NUS addresses educational needs of People with Disabilities

The Oloamanu Centre of the National University of Samoa, in partnership with UNESCO and
NOLA (Nuanua o le Alofa) is providing non-formal training programs for people with disabilities
in both Savaii and Upolu. The training rollout started in Savaii last week, followed by the training
for Upolu in September with certificates presentations at the conclusion of training.
The NUS Vice Chancellor, Professor Aiono Alec Ekeroma stated, “The project aims to address
the educational needs of those in the disability sector improving employment prospects.”
According to Global Education Monitoring Reports, “People with disabilities are five times more
likely than children without disabilities to have never attended school, and only a small
percentage of them complete secondary school. Only 15% of people with disabilities were
employed, with many not being compensated for their efforts.”
There are three major deliverables and outputs for this project, as mentioned by NUS Oloamanu
Manager – Tuiolo Maria Schuster. These include the design and recognition of non-formal
training programs by the SQA, while the delivery and reporting are provided by NUS through our
Oloamanu Centre in order to advocate for an employment framework for our Disability
Community.
Most importantly, the project contributes to the human rights model under the Convention on the
Rights of Persons with Disabilities, as well as the Joint Project on Social Protection, which
works in collaboration with UNESCO and other United Nations Agencies in Samoa to create
sustainable systems that will enhance and promote the participation of people with disabilities in
our society.