Authors :
James Onole Okhakhu
Volume/Issue :
Volume 11 - 2026, Issue 10 - October
Google Scholar :
https://tinyurl.com/3rxj49aj
DOI :
https://doi.org/10.38124/ijisrt/26Oct003
Note : A published paper may take 4-5
working days from the publication date to appear in PlumX Metrics, Semantic Scholar, and
ResearchGate.
Abstract :
Nigeria’s Prohibition of Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act (2018) was a progressive policy commitment towards inclusive school infrastructure in Nigeria. A five-year transitional provision expired in January 2024 on compliance with accessibility requirements. Evidence consistently shows that despite the expiry of this provision, compliance in school infrastructure remains extremely low, especially in the private education sector and especially concerning the inclusive needs of learners with cerebral palsy (CP) whose involvement is most acutely determined by the built environment. This paper interrogates the policy-to-practice gap in Nigeria’s inclusive school infrastructure by presenting evidence derived from mixed methods case study data in a private international school in Ibadan, Nigeria and a systematic synthesis of the theoretical, policy and empirical literature.
Keywords :
Disability Legislation, Inclusive Education Policy, Universal Design for Learning, Social Model of Disability, Cerebral Palsy, School Infrastructure, Nigeria, Sub-Saharan Africa.
References :
- Adewumi, T. M., & Mosito, C. (2019). Experiences of teachers in implementing inclusive education in primary schools in Lagos State, Nigeria. Bulletin of Geography: Socio-economic Series, 44, 81–90. https://doi.org/10.2478/bog-2019-0025
- Agbabiaka, H. I., Abdullahi, S. A., Ahmed, Y., & Lawal, I. (2024). Students with disabilities (SWDs) and facilities accessibility in a northern Nigerian public university: Dismantling exclusion in achieving SDG 4. Facilities, 42(11–12), 928–946. https://doi.org/10.1108/F-04-2023-0039
- Ainscow, M. (2020). Promoting inclusion and equity in education: Lessons from international experience. Nordic Journal of Studies in Educational Policy, 6(1), 7–16. https://doi.org/10.1080/20020317.2020.1729587
- Ajuwon, P. M. (2012). Making inclusive education work in Nigeria: Evaluation of special educators' attitudes. Disability Studies Quarterly, 32(2). https://dsq-sds.org/article/view/966
- Ajuwon, P. M. (2019). Disability and inclusive education in Nigeria: Benefits, challenges and policy implications. International Journal of Special Education, 23(3), 11–16.
- Bamisaye, M. O., Dada, O. C., & Adesokan, A. (2024). Teachers' awareness and implementation of the Disability Act, 2018 in public secondary schools in Kwara State. KWASU International Journal of Education, 7(1), 110–118.
- Barrett, P., Treves, A., Shmis, T., Ambasz, D., & Ustinova, M. (2019). The impact of school infrastructure on learning: A synthesis of the evidence. World Bank Group. https://doi.org/10.1596/978-1-4648-1378-8
- Braun, V., & Clarke, V. (2006). Using thematic analysis in psychology. Qualitative Research in Psychology, 3(2), 77–101. https://doi.org/10.1191/1478088706qp063oa
- Brydges, C., & Mkandawire, P. (2020). Perceptions and experiences of inclusive education among parents of children with disabilities in Lagos, Nigeria. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 24(6), 645–659. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2018.1478001
- CAST. (2024). Universal Design for Learning guidelines version 3.0. https://udlguidelines.cast.org
- Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. (2023). What is cerebral palsy? U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. https://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/cp/facts.html
- Creswell, J. W., & Plano Clark, V. L. (2018). Designing and conducting mixed methods research (3rd ed.). SAGE.
- Etikan, I., Musa, S. A., & Alkassim, R. S. (2016). Comparison of convenience sampling and purposive sampling. American Journal of Theoretical and Applied Statistics, 5(1), 1–4. https://doi.org/10.11648/j.ajtas.20160501.11
- Federal Ministry of Education. (2016). National policy on inclusive education in Nigeria. Federal Ministry of Education.
- Federal Republic of Nigeria. (2018). Discrimination against persons with disabilities (Prohibition) Act, 2018. Government Printer.
