Accessibility of primary education facilities to students with disabilities: a study in the context of disasters in Jashore, Bangladesh

A formal education is a prerequisite for ensuring sustainable development, which permits individuals to improve their communities and nations (MoPME, 2019). As part of the educational process, one of the demanding aspects is to advance creative capabilities, including the expansion of educational scopes, which are highly related to knowledge and skills. In Bangladesh, primary education is one of the three main stages of education (primary, secondary and tertiary) for children between the ages of five and ten (Kono et al., 2018). According to the Directorate of Primary Education, 126,615 primary schools in the country provide primary education to 19 million children, while the estimated literacy rate is approximately 74.9% (MoE, 2010; Chowdhury and Sarkar, 2018). Although Bangladesh is one of the few countries to achieve MDG No. 2 (Achieve universal primary education), a number of significant factors, such as quality of teaching and learning, technical capabilities, must be considered to meet the post-2000 SDG No. 4 in terms of achieving quality education for all (Kono et al., 2018).

Approximately 65 million children of primary and secondary school age in developing nations possess disabilities, with half of them discontinuing their education. Despite their enrollment, their likelihood of completing school is significantly lower than their peers. Consequently, the present literacy rate is a mere 3% for individuals with impairments and only 1% for women with disabilities (Barua, 2018). Disabilities are common in developing nations in South Asia, and Bangladesh is no exception. Extreme poverty, poor literacy rates, widespread ignorance and, most critically, a lack of health care and other services all contribute to this problem. Disability is a significant social and economic issue, Sultana (2010) stated that there is a lack of reliable statistics on the topic.

Furthermore, Ahmed and Kashem (2015) stated that children with disabilities continue to face discrimination and challenges in acquiring education. According to the Bangladesh Bureau of Statistics (2022), it was identified that 54.74% of individuals with disabilities lack formal education, whereas 23.11% have completed primary school (Grades I–V) and 18.33% have completed secondary education (Grades VI–XII) and 1.57% of the population possess higher education, meaning schooling beyond the 12th grade. On the other hand, in Bangladesh, the primary education systems for students with disabilities consist of special education, inclusive education and integrated education. In addition to this, home-based education is frequently used as an alternative when other possibilities are not accessible. Parents and family members bear the primary responsibility for imparting education to their children with disabilities inside the confines of their own homes (Khan and Anisuzzaman, 2011).

Moreover, among the various factors affecting Bangladesh’s increased susceptibility to disasters, poverty, geographical location, etc. are the most prominent (Szabo et al., 2015). As a result of disasters, socioeconomic aspects are adversely affected, while education is one of the most affected fields as a result of damage to infrastructure such as school buildings, roads and embankments (Stapleton, 2019). According to Ahamed et al. (2012), 195 and 68 academic institutions were affected by super cyclones SIDR and AILA, respectively. Furthermore, poverty, livelihood dependence on natural resources, inadequate climate-responsive curricula and lack of awareness and training in the primary education system are affecting the education system and facilities in coastal areas (Monroe et al., 2019). After disasters such as cyclones and floods, students with disabilities are the most vulnerable group in coastal communities (Stevenson et al., 2017).

The impact of disasters is disproportionately felt by people with disabilities in vulnerable situations, despite the fact that research on disability and disasters has remained very limited up to this point (Stough and Kelman, 2018). Approximately a quarter of the world’s population, however, is living with at least one form of disability (WHO, 2011a; Vesper, 2019). Around 200 million children worldwide have some type of disability, while disasters affect 7 million children with disabilities each year (Anderson, 2012). In Bangladesh, more than 9.1% of the total population suffers from various types of disabilities (BBS, 2011). A number of policy actions have been implemented by the Government of Bangladesh (GoB) to ensure inclusive education facilities for all, focusing on the potential and development aspects of inclusive education (Ahsan and Mullick, 2013).

