Vision without Sight – Thomas Timothy Mtonga

Speaker’s Bio

Thomas Timothy Mtonga is a distinguished expert, academic, and activist in Special and Inclusive Education, holding a Ph.D. from the University of Zambia. Dr. Mtonga’s career is marked by a blend of academic, institutional, and consultancy roles:

* Current Roles: He serves as a Disability Officer at UNICEF and a part-time Lecturer at the University of Zambia (UNZA).

* Fulbright Scholar: He has been awarded a Fulbright Post-doctoral scholarship at the University of Minnesota from September 2025 to June 2026, where he will be researching and teaching doctoral students.

* Pioneering Lecturer: After losing his sight at age ten, he continued his education, trained as a secondary school teacher, and later became the first blind person to lecture at UNZA in the Department of Educational Psychology, Sociology, and Special Education.

* International Education: His academic background includes significant international study, such as a postgraduate diploma in Curriculum Design and Development (Tanzanian Institute for Education, sponsored by UNESCO), studies in Sociology of Globalization (University of Bilgi, Turkey, sponsored by the Open Society Foundation), and a second master’s degree in International Human Rights Law (University of Leeds, UK, also sponsored by the Open Society Foundation).

* Curriculum Development: He is actively involved in curriculum issues, including designing the course ‘Disability and Development’ for Abu Dhabi New York University and supervising doctoral students across four universities (Radboud University, Faith Baptist, University of Rwanda) through the “Breaking Down Barriers for persons with Disabilities” project.

Dr. Mtonga is also a respected consultant and a prominent disability activist.

* Consultancy: Since 2003, he has been involved in major research and consultancy work for organizations like Leonard Cheshire UK, the World Bank, Zambia National Educational Coalition (ZANEC), and the Open Society Initiative in Southern Africa. His research focuses on inclusive education, disability rights, albinism, and good governance.

* Advocacy and Governance: He has worked extensively with civil society organizations and disabled people’s organizations across Zambia and Africa. He has also been appointed by the government to serve on national boards, including the Teaching Council of Zambia and the Examination Council of Zambia.

Dr. Mtonga possesses vast knowledge of the general education system and inclusive education both in Zambia and internationally.