Catholic Relief Services (CRS) has begun training enumerators as part of its new project, “Disability Inclusive Pathways: Empowering Children with Disabilities Through Education, Technology and Play”. The training focuses on equipping data collectors to conduct a comprehensive Gender and Disability Audit and baseline survey in schools.
CRS said the audit is a multidimensional, structured, and participatory assessment that measures how institutions address gender equality and disability inclusion in policies, programs, budgets, and practices. The exercise will help identify gaps, document good practices, and generate recommendations to improve inclusivity in The Gambia’s education system.
The audit will assess issues such as gender-sensitive teaching methods, school infrastructure, physical accessibility, use of assistive devices, and attitudes toward people with disabilities. It will also examine challenges such as gender-based violence in schools, biases in classroom practices, and the availability of special education support.
CRS explained that the participatory nature of the audit ensures that all stakeholders—including teachers, administrators, parents, PTAs, and students—will be engaged in both data collection and analysis. “It is not just an assessment tool, but also a learning tool that builds ownership of the solutions,” according to Leia Isanhart, CRS’ Senior Technical Advisor for Disability Inclusion.
Tools and Methodologies Enumerators will use both qualitative and quantitative approaches, including surveys, classroom observations, school environment assessments, focus group discussions, and in-depth interviews. Results will be shared with stakeholders, who will jointly interpret the findings and develop action plans.
Disability Sensitivity and Safeguarding: The training also emphasised disability awareness and respectful data collection practices. Enumerators were advised to use person-first language, avoid stigmatizing terms, and create accessible environments for interviews. They were also reminded of safeguarding commitments, including obtaining informed consent, protecting confidentiality, and reporting any suspected abuse.
Why It Matters: CRS noted that children with disabilities face multiple barriers to education in The Gambia—including inaccessible infrastructure, lack of trained teachers, and stigma. Girls with disabilities face even greater risks of exclusion and violence. The audit is expected to provide a baseline to track progress and guide reforms.
Through the Disability Inclusive Pathways project, funded by the European Union, CRS and partners aim to improve access to quality education for children with disabilities, strengthen institutional accountability, and promote inclusive policies nationwide.
Catholic Relief Services (CRS) is the official international humanitarian agency of the Catholic community in the United States and works to save, protect, and transform lives in need in more than 100 countries, without regard to race, religion, or nationality. CRS has been operating in the Gambia since 1964. Over the decades, CRS The Gambia has provided emergency relief to vulnerable communities, strengthened food security, tackled malnutrition, enhanced healthcare services, and provided education opportunities for children and their families, improving livelihoods, agriculture, and enhanced Social Cohesion, and Peacebuilding programs in The Gambia.
In The Gambia, children with disabilities face significant barriers to education, including stigma, lack of physical access to schools, insufficient assistive devices, and limited teacher capacity to support inclusive learning. The intersection of disability and gender disparities further marginalizes girls with disabilities, who experience compounded forms of discrimination.
Comments
Post a Comment