A/HRC/43/42 36. Psychosocial support is rarely available to address these challenges, either in schools or at the community level. 28 Mothers of children with albinism also often suffer from depression and lack a support system, which sometimes has drastic consequences. For instance, a woman in Gboko, Nigeria, killed her baby with albinism after her husband’s family threatened to expel her if she failed to do so.29 2. Access to education 37. Although children with albinism are generally guaranteed access to education as any other child, there are significant challenges in ensuring the provision of sufficient support for them in school.30 Teachers often do not have sufficient knowledge on how to provide reasonable accommodation or a generally supportive learning environment for children with albinism. 31 In some cases, teachers are trained to support children with visual impairments only, as opposed to the whole spectrum of what albinism entails. 32 38. Some public schools provide a certain level of reasonable accommodation, such as seats in the front row during class sessions, copies of teachers’ notes, and adjusted uniforms for sun protection, among other measures. 33 However, more systematic attempts at ensuring such accommodation are rarely made in developing countries, which is often attributed to limited resources. In a survey conducted in Sierra Leone, 57 per cent of school-age respondents with albinism said that their schools did not provide them with the necessary support and accommodation to enable them to access education on equal terms with others. 34 In Zimbabwe, large print materials are sometimes available upon request, but students with albinism are not aware that they can access these resources and teachers often do not request them.35 39. Similar situations were noted in Latin American countries, where the lack of accommodation for students with low vision is often the main barrier to education. 36 For instance, in a submission from Colombia, it was noted that adaptive devices are expensive and inaccessible to learners with albinism. 37 Even where visual aids and devices are available, students with albinism and their schools may be unaware of their availability. 40. In other submissions, it was noted that government assistance is available only if children meet certain criteria. For instance, a submission from Japan indicates that, as children with albinism are not recognized as being disabled, approximately 60 per cent of them fail to obtain a disability certificate from the Government, 38 which would otherwise facilitate access to the necessary services and resources. In some cases where resources are available, provision of supportive devices to children with albinism are neither taken into account nor prioritized. This is in spite of the existence of legislative provisions for reasonable accommodation for persons with disabilities. 39 Submissions from Europe listed several commendable measures. Children with albinism generally have easier access than elsewhere to adaptive devices, such as large-print books and specialized glasses. However, this was not always guaranteed throughout the education system. An organization working on albinism in Norway notes that assistive devices are generally available throughout childhood education, but not necessarily in higher education. 41. Due to attacks against persons with albinism in some parts of Africa, many parents have stopped sending their children with albinism to school, while others send them to 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 8 Submission from Kenya. Submission from Nigeria. Submission from Japan. Submissions from Colombia and Japan. Submission from Burkina Faso. Submissions from Malawi and United Republic of Tanzania. Submission from Sierra Leone. Submission from Zimbabwe. Submissions from Argentina, Chile, Colombia, Ecuador, Haiti and Venezuela (Bolivarian Republic of). Submissions from Argentina and Paraguay. Submissions from Colombia and Japan. Submission from United Republic of Tanzania.