Designing for Inclusion: A Literature Review on Accessible School Architecture for Children with Disabilities in Cameroon

More than sixty years after independence, Cameroon still enrols only a small fraction of its children living with disabilities in school, a shortfall that is as spatial as it is social. This article presents a systematic literature review of the theoretical, normative and empirical foundations of inclusive school architecture, with specific reference to the Cameroonian context. Drawing on universal design theory, international and national accessibility frameworks, and the sociology of inclusive education, the review identifies the physical, sensory and cognitive dimensions that an accessible learning environment must address. It further develops a typology of disability and its spatial implications, and it examines four contrasted case studies, Hazelwood School in Scotland, Fuji Kindergarten in Japan, Lower Gweru Primary School in Zimbabwe, and the Louis Braille Inclusive Bilingual Primary School in Yaoundé, in order to identify design strategies that are transposable to a resource constrained African setting. The review shows that architectural inclusion does not depend on costly technology: low cost, contextually grounded solutions, combined with pedagogical and institutional support, can substantially improve the accessibility of school environments. These findings establish a conceptual and operational framework for an inclusive school architecture programme adapted to Cameroon.