The Democratization of Inclusive Education: Political Settlement and the Role of Disabled Persons Organizations

Abstract

Inclusive education is a core initiative of United Nations organizations and national governments around the world. In this article, we chronicle the development of a 2019 inclusive education policy in Lesotho by examining the role of disabled persons organizations (DPOs) and their policy advocacy. A standpoint epistemological approach is used, relaying the direct experiences of DPO leaders. We frame these events through political settlement theory, which states that when there is a policy conflict, settlements are drawn between powerful actors (governments) and those advocating for change. This typically occurs when the political or economic price of ignoring or suppressing advocacy groups becomes too high for governments to bear. In this study, a DPO successfully advocated for a new policy through media campaigns, direct engagement of government officials, leveraging donor support, and arguing for accountability around international treaty commitments. The political settlement of DPOs and the government in Lesotho is instructive about new ways in which inclusive education policies are being developed in the wake of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities and increased DPO activism.