There are, however, a variety of types of disasters, from natural to man-made, which cause significant damage to the lives and resources of the community (Torani et al., 2019). There is no doubt that children are among the most vulnerable groups of people to disaster impacts in the community (UNISDR, 2007), while the World Health Organization (WHO, 2011b) reports about 30%–50% of the total number of fatalities resulting from natural disasters are children. Apart from the impact of disasters throughout a community, disasters can also damage the infrastructure of academic institutions, preventing students from accessing education (Mamogale, 2011). Owing to their intrinsic vulnerability characteristics, students with disabilities are disproportionately vulnerable and require extra attention from their surroundings (Ronoh et al., 2015). The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities was ratified by Bangladesh in 2007, placing it among the initial signatory nations. The Rights and Protection of Persons with Disabilities Act 2013 and the National Children Policy 2011 are among the additional legislative and policy measures that Bangladesh has enacted (UNICEF, 2014). It also claims that Bangladesh’s current laws and policies are underfunded and discriminate against people with disabilities. Only through specialist programs and services are the children with disabilities handled; they have not yet been included in mainstream ones. Also, persons with disabilities are not separated in the national sectorial programs data, which makes them invisible in mainstream planning.

There has been an increase in the occurrence of different forms of disasters such as cyclones, floods, storm surges and salinity intrusion in coastal areas of Bangladesh (Chowdhury et al., 2020). Owing to their limitations, including social behavior, children with disabilities are among the most vulnerable groups to the effects of disasters (Chowdhury et al., 2022; Ahmmed et al., 2014). Despite several measures taken by the GoB (Ahsan and Burnip, 2007), students with disabilities continue to be exposed to extreme vulnerability to natural and man-made disasters, which is hindering the sustainable development of these students as human resources. Most studies in Bangladesh were conducted on students with disabilities from the perspective of socio-economic issues (Nowreen et al., 2022; Chowdhury et al., 2022), while several studies have been conducted on students with disabilities from the perspective of teachers or educational processes (Rahaman, 2011). Also, according to Islam (2010), people with disabilities are most vulnerable to disasters because of lack of knowledge, restricted mobility and absence of sufficient resources during different phases of disasters. However, a study on students with disabilities inclusion in disaster management has not been conducted for coastal areas yet, which is important for establishing sustainable disaster management practices. Following the background, this study aimed to evaluate the disability-inclusiveness aspects of primary education facilities in coastal areas of Bangladesh. Here, this study tried to understand school-related information, teachers’ attitudes toward students with disabilities and the behavior of their classmates. Also, this study was conducted to understand the different issues related to disaster management, including common disasters in schools, disaster-related facilities for students with disabilities and the impact of disasters on these students. Additionally, a strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threats (SWOT) analysis and assessment of the primary academic curriculum regarding disaster aspects was conducted. The results of this study may help stakeholders at all levels, both at the national and local levels, to ensure sustainable disaster management features that focus on students with disabilities in Bangladesh. The findings of this study may help policymakers use it as a baseline for coastal areas. It discusses various issues, including those related to schools, students with disabilities, teachers and the attitudes of other students, as well as disaster management.

To conduct this study, we used a mixed method approach, i.e. a combination of both qualitative and quantitative methods. To prepare the questionnaire, a preliminary visit was conducted to identify different issues related to a person with disabilities, school-related information and education facilities. To fulfill the objectives of this study, focus group discussion, in-depth interviews and key informant interviews were conducted including the review of school-level curriculum. Combining these methods ensured a holistic understanding of the accessibility challenges faced by students with disabilities in the context of disasters.

Jashore district is one of the coastal districts in Bangladesh, covering 2607 km² in the Khulna division (BNP, 2022a). This study was conducted in Chaugachha Upazila, one of eight Upazilas in the Jashore district. In this Upazila, there are 61 government primary schools (BNP, 2022b), while 20 primary schools were selected with purpose (Figure 1). In this study, 20 schools were selected based on the presence of students with disabilities following purposive sampling.

The study examined a total of 20 schools. The average number of students in catchment areas and the number of students enrolled in schools were 243.3 and 241.7, respectively (Table 1). Among the 20 schools, the maximum number of students in the catchment area was 550 (S2), while the minimum was 75 (S11). Additionally, the maximum number of enrolled students was observed in S2, with 550 students, and the minimum was observed in S11, with 72 students. The number of students with disabilities in the catchment area varied from school to school, with the maximum observed in S19 (10 students) and the minimum in S8 (1 student). Similarly, the number of enrolled students with disabilities varied, with the maximum being 6 students and the minimum being 1 student. Furthermore, only one school has 15 teachers, while 8 schools have 5 teachers. Students with disabilities constituted 2.7% of all students in the catchment area, while teachers constituted 6.25%.

