– Liberian Students with Disabilities Endure Inaccessible Higher Education, Stakeholders Recommend Free Education For Them

By Jerromie S. Walters

Monrovia, Liberia – For students with disabilities in Liberia, pursuing higher education is marked by hardship and exclusion. Despite policy efforts and pledges for inclusivity, students with disabilities remain underserved by universities, which lack accessible infrastructure, specialized learning aids, and even basic financial support.

It’s more than a week since the United Methodist University (UMU) resumed a new academic semester, but the enrollment of Marthalyn Success Nyanneh, a visually impaired junior student at the University (UMU), is still not certain. This (Lack of finance) is one of the countless constraints that make up the tale of learning in trauma for persons with disabilities in Liberia and that have hindered their literacy rate.

A 2022 LIGIS thematic report indicates that 8% of the urban population with some disabilities have tertiary education (1.7% of the rural), while only 7% of the urban population with severe disability have tertiary education (1.6% of the rural). Liberia continues to strive for inclusivity in education, and students with disabilities are no exception to this as they continue to face significant barriers in their pursuit of higher education. At most universities this report covers, the administration admitted to not having a disabled population of even ten percent of its total enrollment.

For instance, the Dean of Students Affairs at AME Zion University disclosed that the enrollment of disabled students stood at one (1 student). This was confirmed following a follow-up through the office of admission. This is a bit similar to the ongoing semester at StarZ University, as the administration confirmed a disabled population of less than two percent of the total enrollment for this semester.

Visible discoveries from both interactions and happenings on the ground indicate that there is a troubling struggle for education concisely for persons with disabilities at higher learning institutions in Liberia that is far beyond the ordinary. These challenges extend to firstly getting the opportunity, navigating through the complex enrollment process without preference, generating funds (transportation) to attend classes, struggling with the lack of accessible physical structure, and lecturers who are often not literate in the tools and techniques that make learning easier for disabled students and a lot more.

In some cases, persons with disabilities of any category are welcomed in private universities. However, there is often a tale of learning in chaos, which is seen through countless challenges. Article 24 of the Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities specifies that countries must take steps to ensure that persons with disabilities access an inclusive, quality, and free primary and secondary education on an equal basis with others in the communities in which they live. But the case of Marthalyn and scores of other disabled stories are the opposite of this.

Initial interaction was held with Marthalyn on October 7, 2024, and a follow-up was made on October 26, 2024. For more than two weeks, nothing has changed. “I told you my situation the last time. School has opened, but I have just been going there to see,” she revealed in the last conversation. This is similar to the experiences of hundreds of other persons with disabilities in Liberia who have been left with no other alternative but to become beggars.

“I had someone who sponsored me from my freshman level to my junior year, but today they have given up. I had to go around to look for another person, and I’m still in that process. I’m still looking for a sponsor for this semester because the person gave up at the last minute, so I can’t force them as they have been a great help from the beginning,” she said in the initial interaction. 

Marthalyn opened up about her learning experience at the university (UMU). “UMU is not accessible. They have a lot to do when it comes to accessibility because we, the disabled students on campus, find it difficult to get around. As a visually impaired student, I often need help from my classmates to reach my classes. We have a lot of stairs, and there are no ramps for physically challenged students.”

The institution has a sign language interpreter, but said individual is not employed but was rather brought on board by the disabled students. “Our (Employed) instructors don’t know sign language either, making it very difficult for them to communicate with deaf students and with us visually impaired students. In class, when activities are happening, I want to participate, but because they don’t understand my writing, they limit me. I have to make them understand that I can contribute, but sometimes they say they don’t understand and want to determine my grades without testing me.”

In the 12th Session of the United Nations Conference of State Parties to the Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities, Liberia announced that it adopted a National Action Plan for the Inclusion of Persons with Disabilities. The goal of this plan was to promote the welfare and rights of the disabled in Liberia. Unfortunately, the experience on the ground today is an irony of what it should be for persons with disabilities.

Exclusion from State Universities:

For students with more severe disabilities, access is virtually non-existent at Liberia’s largest public institution, the University of Liberia (UL). The university does not enroll students who are visually impaired or deaf, citing logistical difficulties and a lack of resources to support them. This stance, however, contrasts with Article 6 of Liberia’s Constitution, which calls for “equal access to educational opportunities.” While UL has a committee tasked with addressing accessibility, progress has been slow, leaving students with severe disabilities locked out of Liberia’s most affordable public university.

Institutional Efforts Fall Short:

At private universities such as AME Zion University (AMEZU) and Starz University, the challenges persist, albeit with some differences. Starz University’s Vice President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Alfread Segbe, affirmed that the institution provides a “friendly environment” and accessible spaces for physically challenged students. Yet, a junior student studying for a Bachelor of Science degree in Information Technology, Madison Karnga, experiences his worst times ahead of his evening class between 5 and 6 at StarZ Airfield Main Campus.

