Persons with disabilities are among the most marginalized groups of people and are regularly denied their right to education.

 

 Compared with children without disabilities, children with disabilities are 47% more likely to be out of primary school, 33% more likely to be out of lower-secondary school and 27% more likely to be out of upper secondary school (UNICEF, 2021). Traditionally, persons with disabilities that have accessed education have commonly been educated in a parallel system in special schools or units. There is increasing consensus that, although there may be a place for separate institutions, ideally, mainstream education institutions should become sufficiently inclusive to welcome persons with disabilities, and that the need for special services will therefore decline. Building inclusive schools and institutions will require policy-makers to consider accessibility, adapting education infrastructure, the form and substance of education and teaching methods, and using a lifelong learning perspective to be cognizant that persons with disabilities should also be able to participate in pre-primary and higher education, as well as have access to formal and non-formaladult education to develop their skills.

The CADE does not explicitly refer to persons with disabilities, though it is founded upon the fundamental principle of equal opportunities. The CRPD protects the right to education of persons with disabilities, without discrimination on the basis of equality of opportunity, and within an education system that is inclusive at all levels. The CRC specifically addresses the right to education of children with disabilities in article 23. SDG 4 Target 4.5 calls on States to ‘ensure equal access to all levels of education and vocational training for the vulnerable, including persons with disabilities …’. Reinforcing the international normative framework with principles that comprehensively protect the right to education for persons with disabilities is vital. Disability should be added as a prohibited ground of discrimination in education, and consolidating the principles of the CRPD in other education instruments will further their reach and encourage States to invoke the necessary constitutional, legislative and policy amendments to ensure that disabilities do not prevent anyone from the full enjoyment of their right to education.