Access to quality education remains out of reach for hundreds of thousands of children with 

disabilities in South Africa. According to Human Rights Watch, more than 500,000 children with disabilities were excluded from the education system as early as 2015, largely due to inaccessible infrastructure and ongoing discrimination. By 2017, that number had climbed to over 597,000, nearly double the estimate from 2001.

These aren’t just numbers. These are children who are being denied their right to learn, grow, and contribute, simply because a ramp was never built, a door was too narrow, or a restroom wasn’t designed with them in mind.

The Global Center for Change’s Community Upliftment Project: Breaking Barriers, Building Access is taking bold action to change that.

We’re reimagining school spaces, not as places of exclusion, but as centers of belonging and empowerment. Through a hands-on focus on accessible infrastructure and inclusive design, we are working to ensure that every learner, regardless of ability, has the opportunity to thrive.

• Accessibility Enhancements: Install ramps, handrails, and widened pathways to ensure seamless mobility across the entire school premises.

• Inclusive Restroom Facilities: Upgrade and install disabled-friendly bathrooms that offer safety, privacy, and dignity for all learners.

• Learning Environment Improvements: Modify classrooms with inclusive furniture, lighting, and layouts that cater to diverse physical and sensory needs.

• Assistive Technology Integration: Provide tools like screen readers, Braille resources, and speech-to-text software to ensure all learners can access the curriculum.

• Sensory-Friendly Classrooms: Create calming zones and sensory-regulated spaces to support learners with autism, ADHD, and other neurodivergent needs.

• Accessible Transport Solutions: Develop partnerships for wheelchair-friendly transport options and safe school access for learners from underserved areas.

• Training for School Staff & Leadership: Equip teachers and staff with the skills to foster inclusive learning environments through regular workshops and hands-on training.

• Community & Parent Engagement: Host community forums, awareness campaigns, and parent workshops to build inclusive mindsets beyond the school walls.

• Inclusive Playgrounds: Design playgrounds with adaptive equipment like wheelchair swings, sensory panels, ground-level activities, and soft-fall surfaces. Because every child deserves the right to play, make friends, and just be a kid, safely and confidently.