 

He characterized it as being more demeaning when getting to his class on the second floor of StarZ’s multi-story campus in Airfield, Sinkor. “The steps have iron bars to block them, so I cross my other hand on the crutches and hold onto the iron for balance.” Although he admits this method is not ideal, he feels he has no choice, especially given the administration’s lack of concern for his situation.

Madison further described the difficulties he encountered. “I face challenges in climbing the stairs to get to upstairs classes. For me, I use crutches, but it is not accessible. What about a person who is using a wheelchair?” He recalls a particularly difficult experience during his freshman year. “My worst experience was during my freshman year; it was tedious for me because I didn’t have friends. One time, I almost fell from the stairs.”

However, Dr. Alfread Segbe says the institution has a history of treating everybody equally. He emphasizes: “In our university handbook for our students, there are policies that favor physically challenged people.” Dr. Segbe acknowledged that the institution had not had a visually impaired student or persons with hearing and speech impairment since it was incorporated in Monrovia, Liberia, in July 2009.

“We haven’t had a situation where we have to admit students in that condition, but if we have visually impaired students, we will accommodate them. When the need arises, we will tailor our programs to that, but we have a situation where somebody of such situation or characterization has entered our admission process.” Like Dr. Segbe, Mr. Marcus A. Stevens, Dean for Student Affairs / Business College (Undergraduate) at Starz University, says StarZ University doesn’t micromanage students with disabilities. “We schedule classes for them that will help ideal, looking at their conditions. We have classes for them at the first-floor level and probably the second-floor, but sometimes we leave it as a matter of choice.”

AMEZU, a three-story institution without ramps, offers similarly limited support. Edwin Darku, a physically challenged student, reported difficulties accessing classes and the school’s shuttle services. His experience with dismissive instructors further exacerbates the challenges faced by disabled students at AMEZU. In response, Daniel Gray, AMEZU’s Dean of Students, assured that the university is exploring ways to address these needs, though the institution currently lacks specialized facilities and staff.

Paving the Way for Inclusive Policies:

Change could be on the horizon. Liberia’s National Commission on Higher Education (NCHE) is set to launch its “Diversity Equity Education Policy” at the end of October, promising long-awaited guidelines for inclusivity in higher education. 

This forthcoming policy aims to address critical issues surrounding inclusivity. “The policy talks about people with disabilities. It also addresses gender issues, so those are the core of the policy. Making sure that everyone has equal rights, be it a man, woman, or someone in a wheelchair. Everyone is treated equally like every other student,” Dunkeh explains.

To assess the effectiveness of the policy once it is enacted, the NCHE plans to conduct a data collection initiative. “To make sure that schools are doing what we want them to do when the policy is launched, we have a data collection coming up. In that quantitative research, we have a questionnaire that asks about acceptability. You are not just going to tell us; we want to see whether someone who is riding a wheelchair or someone visually impaired can access the facility (school).”

However, the Deputy Executive Director for Research and Development at the National Commission on Higher Education refused to provide data on the statistics of students with disabilities NCHE has on record from higher learning institutions in Liberia, even though she acknowledged that it is available. The National Commission on Higher Education (NCHE) is an institution that bears the statutory responsibility for the regulation and accreditation of higher education programs in Liberia.  Established by an Act of the National Legislature in 1989, the NCHE has the mandate to regulate, manage, and monitor higher education activities in Liberia.

Advocating for Free Education and Accessible Campuses:

Meanwhile, the National Commission on Disabilities (NCD) continues to push for additional reforms, including calls for free education for disabled students.  Samuel Dean, the Executive Director of the National Commission on Disabilities (NCD), acknowledged the numerous challenges that students with disabilities encounter in their pursuit of higher education at universities and colleges. He believes that there is a dual nature of the obstacles faced by students with disabilities, categorizing them as both educational and infrastructural. 

Dean pointed out that individuals who are deaf or hard of hearing, often referred to as “Bobo,” struggle significantly to access college education. Dean: “Our deaf and hard-at-hearing people, who people refer to as “Bobo,” have a problem accessing colleges. They have problems with people to help them pay for their sound language interpreters for them to be able to obtain a quality education that is an issue that needs to be addressed.”

The challenges extend beyond auditory impairments. Dean highlighted the plight of visually impaired students, noting, “Another issue is with the students that are blind. The Ministry of Education (MoE) is supposed to put books for students in Braille. Unfortunately, they put books that are only printed materials.” He believes it needs to be addressed.

