Course Presentation

on

Inclusiveness
A Course for Higher Education of all
Disciplines
by
Dawit Demlie (PhD candidate)
December, 2020
Chapters

• Chapter 1: Understanding Disabilities and Vulnerabilities

• Chapter 2: Concept of Inclusion

• Chapter 3: Identification and Differentiated services

• Chapter 4: Promoting Inclusive Culture

• Chapter 5: Inclusion for Peace, Democracy and

Development

• Chapter 6: Legal frame work

• Chapter 7: Resources Management for Inclusion

• Chapter8: Collaborative (Cooperative) Partnerships with

Stakeholders
Objectives

• Identify the needs and potentials of persons with disabilities and vulnerabilities
• Identify environmental and social barriers that hinder the needs, potentials and full
participations, in all aspects of life of persons disabilities and vulnerabilities
• Demonstrate desirable inclusive attitude towards all persons with disabilities and
vulnerabilities in full participations
• Apply various assessment strategies for service provisions for evidence-based planning and
implementation to meet the needs of persons with disabilities and vulnerabilities
• Adapt environments and services according to the need and potential of the persons with
disabilities and vulnerabilities
• Utilize appropriate assistive technology and other support mechanisms that address their
needs
• Respect and advocate for the right of persons with disabilities and vulnerabilities
• Collaboratively work with special needs experts and significant others for the life success of
all persons with disabilities and vulnerabilities in every endeavors and in all environments.
• Create and maintain successful inclusive environment for persons with disabilities and
vulnerabilities
• Promote the process of building inclusive society
Introduction
 It is obvious that people with disabilities are the large stand
most disadvantaged minority in the world. They are about 15
percent of the global population (about one billion people), and
17.6 million in Ethiopia, with most extended families including
someone with a disability (World Health Organization and World
Bank, 2011).

 An exclusion practice of this large number of persons with

disabilities in Ethiopia is an indicator of violating fundamental
human rights that undermines their potential/ability to contribute
to poverty reduction and economic growth within their
household, their community and the country. It is clear that it is
not impairment, but, the exclusion practices that has contributed
for insecurity (conflict), poverty aggravation for persons with
disabilities and vulnerabilities, that has highly demanding
inclusive practices.

 In the past and even today people have been discriminated due
to their disabilities.
Intro…
• Inclusiveness promotes effective developments through full
participation of all members of a population, people with
disabilities and vulnerabilities, where all are equal contributors of
development and equitable beneficiaries. Through inclusive
practices, it is possible to identify and remove social and physical
barriers so that people with disabilities and vulnerabilities can
participate and benefit from all developments.

• Genuine inclusion of people with disabilities and vulnerabilities

allow of them to actively participate in development processes
and eliminate dependence syndrome, leads to broader benefits for
families and communities, reduces the impacts of poverty, and
positively contributes to a country‘s economic growth,
development and ultimately create inclusive society.
• Hence, in this course, the higher education students will
learn how to assess, understand and address the needs of
persons with disabilities and vulnerabilities; and provide
relevant support or seek extra support from experts.
He/she also learns how to adapt and implementing
services for an inclusive environment that aimed to
develop holistic development such as affective, cognitive
and psychosocial skills of the population with disabilities
and vulnerabilities. Identification and
removal/management of environmental barriers would find
a crucial place in the course.
• The students learn how to give more attention and support
for persons with; hearing impairments, visual impairment,
deaf-Blind, autism, physical and health impairments,
intellectually challenged, emotional and behavior disorders,
learning difficulty, communication disorders, vulnerable
persons including gifted and talented, and those at risk due
to different reason (persons who are environmentally and
culturally deprived, abused, torched, abandoned, and
orphaned..etc.).
Chapter 1: Understanding Disabilities
and Vulnerabilities
Definitions of Basic Terms
Impairment

• means a lack/abnormality of an anatomic, physiological or

psychological structure or function or deviation on a
person.

• It refers to any loss or abnormality of physiological,

psychological or anatomical structure or function.

