Sierra Leone’s 2028 Elections: Systemic Exclusion of Persons with Disabilities Reveals Democratic Gaps in Post-Colonial Governance
Original framing: “Will Sierra Leone’s Democracy Make Room for Persons with Disabilities?” — Global Issues
The original framing omits the historical legacy of colonial-era legal codes that excluded disabled persons from civic life, the role of structural adjustment programs in dismantling social services, indigenous Sierra Leonean models of disability (e.g., communal care systems), and the voices of disabled activists leading grassroots movements. It also ignores cross-regional parallels, such as Rwanda’s quota systems or Uganda’s disability rights legislation, which offer actionable precedents.
High structural omission detected in mainstream coverage.
The narrative is produced by Global Issues, an outlet often aligned with Western-centric development discourse, framing disability inclusion as a humanitarian or governance issue rather than a structural rights violation. The framing serves international NGOs and donor agencies by positioning disability as a technical problem solvable through policy tweaks, obscuring the role of global capital in exacerbating inequality. Political parties and elites benefit from this narrative as it deflects attention from their complicity in maintaining exclusionary systems.
Sierra Leone’s exclusion of persons with disabilities is rooted in colonial-era legal frameworks that institutionalised ableism, such as the 1911 Native Courts Ordinance, which barred disabled persons from testifying in court. Post-independence, the country’s governance model—shaped by structural adjustment programs in the 1980s—prioritised fiscal austerity over social services, dismantling public infrastructure that could support disability inclusion. The 1991–2002 civil war further entrenched exclusion, as disabled veterans and civilians were left without state support, a pattern mirrored in other post-conflict African nations.
Sierra Leone’s exclusion of persons with disabilities in its 2028 elections is not an aberration but a symptom of colonial legacies, neoliberal governance, and ableist party structures that prioritise elite interests over collective well-being.