Special education is relatively new in Tanzania. The Irente Rainbow School (IRS) in Lushoto, Tanzania, where this ethnographic case study was conducted, is the first school for children with developmental disabilities in the area. Their curriculum stresses skills important in family life and the rural economy of Lushoto. The purpose of the study was to explore how local context and beliefs about disability influenced how participants understood their roles at the school and how they implemented curriculum. The ethnographic case study employed qualitative research techniques to ensure credibility and triangulation of data and research was conducted over a ten-month period. (Contains 1 figure and 1 table.)