The Double Jeopardy of the Disabled in a Dysfunctional Education System in Nigeria: A Violation of Human Rights .......... 493

In response to a system of education which Nigeria considered irrelevant to national needs, aspiration and goals, the National Policy on Education which she hoped would do better in meeting developmental needs of a new independent nation was formulated. Like the education acts of the colonial era, the policy did not take into consideration the physi-cally challenged. A revised 2008 edition of the policy included inclusive education as one of the objectives of the education of the physically challenged. While inclusive education is gaining global recognition, little or no attempt is being made to provide it with the ena-bling environment in Nigeria. Thus the disabled are excluded from education in spite of what is documented in the National Policy. No doubt, this amounts to violation of human rights to education. The gravity of the violation becomes more pronounced in the face of the outcry for Education for All (EFA). It is further noted that there are many “Alls” apart from providing access which inclusive education should address. The 2011World Disabil-ity Report reinforces the need for disability to be taken seriously as a development issue and to be mainstreamed as part of all development activities. This paper will therefore sug-gest ways of enhancing inclusive education and how this in turn will mitigate the violation of human rights.