Celestina Soares – Currently 787 people with disabilities have access to formal education from Lospalos, Ainaro, Aileu and including the special administrative region of Oe-Cusse.
This data is supported by the 2015 household census that identified a total of 38,118 people with disabilities with 787 people being from Dili, Aileu, Lospalos, Ainaro and the special administrative region of Oe-Cusse having access to formal education.
The Head of Inclusive Education, Jose Monteiro said inclusive education covers five municipalities, Dili, Aileu, Lospalos, Ainaro, Covalima, and Oe-Cusse.
"The data collected shows the 787 disabled people who have access to formal education were from Aileu, Ainaro, Dili and Lospalos municipalities, this data was collected in 2013-2014, and is now being updated," he said in Dili.
He said the people's disability, including the blind, deaf, or unable to speak (mute), with physical disabilities and as well, some people with intellectual (IQ) impairment have access to inclusive education.
"Blind people cannot see, the Ministry of Education is now preparing training about a Braille system. We have had the equipment however, we still need to check it," he said.
He added for those who are blind, access is available through technology, such as a computer and if they mistype it will sound automatically, for those who are mute can use body language. "Those who are mute need to use body language, it is very important," he said.
For those who have a physical disability, with a hand, leg or deaf, he said they are able to see, write and learn from the teacher's teaching.
"Ask the media to publish so parents know that people with disabilities, such as blind, deaf, mute now have an opportunity to access formal education like people without disabilities," he urged.
Meanwhile, the Director from CAUCUS organization, Paula Corte Real said the observation undertaken in the two municipalities Ermera and Aileu, show no facilities are available for people with disabilities to access.
"The Ministry of Education has not created the conditions, such as a Braille alphabet for blind people," she said by phone.
Therefore, she asked the Ministry of Education to create the conditions for all disabled people to access. She also added, according to the data in these two municipalities and through an audit found that 35 disabled people have access to education.