Different types of disabilities exist, such as hearing impairment, visual impairment, speech impairment, intellectual impairment. In this study, 35 in-depth interviews (IDIs) were conducted with students with disabilities in the presence of their caregivers. Respondents were selected after discussions with the head teacher of the school. Proper verbal and written consent was obtained from the parents before conducting IDIs with students with disabilities. In addition, 20 key informant interviews (KIIs) were conducted with the head or senior teachers of the schools to discuss various issues related to disaster management and the education of students with disabilities. Furthermore, 10 focus group discussions (FGDs) were conducted, and 6 FGDs and 4 FGDs were conducted with teachers and guardians of students with disabilities. Eight to ten respondents participated in each of the focus groups. Among the information included in the school catchment section were population, area, household, total number of students, students with disabilities and farthest distance from the school. All the interviews and discussions were conducted in Bengali. In addition, a physical observation was conducted to gain a better understanding of the school’s physical facilities.

For the first four sections of the findings section, the following responses were taken from the students with disabilities and their caregivers:

1. personal information of respondents;

2. school-related information;

3. teachers’ attitudes toward students with disabilities; and

4. classmate behavior with students with disabilities.

Likewise, in the following three sections:

1. perceptions about disaster management;

2. students with disabilities and disasters; and

3. schools, students with disabilities and disasters, responses of teachers from schools were obtained.

Surveys were conducted using two different questionnaires. Here, two different questionnaires were used for two groups of respondents (see Supplementary Part). The collection of data took place between September 2022 and February 2023.

All ethical issues were maintained during the collection of data. There was adherence to Helsinki ethical standards, and ethical aspects were approved by the “Ethical Review Committee, Faculty of Biological Science and Technology, Jashore University of Science and Technology, Jashore, Bangladesh.” Both written and verbal consent were obtained during data collection. The consent form stated that participation was voluntary and all personal information would be kept confidential during data analysis and presentation of the findings (see Supplementary Part).

Following the collection of all the data, the data was stored in Microsoft Excel. The data were analyzed using the Statistical Package for Social Sciences software after double-checking. As described in the section on data collection, two groups of respondents were analyzed separately.

An organization’s SWOT analysis serves as a method of planning and managing in an organized manner, thus helping to identify the organization’s existing resources and facilities (Gürel and Tat, 2017; Hasan et al., 2022). As part of this study, a SWOT analysis was conducted based on the responses of respondents. A SWOT analysis provides a structured approach to assess the accessibility of primary education facilities to students with disabilities in the context of disasters in coastal Bangladesh. It emphasizes identifying strengths and opportunities to leverage positive impacts, as well as weaknesses and threats to address negative aspects (Shammi et al., 2023). Additionally, the analysis distinguishes between internal and external factors, offering valuable insights into the challenges and opportunities within the educational landscape for students with disabilities regarding disasters.

Multivariate statistical analysis involves variables with large and small variances, whereas normalization transforms the data set into a range ranging from 0 to 1. According to the methodology described by Uddin et al. (2019), the data set on SWOT analysis of this study has been normalized to eliminate the effect of one variable on others. The following equation [equation (1)] has been used to normalize quantitative data:

where x_ob is an observed value in an array of observed values for a given variable; x_max is the highest value in the same array.

Bangladesh’s primary education system comprises Classes I to V. Classes I and II have eight subjects, while classes III to V typically have nine subjects (Supplementary Table 1). Based on the content analysis method described by Hasan et al. (2019), the academic curriculum was reviewed to examine the status of students with disabilities inclusion in disaster management in primary education. Content analysis is mostly used in qualitative research techniques to analyze documents and other objects related to communication, while different formats of text, audio, video or photos (Hsieh and Shannon, 2005). This method mainly assesses the text within the documents, which mainly focuses on the relationships of the text and the causes of its appearance in the documents (Yu et al., 2011). As part of this study, subjects related to the disaster were selected for content analysis (Supplementary Table 1), such as Environment, Society, Science and Bangladesh and World Identity.

