Outstanding Presentation award for blind human rights law student
Thomas Mtonga, an LLM International and European Human Rights Law student, has been awarded the Outstanding Presentation honour for his research on Zambia’s Free Education Policy.
The biennial conference for the International Association of Special Education (IASE), where Thomas received his award, was attended by delegates from over 50 countries. His research looks into how Zambia’s Free Education Policy, which was introduced in 2002, affects disabled children.
Talking about his research, Thomas said: “Many parents, who were uneducated themselves, did not appreciate or see the benefits of an education for their children with disabilities.”
Thomas, who is also a lecturer and researcher in the School of Education at the University of Zambia, is currently studying for an LLM as one of the Open Society Disability Rights Fellows hosted by the University of Leeds.
Speaking of the fellowship scheme, Professor Anna Lawson said: “It has now been running for three years and is a partnership between the Open Society and the University who, together, provide funding. As well as satisfying our academic entry criteria, potential fellows must demonstrate that they have the potential to become leading advocates for disability equality and inclusion. It has been a great privilege to host these fellows. I have no doubt that many of them, including Thomas, will go on to achieve great things.”
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