Mind the gaps: A case study of children with disabilities in war-torn northern Shan State

In Myanmar’s conflict-ridden northern Shan State, all children face significant structural barriers to education; however, for children with physical disabilities these obstacles are exacerbated. This case study explores these challenges within community-led schools, employing the Education Research in Conflict and Protracted Crisis (ERICC) Drivers of Learning and Development Framework and the social model of (dis)ability. Through qualitative interviews and focus groups with 67 participants – including teachers, parents, and community leaders – the research identifies pre-existing conditions that impact learning: social stigma, a lack of disability-inclusive school infrastructure, inadequate teacher training to specifically support children with disabilities, and a disability policy-practice disconnect. Analysis using the social model of (dis)ability revealed that ongoing conflict has worsened these conditions thereby transforming impairment to disability and individualising responsibility to the most marginalised. The findings call for interventions that support greater awareness through coordinated and coherent interventions to foster disability-inclusive education in conflict-affected northern Shan State.