Among the entire respondents, there were 51.4% of males and 48.6% of females (Table 2). Most of the respondents had intellectual disabilities (80%) and most of them were female students. In addition, 83.3% of the male students had multiple types of disabilities. Students from class four constituted the majority of respondents (22.9%) and 33.3% had hearing impairments. Furthermore, the majority of respondents (88.6%) were born with disabilities.

A majority of the schools (100%) had toilet facilities, such as pit latrines, while 65% had ramps for students with disabilities (Table 3). All the schools had first aid facilities, lighting systems, classroom ventilation, better space and fan facilities in the classroom. Meanwhile, 70% of schools provided additional support staff to students with disabilities.

All respondents agreed that communication facilities with parents of students with disabilities were adequate (Supplementary Table 2). Most respondents indicated that the distance between their house and school is highly suitable (62.9%), while only 2.9% indicated that it is not suitable. Among the respondents with multiple disabilities, 83.3% were from highly suitable distances, while 16.7% usually attended school from suitable distances.

For teachers’ attitudes toward students with disabilities, 74.3% replied that extra support staff were present in the school for students with disabilities, whereas 25.7% of students with disabilities responded negatively (Table 4). In contrast, the majority of respondents with multiple disabilities reported that there was no additional support staff available for them. In addition, all respondents stated that teachers used to explain properly when students’ disabilities irritated the classroom.

In the case of the behavior of other students, most respondents (51.4%) stated that the students did not show an interest in taking students with disabilities when they played in the school, while this scenario was valid for both male and female groups of students (55.6%) (Supplementary Table 3). Additionally, 14.3% of respondents stated that students with disabilities were called ridiculous names, while 50% of respondents with multiple forms of disabilities stated that they were sometimes called disturbing names.

Among all of the respondents, 6.3% of the respondents (n = 20) said that fire could be a disaster for students without disabilities, while this fire incident could be a disaster for all of the students with disabilities (Figure 2).

A total of 93.8% of respondents responded positively to damage caused by disasters, while only 6.2% responded negatively (Table 5). Furthermore, 62.5% of the respondents indicated that their schools maintain an information database for students with disabilities, and 93.8% indicated that they have an overall plan to handle a disaster in the school. In addition, respondents reported that they experienced different types of problems related to disruptions caused by disasters, such as damage to buildings, abrupt suspension of classes, loss of books, damage to road communication caused by heavy rain or waterlogged roads, damage to infrastructure, particularly those made of tin, and all of these problems are too general for all (Source: FGDs and KIIs).

Among the respondents, 56.3% of the respondents believed that students with disabilities and students without disabilities face disaster impacts differently, while 62.5% believed that students with disabilities were unable to manage themselves during a disaster or after a disaster at school. As well, 50% and 25% of respondents suggested that children with disabilities should carry a wheelchair and a caregiver, respectively (Table 6).

The schools also have disaster management plans, such as improving the drainage system, replacing fire extinguishers, filling buckets with sand, staying beside students with disabilities during an emergency to provide mental support, bringing students with disabilities to a safe place and disseminating warning signals (Sources: FGDs and KIIs). Some schools, however, are not following any plans or in some cases, a plan exists without a proper structure or implementation guidelines. It is true that some students with disabilities are capable of handling disasters independently, but they are not equally capable as students without disabilities. The school’s teachers and staff assist those who are unable to maintain any balance during an emergency by taking them home or assisting their parents to reach the school. Most schools ask students with disabilities to sit on one side of the classroom.

In addition, very few schools organize disaster management programs for students, and they offer only basic information on earthquake-related issues. During that program, students with disabilities were unable to participate and teachers and responsible individuals found them difficult to manage.

In the case of SWOT analysis, the willingness of students with disabilities to be educated, awareness of parents of students with disabilities and consciousness of teachers are identified as strengths, whereas the lack of accessibility-friendly infrastructure such as ramps and disabled-friendly toilets, as well as the lack of funds, are considered weaknesses (Supplementary Table 4). Also, improved academic curriculum and more efforts from the government as well as other stakeholders from different sectors can be worked as opportunities, however, superstition in the community regarding students with disabilities may disrupt academic involvement of students with disabilities as a potential threat.

