Imagining disability? Conceptualizations of learners with disabilities and their learning in the pedagogic manuals of international development agencies

Summary

This study examines the contrasting and complementary approaches towards the education of children with disabilities of international development agencies, as reflected in pedagogic manuals produced by these agencies. The efficacy and feasibility of these approaches are assessed in the light of research into the pedagogic requirements of children with disabilities and into pedagogic practices in the Global South.

In the light of this analysis, questions are raised about some of the pedagogic precepts in the manuals. These questions in turn raise questions about the processes of development and dissemination for the manuals. The paper ends by considering the implications of the findings for the post-2015 development agenda.