Impact of Government Policy on the Education of Children with Disabilities in Imo State

This study evaluates the impact of government education policy on the educational provision for children with disabilities in Imo State, South East Nigeria. Since the adoption of the National Policy on Education and the establishment of the Universal Basic Education Act, Nigeria has progressively committed to expanding access to quality education for all, including learners with disabilities. However, policy implementation in states like Imo, where economic constraints and governance challenges persist, has been inconsistent and insufficiently documented. Adopting a documentary analysis and descriptive survey approach, the study combines analysis of state-level policy documents, educational budgets, and regulatory frameworks with survey data collected from special education administrators, teachers, and advocacy organisations. Quantitative data are analysed using descriptive statistics, while policy documents are subjected to qualitative content analysis. The study assesses policy intentions against measurable outputs including school enrolment rates, teacher deployment, funding levels, and curriculum accessibility. Findings are expected to reveal significant implementation gaps between federal policy commitments and state-level action, attributable to weak institutional accountability mechanisms. Recommendations include establishing a dedicated State Special Education Monitoring Unit and aligning Imo State disability education funding with established international benchmarks. The study provides evidence useful to the Imo State Ministry of Education and civil society organisations advocating for disability-inclusive governance. Keywords: government policy, disability education, Imo State, policy implementation, special needs.