• It is the absence of particular body part or organ. It could

also a condition in which the body exists but doesn‘t
function. Some children, for instance, have impairments
such as eyes that do not see well, arms and legs that are
deformed, or a brain not developing in a typical way etc.
Definitions…
Disability

• The term disability is ambiguous as there is no single agreement

on the concept (Mitra, 2006)

• It is not synonymous with AKAL-GUDATENGA.

• The concept of disability is complex, dynamic, multidimensional,

and contested (WHO and World Bank, 2011).

• The full inclusion of people with impairments in society can be

inhibited by:

(1). Attitudinal (societal barriers, such as stigma)

(2). Physical barriers (environmental barriers, such as absence of

stairs), and

(3). Policy barriers (systemic barriers)

Disability…

• Where all together can create a disabling effect and inhibit

disability inclusive development. They are disabling factors.

• If these problems addressed, impairment may not lead to

disability.

• Where all together can create a disabling effect and inhibit

disability inclusive development.

• Societal, environmental, and systemic barriers are the most

popular disabling factors:

 A disabled persons

 Persons with disability

Disability…
What is disability?

Medical Approach

• Disability is pathology (physiological, biological and

intellectual). Disability means functional limitations due to
physical, intellectual or psychic impairment, health or psychic
disorders on a person (WHO,1996).

• The medical definition has given rise to the idea that people are
individual objects to be “treated”, “changed" or “improved" and
made more “normal”. The medical definition views the disabled
person as needing to “fit in” rather than thinking about how
society itself should change. This medical definition does not
adequately explain the interaction between societal conditions
or expectations and unique circumstances of an individual.
Disability…
The social definitional Approach:

• Disability is a highly varied and complex condition with a

range of implications for social identity and behavior.

• Disability largely depends on the context and is a

consequence of discrimination, prejudice and exclusion.

• Emphasizes the shortcomings in the environment and in

many organized activities in society, for example on
information, communication and education, which prevent
persons with disabilities from participating on equal terms.
Reflection
• What do you think is the causes of
disability?

• Some people, especially in the past

times, wrongly believe that disability is
a punishment from God.

• There are some who still believe that

disability is a form of personal
punishment for individual with disability,
a kind of karma for their past mistakes,
which is totally unacceptable now days.
Causes of Disability
Genetic Causes
• Abnormalities in genes and genetic inheritance can cause
intellectual disability in children.
Environmental
• Poverty and malnutrition in pregnant mothers can cause a
deficiency in vital minerals and result in deformation issues in
the unborn child. After birth, poverty and malnutrition can also
cause poor development of vital organs in the child, which can
eventually lead to disability. The use of drugs, alcohol, tobacco,
exposure to certain toxic chemicals and illnesses, for example,
syphilis by a pregnant mother can cause intellectual disability to
the child.
Unknown Causes
• The human body is a phenomenal thing. Scientists have still not
figured out what and how some things in the body, cells, brain,
and genes come about. They have still not found all the
answers to all the defects in the human body.
Inaccessible environments
• Sometimes society makes it difficult for people with some
impairment to function freely.
Type of Disabilities
(1) Visual impairment

• Visual impairment in general designates two sub-

classifications. These are blindness and low vision.

• Blindness: total or partial inability to see because of disease or

disorder of the eye, optic nerve, or brain. The term blindness
typically refers to vision loss that is not correctable with
eyeglasses or contact lenses. Blindness may not mean a total
absence of sight, however. Some people who are considered
blind may be able to perceive slowly moving lights or colors.

• Low vision: is used for moderately impaired vision. People with

low vision may have a visual impairment that affects only
central vision—the area directly in front of the eyes—or
peripheral vision—the area to either side of and slightly behind
(2)Hearing Impairment

• Different people define the term hearing impairment differently.

The definitions given to hearing impairment convey different
meaning to different people.

• Different definitions and terminologies may be used in different

countries for different purpose. Pasonella and Carat from legal
point of view, define hearing impairment as a generic term
indicating a continuum of hearing loss from mild to profound,
which includes the sub-classifications of the hard of hearing and
deaf.

