Disability Rights and Inclusiveness in Africa has an excellent focus, providing evidence on what is currently happening within the field of disability rights in different parts of Africa. The topic of disability rights and inclusion is complex, and the book provides snapshots of the experiences of persons with disabilities in Africa while also contextualizing their perspectives. This allows the reader to gain insight into the barriers faced by persons with disabilities. The authors also offer some possible recommendations. The ten chapters provide coverage of disability rights and inclusiveness from a variety of countries, including evidence from primary research conducted throughout the continent. The authors are drawn from a wide range of fields, including human rights, disability studies, anthropology, sociology, psychology, rehabilitation and mental health, providing inclusive perspectives and a wealth of information.
The introduction provides a robust overview on disability rights and a very good chronology of developments in the field. Providing a grassroots perspective, it amplifies the voices of persons with disabilities. Subsequent chapters reveal the gaps in the implementation of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), even though it has been in existence for almost two decades. In many African countries, the signing of the UNCRPD seems to have been a tick-box exercise, as reflected throughout the book in the huge implementation gaps in countries that signed the treaty. The book also highlights barriers relating to ownership and enforceability of the UNCRPD, lack of capacity among leaders of the disability movement, exclusion of persons with disabilities in policymaking, and stigma and lack of resources at many levels. While it can be argued that a few of the studies presented had relatively small sample sizes, the findings nevertheless provide invaluable insights into the under-researched situation of disability rights and inclusiveness within African societies.
Despite the huge challenges identified by the authors, most of the chapters conclude with recommendations for improving the quality of life of persons with disabilities and for upholding disability rights. The recommendations include legislative reforms and policy formulations underpinned by disability rights perspectives, but these require the building of political will and varied contextual considerations. The book highlights the need for prioritization of disability rights and inclusion in the following sectors in Africa: education, healthcare, social services, employment and livelihoods. The chapters also provide some examples of successful stakeholder collaboration, demonstrating the practicality of the recommendations for joint planning and implementation of strategies to promote disability rights in African settings. Furthermore, resource mobilization and awareness raising on the rights of persons with disabilities were common recommendations for most of the countries covered by the book.
The contributing authors’ passion for promoting the rights of persons with disabilities is evident. Still, the quality of the chapters could have been enhanced through an analysis of power brokerage, because, without political will and the availability of resources, the rights of persons with disabilities will continue to be ignored or trampled. Some chapters provide recommendations directed to the disability movement, which is important for inclusiveness. The concept of community-based inclusive development (CBID), in which persons with disabilities are valued and included in all aspects of community life, is gaining momentum and is moving beyond community-based rehabilitation. Its relevance to African contexts is well captured in Chapter 6. There is a need for CBID to be taken further; if not, it will remain another well-intended term unable to offer meaningful change to the lives of persons with disabilities.
The book offers a springboard for further research and the documentation of successful implementations of the UNCRPD. In addition, it is a valuable resource for researchers and scholars in disability-related fields, particularly those focusing on Africa. Readers interested in disability policy formulation and policy translation will find the book insightful. Furthermore, it provides evidence that will be useful for policymakers working on disability issues in African settings as well as for the disability movement to use for advocacy activities.
I am grateful for the opportunity to read and review this book. I greatly appreciate the time and effort of the authors and editors – and, most importantly, the views of persons with disabilities in Africa who participated in the studies that were used as evidence. Having grown up and previously worked in disability services in Africa, I can attest to the need for research-based recommendations on the rights of persons with disabilities to be presented to politicians and communities in practical ways.
