Beyond Literacy: Building Inclusive Pathways to Learning

For the first sixteen years of her life, Afnaan’s world was largely confined to her home. Having lost her eyesight in early childhood and separated from her mother at a young age, she was raised by her aunt, a hardworking gardener who did everything she could to provide for the family with her modest income. But beyond having her basic needs met, Afnaan had few opportunities to discover her abilities, build her confidence or imagine a future of her own. No one around her believed that school was a possibility for her. Over time, Afnaan came to believe it too. 

Until her teenage years, much of what Afnaan knew came from everyday life. She learned to communicate, count, recognize people and objects, engage in conversations and solve simple problems. She was learning all the time, but she had never had the opportunity to develop these abilities in a classroom. In her community in Dire Dawa, like many children    with disabilities in underserved communities, Afnaan faced barriers that went far beyond her visual impairment. Limited awareness of inclusive education and persistent misconceptions about what children with visual impairments can achieve kept her away from school. 

Without access to education, mobility support, or opportunities to interact with other children, the possibility of an independent future seemed increasingly distant. Then, at the age of 16, her aunt made the courageous decision to send her to school. It was a late beginning compared with most children her age. Afnaan worried about how she would learn, whether she could catch up and how she would manage in a classroom with children much younger than her. But she was willing to try. Although she did not have the academic knowledge expected of a 16-year-old, she already possessed a foundation built through years of navigating everyday life. She could communicate, count, recognize things, hold conversations and solve simple problems. What she needed was an opportunity to build on what she already knew. 

Making literacy accessible 

The classroom presented a new set of challenges. There were no accessible textbooks or learning materials available to Afnaan, and teachers often had to read lessons aloud. She listened carefully, memorized information, and demonstrated what she had learned orally, while classmates and teachers helped explain the parts, she could not access. Her teachers had limited training in inclusive education, but they were willing to adapt their approach. With their support, Afnaan progressed through the grades and eventually reached Grade 4, despite having no accessible learning materials of her own. One teacher, Sara, became a particular source of inspiration. 

“When I grow up, I want to become a teacher, just like my teacher Sara. She is so kind and generous,” Afnaan says proudly. 

Sara did not have extensive training in inclusive education or Braille, and the school had few resources to support a learner with visual impairment. Yet she was determined to find a way. She sought Braille materials from elsewhere and introduced Afnaan to them. For Afnaan, this opened up a new way of learning, and a new sense of what might be possible. 

Literacy as more than reading and writing 

Afnaan’s experience reminds us that literacy is about more than the ability to read, write and use numbers. Literacy gives children the tools to continue learning, communicate with others, access information and services, participate in their communities, and develop the skills they need for their futures. It can strengthen confidence, independence, and the ability to exercise other rights. But children cannot fully benefit from education when the tools they need to learn are inaccessible. For children with disabilities, exclusion can begin long before they enter a classroom. Schools may lack accessible infrastructure, adapted learning materials and assistive devices. Teachers may not have sufficient preparation to support diverse learning needs, while specialist services can be limited or unavailable. 

This means that enrolling a child in school is only part of the journey. Being present in a classroom does not necessarily mean being included, and being enrolled does not necessarily mean being able to learn. 

Removing barriers can change what is possible 

Recognizing the barriers Afnaan faced, the Advancing the Rights of Children and Young Adults with Disabilities Project, implemented by SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia with support from SOS Children’s Villages in Switzerland, provided practical assistance to support her participation in education and everyday life. A foldable cane has helped her move safely and independently. A Braille slate has enabled her to begin writing and participate more actively in classroom activities, while a larger school bag gives her space to carry her learning materials and mobility aid. Having had little previous exposure to Braille, Afnaan has adapted quickly and developed a growing interest in learning. 

“With the Braille slate, I am learning to write independently,” she says. “It makes me love school more than ever before.” 

With greater confidence and more people believing in her abilities, Afnaan has begun taking on greater responsibility at home. She helps her aunt with daily chores and can independently prepare simple meals. These may seem like ordinary everyday activities, but for a child who spent much of her childhood isolated at home, however, they represent important steps towards independence. And her ambitions have changed too, Afnaan now dreams of becoming a teacher herself. 

Building inclusive pathways to learning 

Afnaan is one of hundreds of children and young people being supported through this work. The first phase of the Advancing the Rights of Children and Young Adults with Disabilities Project, which ran from January 2022 to December 2024, aimed to reach 525 children and young people with disabilities. The second phase, running from January 2025 to May 2028, is targeting a further 450 children and young people. 

The work reflects a broader commitment to addressing the barriers that can prevent children and young people with disabilities from participating fully in education and everyday life. Across its programmes, SOS Children’s Villages in Ethiopia works with children, young people, families, schools and communities to strengthen the conditions children and young people need to learn and thrive. For younger children, early childhood development support helps lay the foundations for learning by strengthening children’s development and supporting caregivers to provide nurturing and stimulating environments. 

As children enter school, scholastic materials and other essential resources can help reduce barriers to attendance and participation. Support to partner schools can also contribute to safer, more accessible, and more effective learning environments. For children with disabilities, assistive devices, adapted learning materials and more accessible school infrastructure can help remove obstacles that might otherwise prevent meaningful participation. Strengthening teachers’ and schools’ capacity to respond to diverse learning needs is equally important. 

When conflict, displacement, or other emergencies interrupt children's education, humanitarian support can help children continue or return to learning. Learning materials, together with mental health and psychosocial support, can help children regain a sense of safety and stability and remain engaged with education. 

Every child deserves the chance to learn 

Afnaan’s story is a reminder that literacy does not begin and end with the ability to read a page or write a sentence. It begins with having the opportunity to learn and grows when children have teachers who believe in their potential, families who can support them, schools equipped to meet their needs and tools that allow them to participate. And it becomes transformative when children gain the confidence and skills to make choices about their own futures. 

For Afnaan, a Braille slate is more than a learning tool. It is a way to write independently, participate in school and imagine a future in which she can become the teacher she once looked up to. Her journey shows what can happen when barriers are removed and a child is given the opportunity to learn. This International Literacy Day, we are reminded that literacy must be accessible to everyone. Because every child deserves not only a place in the classroom, but the opportunity to learn, participate and shape their own future. 

*To respect the person's privacy, their real name has not been used