Abstract

In post-conflict states like Rwanda where very little is known about the association between disability and deprivation, disabled young people are particularly vulnerable and frequently forgotten. It is not surprising then that studies on the effects of disability and deprivation on the educational and social outcomes of youth are rather sparse. Fewer still are studies on the educational experiences of rural disabled youth. Drawing on qualitative methods, this paper examines the educational experiences of rural disabled youth in Rwanda’s only inclusive secondary school. It explores the barriers to their politically promised development, the creative and collaborative coping strategies disabled youth employ in their educational journeys, and the challenge barriers pose to their advancement. This study fills a significant gap in the literature by highlighting the context-specific factors (e.g. poverty and disability) and forces (e.g. family and religion/culture) that enable and/or disable the development of disabled young people’s educational experiences.