Upon attaining freedom from the South African regime in 1990, Namibia adopted a constitution according to which access to education is a fundamental right. Before the Salamanca Statement in 1994 and Namibia's consequent ratification thereof, education in Namibia was mainly divided into two distinct streams: general education and special education. Post‐Salamanca, there has been a slight shift in the provision of education for learners with special educational needs in that special education was, and mainly continues to be, offered in special schools, now called resource schools; in special classes and units attached to regular schools; and in mainstream classrooms with an inclusive education orientation. Learners with severe to profound special educational needs are mainly educated in resource schools, and this remains the preferred option for most parents and communities of children with severe to profound special needs. The resource schools are constructed for a specific set of disabilities, such as sensory, physical or intellectual disabilities. They are assumed to be well‐equipped with material and personnel resources that enable staff to respond effectively to the needs of their learners. Most, if not all, the resource schools in Namibia were built a long time ago, to serve a specific population of learners. However, some learners present with a range of disabilities and barriers to learning that could be beyond the original scope of the specific school. Consequently, more and more teachers in resource schools report that they observe daily how learners struggle to function in schools in which the infrastructure and resources can barely accommodate their complex needs. This is mainly because of the diversity and comorbid conditions of these learners. This research focused on the challenges encountered by learners with multiple disabilities in a resource school for learners with sensory disabilities. The study followed a qualitative approach, with an intrinsic case study design. Purposive, criterion sampling procedures were employed to select the participants. Data were collected through semi‐structured, face‐to‐face, in‐depth interviews, complemented by observation. The main findings of the study are that learners with multiple disabilities faced challenges associated with the physical infrastructure of the school (accessibility), the inability of staff to respond effectively to their needs, a lack of teaching and learning resources (leading to their exclusion from certain learning activities), as well as a poorly structured curriculum that undermines their multiple disabilities. The research reveals that there is limited agency and acknowledgement of the complex needs of children with multiple disabilities. The study concludes that learners with multiple disabilities need to access a curriculum that is cognisant of their needs and receive the quality education that they deserve, as set out in the Sector Policy on Inclusive Education. In addition to the curriculum, the school environment should be welcoming and stigma‐free, to enable learners to experience a sense of belonging, love and security. We recommend an audit of the needs of learners with multiple disabilities in order to create a conducive learning and socialisation environment for them. Furthermore, the government could invest in renovating old buildings, as well as adjusting infrastructure to the complex needs of learners, so that resource schools can become more inclusive by identifying and responding to the needs of all learners.

中文翻译：

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纳米比亚奥沙纳地区一所资源学校的多重残疾学习者面临的挑战

1990年，纳米比亚从南非政权下获得自由后，通过了一部宪法，根据该宪法，接受教育是一项基本权利。在1994年《萨拉曼卡声明》和纳米比亚随后批准该声明之前，纳米比亚的教育主要分为两个不同的流派：普通教育和特殊教育。萨拉曼卡之后，为有特殊教育需要的学习者提供的教育发生了轻微的转变，因为特殊教育过去并且主要继续在特殊学校（现在称为资源学校）提供；普通学校附属的特殊班级和单位；以及以包容性教育为导向的主流课堂。有重度至极重特殊教育需求的学习者主要在资源学校接受教育，这仍然是大多数有重度至极重特殊需求儿童的家长和社区的首选。资源学校是为特定的残疾群体而建的，例如感官、身体或智力残疾。他们被认为配备了良好的物质和人力资源，使工作人员能够有效地响应学习者的需求。纳米比亚的大多数（如果不是全部）资源学校都是很久以前建立的，为特定的学习者群体服务。然而，一些学习者存在一系列的残疾和学习障碍，可能超出了特定学校的原始范围。因此，越来越多的资源学校教师报告说，他们每天都会观察到学习者如何在基础设施和资源几乎无法满足其复杂需求的学校中挣扎。这主要是因为这些学习者的多样性和共病状况。这项研究的重点是感官障碍学习者资源学校中多重残疾学习者遇到的挑战。该研究采用定性方法，并采用内在的案例研究设计。采用有目的的标准抽样程序来选择参与者。数据是通过半结构化、面对面的深入访谈收集的，并辅以观察。该研究的主要发现是，患有多重残疾的学习者面临着与学校的物质基础设施（无障碍）、工作人员无法有效满足他们的需求、缺乏教学和学习资源（导致他们被排除在外）相关的挑战。某些学习活动），以及结构不良的课程，损害了他们的多重残疾。研究表明，对多重残疾儿童的复杂需求的机构和认识有限。该研究的结论是，患有多重残疾的学习者需要学习了解其需求的课程，并接受他们应得的优质教育，正如《全纳教育部门政策》中规定的那样。除了课程之外，学校环境也应该是热情和无耻辱的，让学习者体验到归属感、爱和安全感。我们建议对多重残疾学习者的需求进行审核，以便为他们创造有利的学习和社交环境。此外，政府可以投资改造旧建筑，并根据学习者的复杂需求调整基础设施，以便资源学校能够通过识别和响应所有学习者的需求而变得更具包容性。