The ability of students with disabilities to learn has been identified as the most addressed strength, while teachers’ awareness of students with disabilities has been ranked as the least addressed strength (Figure 3). Further, the lack of parental awareness of the education of children with disabilities was identified as the most significant weakness, followed by the absence of handicapped-friendly infrastructures, such as ramps. Meanwhile, the implementation of disabled-friendly infrastructure was ranked as the top opportunity, while training or workshops for teachers, guardians and students were ranked as the second most important opportunity. Moreover, poverty was rated as the most important threat, while disasters affecting school facilities and structures were rated as less important.

There is no discussion of topics related to students with disabilities in the book of Class I, whereas the book of Class II only addresses the assistance of specialized children but not in a proper manner. As well, in the book of Class III, more information was provided in terms of different types of disabilities, such as visual impairments, intellectual disabilities, which is also applicable to the book of Class IV. The book of Class V also emphasizes the rights and behavior of autistic children.

The book of Class IV also addressed different measures for protecting against natural disasters and man-made disasters. Class V also discussed various issues related to climate and disasters, including safety measures. Although books from different classes addressed issues related to students with disabilities and disasters, none of the books from any class addressed any issue regarding students with disabilities from the perspective of disaster management.

Approximately 15% of the world’s population lives with disabilities, and it is estimated that about 80% of them are from low- and middle-income countries (WHO, 2011a). As a result of their intrinsic limitations, additional medical expenses, lower education quality, and a lack of disability-friendly income generation opportunities (Banks et al., 2017), people with disabilities in low-income countries are considered highly vulnerable groups of people in the community. However, despite increasing national and international focus on people with disabilities, they still face constraints when it comes to accessing their basic needs (Nuri et al., 2020). Although education is one of the most important prerequisites for becoming an admirable member of society, students with disabilities are lagging because of a variety of social and economic issues. Moreover, Bangladesh is one of the most vulnerable countries to natural disasters, and coastal areas are highly vulnerable to the impacts of disasters because of the increasing rate of natural disaster intensity and frequency (Hasan et al., 2020). This research aimed to examine the disability-inclusiveness status of the primary schools in the coastal regions of Bangladesh in terms of disasters.

Furthermore, according to the key informant, the number of students with disabilities is increasing within the community of Jashore, Bangladesh. Also, it has been found that most of the students have secured their positions between Rolls 10 and 19, which demonstrates their dedication to their studies. Even though students with disabilities may have a variety of disabilities, such as hearing, visual and speech impairments, intellectual disturbances, parents can serve as positive facilitators, nurturing them with education and skills. According to a study conducted by Ahmmed and Mullick (2014), the high dropout rate among students with disabilities is strongly associated with their socioeconomic status. This kind of support also encouraged guardians to send their children to school, as the Government of Bahrain has provided several funds, such as a monthly allowance for children with disabilities under the Ministry of Social Welfare (Nuri et al., 2019). To promote the learning facilities for students with disabilities, special need-based services can be introduced, for example, braille system learning for visually impaired students with proper monitoring (Nahar et al., 2015).

Aside from infrastructure facilities, trained teachers and staff on disaster management are required to provide sustainable education facilities for all students, including those with disabilities. Academic curricula at the national level are beginning to include disaster management as one of the most emerging topics. It was found that the primary-level curriculum did not address disaster-inclusive issues regarding students with disabilities, which is a subject that should be taught to all students. In addition, the National Education Policy (2010) addresses inclusive education as one of the educational agendas, identifying various groups of students such as students with disabilities, socio-economically disadvantaged students and people living in disaster-affected areas (MoE, 2010). The inadequacy of the current system of teacher education in Bangladesh is considered a challenge in the Education Policy 2020, while commissions have declared that:

To ensure disaster-inclusive primary education facilities regarding students with disabilities, the curriculum should be updated as well as emphasis should be given to teachers’ education and skill development too (Rofiah et al., 2021).

