptions about
disabilities in order to improve quality of life and respect for the human
rights of persons with disabilities.
Figure 1. Network map of organizations working together to address the
needs of persons with disabilities in Niger.
Table 1. Enrollment in school or other educational centers (2010)
Type of Institution # of
Institutions
# of
Educators
# Girls
Enrolled
# of Boys
Enrolled
Total # of
Students
Schools for the visually impaired 6 11 22 34 56
Schools for the hearing
impaired
16 25 101 188 289
Centers for the visually impaired 18 38 23 23 46
Schools for the intellectually
challenged or deficient
0 0 0 0 0
Centers for the intellectually
challenged or deficient
1 4 8 19 27
Total: 41 78 154 264 418
Local Approach to Addressing the Needs of Persons with Disabilities
Supported by government policies, local non-profit and international non-
governmental organizations have taken the lead to address the various needs
of persons with disabilities in Niger. Though many NGOs are working in silos,
there is an important network of organizations working together for persons with
disabilities in Niger. We found that CBM-Niger was a key, backbone
organization in this context. A Christian organizations based in Germany,
originally Christian Blind Mission, it is now simply CBM as they have expanded
to include all disabilities. Though they provide no direct services, they serve as
a central source for connecting organizations, providing funding to local
organizations, managing and evaluating development projects, and advocating
for policy change.
The Overseas Development Institute (ODI), based in the U.K., was another
important organization supporting and linking local organizations and NGOs
working with persons with disabilities. Their overall mission is to “inspire and
inform policy and practice which lead to the reduction of poverty, the alleviation
of suffering and the achievement of sustainable livelihoods in developing
countries.”
The primary sectors identified are:
 Health
 Education
 Livelihood
 Economic development
 Policy & human rights
Although not always explicitly stated in
their bylaws, cultural misconceptions
and stigma were constantly at the forefront of their work, from recruitment, to
treatment, rehabilitation, training and reintegration.
Adult Education & Skill-Based Training
Literacy:
The education of adults with disabilities is focused on literacy, including braille
for the visually impaired and Sign Language for the deaf.
Vocational Training:
To improve participation of persons with disability in development and to
ensure economic independence, much efforts are directed towards teaching
skills and trades. Skills taught include sewing, weaving, mechanical repairs
(e.g., bicycle repair), agriculture/gardening, and commerce.
Challenges:
• Funding for establishing new and expanding current centers
• Trained instructors (especially for Sign Language and Braille)
• Trained instructors for the intellectually challenged or deficient
• Cultural misconceptions and beliefs that impact recruitment of persons with
disabilities
Health and Rehabilitation
• Health services provided to persons with disabilities include:
• Rehabilitative services, including physical therapy and provision of wheelchairs
• Surgical procedures: cataracts, club foot, burn-related disabilities, among
others
• Medical treatment for disabling conditions such as epilepsy
• Challenges:
• Lack of trained healthcare personnel
• Cultural biases and misconceptions of healthcare personnel
• Lack of funding and equipment
• Cultural misconceptions of families of persons with disabilities
“I would have loved to go to school. I was the eldest child at home. All my brothers and sisters went to school. But
for me the way was just too tiresome, even though my father had had a wheelchair made for me. But neither the
school nor my parents really focused on registering me” (Bicycle Mechanic above)
CBM Report
Students at school for children with impaired vision or blind. Vivi & Morgan with CURE program director and a child with
recently corrected deformity resulting from poorly treated
burn.
Following cataract surgery
Challenges children with disabilities face in school
Beneficiary of support for agriculture & gardening for
persons with disabilities.
Young women with disabilities learning seamstress skills.
For additional information, contact: Vivi Vo at: vvo2@u.Rochester.edu
or Dr. Amina Alio at: amina_alio@urmc.Rochester.edu