Date Approved

10-6-2025

Embargo Period

10-6-2026

Document Type

Dissertation

Degree Name

Ph.D. Education

Department

Education

College

College of Education

Advisor

Brent Elder, Ph.D.

Committee Member 1

Cecile Sam, Ph.D.

Committee Member 2

Michelle Damiani, Ph.D.

Keywords

Colonial;Disability;Education;Epistemology;Inclusion;Indigenous

Abstract

This dissertation examines how inclusive education, mandated by Article 24 of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD), is implemented in primary schools in Oyo State, Nigeria. Using a qualitative case study, I explored administrators’ and teachers’ experiences within contexts shaped by colonial legacies, systemic ableism, and resource constraints. Data sources included policy documents, lesson notes, researcher journals, and interviews. Guided by postcolonial and decolonial theory, Disability Critical Race Theory (DisCrit), and Critical Disability Studies (CDS), the study identified five themes: (1) colonial residues in language and schooling; (2) deficit framings of disability; (3) systemic barriers such as inadequate training, accountability gaps, and scarce resources; (4) grassroots decolonial practices grounded in Indigenous knowledge and values; and (5) tensions between symbolic inclusion and authentic belonging. Findings reveal that while inequalities constrain inclusion, educators develop culturally rooted hybrid practices. The study proposes a framework for Indigenous inclusive practices and justice-oriented inclusion.

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