Discrimination and marginalization are also significant barriers that students with disabilities face, according to Dean. He recounted a personal experience from years ago while lobbying for the recruitment of visually impaired individuals for a Ministry of Education scholarship. “He said the blind people don’t have hope of learning, and the only people who can learn are people who are not blind,” he recalled.

Dean also called for a broader cultural shift, noting persistent discrimination against disabled students. “They don’t think we are capable of learning, but they fail to realize that persons with disabilities are persons with exceptionalities,” he asserted.

Persistent Challenges Despite Efforts:

While some progress has been made, the daily struggles remain profound. Students like Chris M. Tolbert, a visually impaired junior at AMEU, face substantial financial and logistical hurdles.  She appealed for a personal computer to help reduce their many challenges since some of them are now computer literate.  “This is a computer lab, but it only has desktops, so if the teacher gives you an assignment, you have to carry it home to complete it. We are asking for laptops. Some might ask why we need laptops when we have Braille. The Braille is for primary reading and writing, but for those of us who are computer literate, we use computers. The computer has a screen reader that speaks back to us, which helps us a lot, especially when taking tests.”

Chris acknowledges the current state of physical accessibility but says it’s manageable. “For us, the visually impaired, it’s manageable. We can climb the stairs, but it’s not completely accessible. In other countries, room numbers are written in Braille. If it is room 49, they will write it in Braille and paste it on the door, so when you reach there, you can feel it and know the room number. But it’s not like that in Liberia.”

Isaac E. T. Kolleh, a senior at AMEU majoring in Primary Education with a minor in School Counseling, shares similar frustrations. “We find it a bit difficult to even enroll. Scholarships are not given to us easily. Even if we are good students, they disregard that and judge us based on our disabilities. We don’t have textbooks or pamphlets in accessible formats, like Braille, for us visually impaired students.

While he appreciates the presence of a ramp at the Education Department, Isaac emphasizes that more needs to be done. “The main building is over three stories, and most of our classes are upstairs, yet there is no ramp in that building. Sometimes, we have to ask our friends for help.” He advocates for the university to align with the Ministry of Education’s inclusive education policy, which ensures equal rights for all students in Liberia, and calls for free and compulsory education for disabled students.

Vicencia Emily Maturee, an ex-student of the African Methodist Episcopal University (AMEU), echoes the call for improved accessibility. “My difficulties in accessing AMEU are quite unacceptable, but it’s accommodating,” she notes. “AMEU is a university that understands persons with disabilities and their day-to-day lives because they have dealt with so many of us.”

Maturee recounts her challenges, particularly with classes located on higher floors and the need for assistance navigating the campus. “Financially, yes, we persons with disabilities face challenges in school,” she admits. “Hundred percent. We face it going to school, and I encountered that on so many occasions. But God first, He made it work, and I was able to go through it at AMEU, and everything was positive.”

While she appreciates the supportive environment at AMEU, Maturee advocates for further improvements. “I will recommend more accessibility features for AMEU, and I wish they work towards that,” she asserts. Her journey at AMEU was cut short not due to a lack of ability but because she was offered a better educational opportunity.

Stanley Swen, a senior at AMEU majoring in Primary Education with a minor in Mass Communications, reflects on the accessibility challenges he faces. “This building has four stories, so if I’m to go upstairs to attend class, it will take me fifteen minutes because I have to take my time to climb the stairs. Even a wheelchair user might not be able to get up. The education system needs to be improved so that everyone can be incorporated without hindrance.”

He recognizes AMEU’s efforts to accept students with disabilities but stresses the need for improved physical infrastructure. “If it were back then, I’d be all over the place asking people for help. So in this area, they have made some gains.” Stanley also supports the Executive Director of the National Commission on Disabilities in advocating for free education for persons with disabilities in Liberia.

In contrast to other universities, AMEU has a separate computer lab for students with disabilities, established by the Lions Club in 2014. Many disabled students, particularly those who are visually impaired, acclaimed the gesture and recognize it as a vital support system in their educational pursuits. Of all the institutions covered in this report, only the African Methodist Episcopal University (AMEU), a computer lab for visually impaired students, was seen.

Even students who achieve educational milestones face continued obstacles. Beatrice Snyder, who graduated from the University of Liberia with a Bachelor’s degree in English, described her journey as fraught with physical and emotional challenges. “My stay at the University of Liberia has been a challenging one,” she recounted, citing difficulties navigating UL’s non-disabled-friendly structure and dependence on her younger brother for mobility support.

A Path Forward:

The upcoming Diversity Equity Education Policy offers hope, yet the barriers for disabled students in Liberia remain formidable. As they await the policy’s enactment, students like Snyder, Karnga, and Darku demonstrate resilience, but they need more than resilience alone to thrive. The success of this new policy will depend on robust implementation and enforcement, which could transform Liberia’s educational landscape into one that genuinely serves all its citizens.

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