Reflections: Heading Home
I am back in the United States now
after a 28-hour flight from Cape Town to Newark, New Jersey, then
on to Denver, and eventually landing in Oregon, where I am living
this year during my sabbatical.
This was quite an amazing journey and an unforgettable opportunity to meet so many people and see so many places in Africa.
During our travels, Professor Max and I visited five universities and three special schools for students with intellectual disabilities.
We met with teachers and parents of
students with disabilities, university faculty and
administrators, disability advocates, civil rights lawyers, young
people with disabilities, representatives from government and the
United Nations Development Program.
Across the board, people believe the “time is right” to dismantle existing barriers that prevent access to education and employment opportunities for young people with disabilities. Collectively, there is a desire to build sustainable and systemic systems of support.
Looking back, I also realize that
this interdisciplinary and collaborative work is consistent with
“Leave No One Behind,” the central promise of the United Nations’
2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. ”Leave No One Behind”
represents a transformative promise to eradicate poverty in all
its forms, end discrimination and exclusion, and reduce the
inequalities and vulnerabilities that undermine the potential of
individuals.
I am grateful and proud to be part of these efforts for schools and communities in South Africa.
