The European Union and international partners inaugurated a new disability resource center at the University of Juba on Thursday.The facility marks a significant step toward improving educational access, accommodation, and barrier-free facilities for students with special needs in South Sudan.
The center is designed to provide equal access to academic programs and university facilities, addressing long-standing challenges for students with disabilities.
Lothar Jaschke, deputy head of the EU Delegation to South Sudan, said the center serves as a model for other institutions to guarantee equal access. He added that how a society treats groups like persons with special needs is central to its social cohesion and long-term survival.
The launch coincides with the third anniversary of South Sudan’s ratification of the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Under the convention, the government is mandated to protect the rights of persons with special needs in education, employment, and public life.
Advocates at the event called for a National Disability Action Plan to translate these legal commitments into a friendlier environment for citizens with disabilities.
The center is part of the Multi-Year Resilience Programme, supported by the global fund Education Cannot Wait and hosted by UNICEF. The EU contributed 313 million euros to the initiative.
Project features include the construction of water, sanitation, and hygiene facilities with separate access for girls and boys, including accessibility for children with disabilities. Classrooms are fitted with disability ramps, and girls receive hygiene management kits and training.
The project was implemented in collaboration with non-governmental organizations, including Light for the World, Save the Children, the Norwegian Refugee Council, and Finn Church Aid.
While celebrating the new facility, officials noted that South Sudan’s domestic funding for education remains very low. Jaschke emphasized that education is an indispensable investment for the country’s economic stability and long-term peace, urging the government to increase its financial commitment to the sector.