Owing to its location and low socioeconomic status, coastal areas are most vulnerable to disasters such as earthquakes, cyclones, floods and thunderstorms (Chowdhury et al., 2021). Although disasters have disproportionate effects on all, students with disabilities tend to experience the effects of disasters more intensely than students without disasters. Compared to human-induced disasters such as fire, natural disasters pose a less frightening situation for students with disabilities. Any time a human-induced situation arises, students with disabilities are unable to adapt themselves and cannot move from one place to another without assistance. The situation becomes even more serious if they have had previous traumatic experiences related to that disaster. According to Chisty et al. (2021), it is imperative to train students with disabilities to become more knowledgeable about risks and disasters.

To ensure sustainable education, enough facilities must be provided for all students, especially students with disabilities who require extra care and support. It is necessary to provide infrastructure that is accessible to persons with disabilities, such as toilets, ramps, adequate ventilation, enough space and improved communication facilities. In many schools, there are sanitary toilets or pit latrines, however, their plinths are typically higher, so students with disabilities can access them properly, which is also the case with tube wells. As per the new GoB structure plan, ramps are available at almost all schools, but they are only available at the main entrance. Students with disabilities are unable to go upstairs or move from one classroom to another without assistance. Based on an analysis of schools for students with disabilities, USAID (2005) found that the scope of attending a government-run special school is very limited. As stated by NFDD (2013), there are only 13 government-run special schools for four groups of students with disabilities (visual deficiency, hearing impairment, autism and intellectual disability). Additionally, physically challenged students do not have access to specially designated education facilities because of a lack of accessibility infrastructure, inadequate handicapped restroom facilities, insufficient mobility equipment, inappropriate academic syllabuses, etc. (USAID, 2005).

Students with disabilities should be treated with respect by teachers, staff, parents and other students in response to disasters that focus on their limitations. In addition to implementing a separate emergency plan for students with disabilities, it is important to train them to manage their lives as best they can. It is important to promote awareness of guardians and teachers through regular training and workshops. Moreover, the level of training, the interaction with persons with disabilities, the confidence of teachers to teach students with disabilities and the experience of teachers all play a significant role in determining the attitude and behavior of teachers regarding students with disabilities in school (Ahmmed and Mullick, 2014). Additionally, respondents claim that they are unable to manage other students and recommend that they be enrolled in a different school or a specialized school. In addition, they require additional facilities that are not available in a typical primary school, such as disabled-friendly toilets, lifts or escalators, disabled-friendly seating areas. Furthermore, teachers are not properly trained to manage students with disabilities and disaster-acquainted teachers are not widely available in most schools. As well as curriculum inclusion in the development syllabus of teachers during their training (Ahmmed et al., 2012), it is essential that the syllabus be updated with disaster management-related topics.

By improving the education and skills of students with disabilities, the limitations they face can be minimized. Educating students at the primary level prepares them for socializing with their surroundings and developing the foundation for further studies. As disaster scenarios have become more intense and destructive in coastal areas of Bangladesh, they have become more frequent and intense. Generally, students with disabilities are vulnerable due to their socioeconomic status, while disasters disrupt their academic activities. The provision of a comprehensive primary-level education program and facilities for students with disabilities should be ensured. The findings of this study align with Sustainable Development Goal 4, informing efforts to foster more inclusive education systems. These insights could guide initiatives such as allocating additional resources for students with disabilities. It is imperative for the GoB, local leaders and school management authorities, including teachers and students, to take proactive steps to enhance facilities and raise awareness about disasters in coastal areas, particularly concerning students with disabilities. This study could not cover the perception of students with disabilities on disasters related issues properly because of lack of communication and one Upazila studied, while these can be considered as limitations. Further study can be conducted to understand the vulnerabilities and capacities of students with disabilities regarding disasters in coastal areas of Bangladesh. Following the observations of this study, several recommendations are presented in Table 7.

The authors are grateful to all of the teachers, students, guardians of the students and local communities for their support during the data collection to conduct this study.

Funding declaration: This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

Conflict of interest: Authors declare no conflict of interest.

The supplementary material for this article can be found online.