- Florian, L. (2014). What counts as evidence of inclusive education? European Journal of Special Needs Education, 29(3), 286–294. https://doi.org/10.1080/08856257.2014.933551
- Florian, L., & Black-Hawkins, K. (2011). Exploring inclusive pedagogy. British Educational Research Journal, 37(5), 813–828. https://doi.org/10.1080/01411926.2010.501096
- Ihebom, E., & Uko, E. (2020). Educational infrastructure and its impact on academic performance in Nigerian schools. IRE Journals, 8(6), 498–505.
- Inclusion London. (2025). The social model of disability. https://www.inclusionlondon.org.uk/disability-in-london/social-model/
- International Organization for Standardization. (2021). ISO 21542:2021 Building construction Accessibility and usability of the built environment. ISO. https://www.iso.org/standard/71860.html
- Maulana, A. F. (2023). Systematic literature review: The role of educational facilities and infrastructure for children with special needs at school. Journal Asesmen Dan Intervensi Anak Berkebutuhan Khusus, 23(2), 98–106.
- Oliver, M. (1983). Social work with disabled people. Macmillan.
- Oliver, M. (1996). Understanding disability: From theory to practice. Macmillan.
- Oliver, M. (2013). The social model of disability: Thirty years on. Disability & Society, 28(7), 1024–1026. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2013.818773
- Olusanya, B. O., Adebiyi, A. E., Nair, M. K. C., & Sinha, A. (2020). The burden of childhood disability in Nigeria: Systematic analysis of the available evidence. The Lancet Regional Health Africa, 1, 100001. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.lana.2020.100001
- Roski, M., Walk, H., & Wolff, C. E. (2021). Universal Design for Learning in physical education. In M. Grenier (Ed.), Inclusive physical education around the world (pp. 43–56). Springer. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-67787-8
- Rosenbaum, P., Paneth, N., Leviton, A., Goldstein, M., Bax, M., Damiano, D., Dan, B., & Jacobsson, B. (2007). A report: The definition and classification of cerebral palsy. Developmental Medicine & Child Neurology, 49(Suppl. 109), 8–14. https://doi.org/10.1111/j.1469-8749.2007.tb12610.x
- Slee, R. (2018). Inclusive education isn't dead, it just smells funny. Routledge.
- Thomas, C. (2007). Sociologies of disability and illness: Contested ideas in disability studies and medical sociology. Palgrave Macmillan.
- Tikly, L., & Barrett, A. M. (2011). Social justice, capabilities and the quality of education in low income countries. International Journal of Educational Development, 31(1), 3–14. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijedudev.2010.06.001
- UNESCO. (2020). Global education monitoring report 2020: Inclusion and education All means all. UNESCO.
- UNICEF. (2020). WASH and disability: Guidance note. UNICEF.
- Union of the Physically Impaired Against Segregation. (1976). Fundamental principles of disability. UPIAS.
- United Nations. (2006). Convention on the rights of persons with disabilities. United Nations.
- United Nations. (2015). Transforming our world: The 2030 agenda for sustainable development. United Nations.
- World Health Organization. (2011). World report on disability. WHO Press.
- Yin, R. K. (2018). Case study research and applications: Design and methods (6th ed.). SAGE.
Nigeria’s Prohibition of Persons with Disabilities (Prohibition) Act (2018) was a progressive policy commitment towards inclusive school infrastructure in Nigeria. A five-year transitional provision expired in January 2024 on compliance with accessibility requirements. Evidence consistently shows that despite the expiry of this provision, compliance in school infrastructure remains extremely low, especially in the private education sector and especially concerning the inclusive needs of learners with cerebral palsy (CP) whose involvement is most acutely determined by the built environment. This paper interrogates the policy-to-practice gap in Nigeria’s inclusive school infrastructure by presenting evidence derived from mixed methods case study data in a private international school in Ibadan, Nigeria and a systematic synthesis of the theoretical, policy and empirical literature.
Keywords :
Disability Legislation, Inclusive Education Policy, Universal Design for Learning, Social Model of Disability, Cerebral Palsy, School Infrastructure, Nigeria, Sub-Saharan Africa.