Objectives of the Organization: IRIM, an NGO, was established in 2008, and is to make impact to solve social pressing issues; by implementing training programs and providing policy information, to promote the inclusive education of most vulnerable groups as children with disabilities (CWD). During last decade, we implemented total number of 163 projects in developmental fields.

In Mongolia, approximately 4 percent of total population living with disability. But only a few of them involved in the service of education and participated actively in social life. There is lack of appropriate mechanisms to screen, assess, identify and diagnose children with disabilities and their other special needs. According to the Ministry of Education, in 2017-18 school year, 2537 CWD were out of school (37 percent) from total 11, 453 school aged CWD show accessibility of educational sector.

According to the above pressing issue, IRIM initiated and implemented various projects to tackle developmental issues in special education of CWDs.

Experience: Most highlighted projects implemented by IRIM NGO as follows:

• Brighter Future for Children with Disabilities (CWD). 2016-2017. The project was implemented in collaboration with World Vision International, Mongolia. Activities were directed to ensuring rights to education, supporting inclusive education for CWDs and developed (and piloting) a screening tool that measures functional difficulties; in primary and secondary schools in urban areas.
• Evaluation Study of Policies and Activities for Increasing the Employment of Person with Disabilities (PWDs). 2016. IRIM evaluated implementation of the policies and activities expected to increase the employment of PWDs, and developed recommendations to improve the implementation.
• Disability and Education. 2014-2015. This research was one of the few nationally representative endeavors focused on the education issues of children with disability. As a result of the research, the existing education situation of children with disability, and stakeholders’ perceptions of various types of education systems, were identified. In addition, obstacles (and solutions) to providing an education to children with disabilities were identified.

Impact: Within ‘Brighter Future for Children with Disabilities’ project, IRIM piloted screening tool named “Child Functioning Module” (CFM) of Washington Group that measures functional difficulties; one that could place children (at risk of experiencing limited participation) 500 students from 9 public schools in urban areas. As a result of the project directly 500 students, their parents and teachers, indirectly 14033 students from 9 public schools received benefit of the project. Also trainings to familiarize participants with the methodology of the CFM screening tool were organized more than 120 health, education and social welfare officers of the targeted schools, khoroos and related local NGOs.  Please read the full report from here.

Furthermore, we strive to pilot and transfer the screening tool in educational system and to implement special needs education service for children who identified by the tool, and learning them efficiently. Specially, there is big need to scale-up the project activity in more vulnerable groups, children with disabilities and largely minorities from remoted areas (in the community of Dukha reindeer herders).

Team: On the projects were mentioned above, IRIM NGO’s team consisting of related experts who have higher experience in the developmental field are donating their knowledge and experience:

Dolgion Aldar MA,

• Board member of IRIM NGO,
• Expert in Gender, Police studies

Tamir Chultemsuren, PhD,

• Founder of IRIM NGO,
• Professor at Social Work and Sociology Department, National University of Mongolia

Odgerel Dandii, PhD,

• Consultant at IRIM NGO,
• Special Needs Educational expert,
• Professor at Special Education Department, Mongolian State University of Education,
• Director of Child Development Center

Jargalmaa Ganzorig,

• Social worker at IRIM NGO,
• Specialized in Inclusive Education, issues of children with disabilities