African countries

"I’ve never thought about disabled children in Africa”


 Is this you? Don't worry, you're definitely not alone.

'I thought my child was a devil'

This isn’t what you expect any parent to say of their own child. However, in many African communities, when the child in question is disabled, this is not unusual. We heard this particular statement from a father at our most recent Parent Support Meeting in Gunjur, The Gambia. But we have heard it before. And it matters – a lot – because it is these persistent and negative attitudes that isolate and disable people with impairments.

This is why we must stop searching for ways to say 'special needs'

These terms impose an identity on people that they did not choose.

The Cost of Neglect

Just one reason why the number of disabled children in African countries is so high.