Online ISSN: 2325-7466
2006
Triannual
National Association of Special Education Teachers (NASET)
United States

Articles

Influence of Resource Availability on Disability-inclusion in Under-resourced Early Childhood Development Centers

  • Esther Musengi, D.Ed (Author) Zimbabwe Open University image/svg+xml
    Dr. Esther Musengi is Matabeleland South Regional Program Coordinator for Disability and Special Needs Education programs at the Zimbabwe Open University (ZOU). She received her BSc and MSc degrees in Special Needs Education from ZOU and M. Ed degree in Special Education from Great Zimbabwe University. She also attained D. Ed in Inclusive Education from the University of South Africa. A teacher of learners with special educational needs since 1992, her research interests are in Inclusive Education, Disability Studies in Education, Deaf Education and rights of Sign Language users.
DOI
https://doi.org/10.64546/jaasep.552
Abstract
This study analyzed the influence of resource availability on inclusion of children with various disabilities in rural early childhood development centers in Zimbabwe. A qualitative descriptive design utilizing questionnaires and interviews was used to collect data from 36 teachers, 12 school-heads and 24 parents of children with disabilities who were purposefully sampled. Deductive thematic analysis was used to identify themes emerging from open-ended questionnaire items and interviews. The study revealed that disability-friendly commercial resources were unavailable, and this negatively influenced the inclusion of children with disabilities who were unable to freely participate in play activities and so were isolated to a large extent. This is despite widely available indigenous resources that were not utilized as inclusive supports. The study’s findings are utilized to build a case for a heritage-based model of inclusive education.
Keywords
Administrator Attitudes, Disabilities, Early Childhood Education, Educational Resources, Elementary Schools, Foreign Countries
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How to Cite
Musengi, E. (2024). Influence of Resource Availability on Disability-inclusion in Under-resourced Early Childhood Development Centers. Journal of the American Academy of Special Education Professionals, 19(2), 86-103. https://doi.org/10.64546/jaasep.552

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