• Hard of hearing– used to describe persons with enough (usually

with hearing aids) as a primary modality of acquisition of
language and in communication with others.

• Deaf– who have difficulty understanding speech, even with

hearing aids but can successfully communicate in sign language.
(3) Specific learning disability

• Specific Learning Disability means a disorder in one or more of the

basic psychological processes involved in understanding or in
using language, spoken or written, that may manifest itself in the
imperfect ability to listen, think, speak, read, write, spell, or to do
mathematical calculations.

• The term includes such conditions as perceptual disabilities, brain

injury, minimal brain dysfunction, dyslexia, and developmental
aphasia. The term does not include learning problems that are
primarily the result of visual, hearing, or motor disabilities; of
intellectual disability; of emotional disturbance; or of
environmental, cultural, or economic disadvantage. Learning
disabilities should not be confused with learning problems which
are primarily the result of visual, hearing, or motor handicaps; of
intellectual disability; of emotional disturbance; or of
• Generally speaking, people with learning disabilities are of
average or above average intelligence. There often appears to
be a gap between the individual‘s potential and actual
achievement. This is why learning disabilities are referred to
as “hidden disabilities”: the person looks perfectly “normal”
and seems to be a very bright and intelligent person, yet may
be unable to demonstrate the skill level expected from
someone of a similar age.

• A learning disability cannot be cured or fixed; it is a lifelong

challenge. However, with appropriate support and
intervention, people with learning disabilities can achieve
success in school, at work, in relationships, and in the
community.

• Types of Specific Learning Disabilities …..(Reading ass.).

(4) Speech and Language Impairments

• Speech and language impairment means a

communication disorder such as stuttering,
impaired articulation, language impairment, or a
voice impairment that adversely affects a child‘s
educational performance. It is disorder that
adversely affects the child's ability to talk,
understand, read, and write.

• This disability category can be divided into two

groups: speech impairments and language
impairments.
A. Speech Impairments

• There are three basic types of speech impairments:

articulation disorders, fluency disorders, and voice
disorders.

• Articulation disorders are errors in the production of

speech sounds that may be related to anatomical or
physiological limitations in the skeletal, muscular, or
neuromuscular support for speech production. These
disorders include:
• Omissions: (bo for boat)

• Substitutions: (wabbit for rabbit)

• Distortions: (shlip for sip)

• Fluency disorders are difficulties with the rhythm and timing
of speech characterized by hesitations, repetitions, or
prolongations of sounds, syllables, words, or phrases.
Common fluency disorders include:
• Stuttering: rapid-fire repetitions of consonant or vowel
sounds especially at the beginning of words, prolongations,
hesitations, interjections, and complete verbal blocks.
• Cluttering: excessively fast and jerky speech.

• Voice disorders are problems with the quality or use of

one's voice resulting from disorders in the larynx. Voice
disorders are characterized by abnormal production and/or
absences of vocal quality, pitch, loudness, resonance, and/or
duration.
B. Language Impairments
• There are five basic areas of language impairments: phonological disorders,
morphological disorders, semantic disorders, syntactical deficits, and
pragmatic difficulties.

• Phonological disorders are defined as the abnormal organization of the

phonological system, or a significant deficit in speech production or
perception. A child with a phonological disorder may be described as hard to
understand or as not saying the sounds correctly. Apraxia of speech is a
specific phonological disorder where the student may want to speak but has
difficulty planning what to say and the motor movements to use.

• Morphological disorders are defined as difficulties with morphological

inflections (inflections on nouns, verbs, and adjectives that signal different
kinds of meanings).

• Semantic disorders are characterized by poor vocabulary development,

inappropriate use of word meanings, and/or inability to comprehend word
meanings. These students will demonstrate restrictions in word meanings,
difficulty with multiple word meanings, excessive use of nonspecific terms
• Syntactic deficits are characterized by difficulty in
acquiring the rules that govern word order and
others aspects of grammar such as subject-verb
agreement. Typically, these students produce shorter
and less elaborate sentences with fewer cohesive
conjunctions than their peers.

• Pragmatic difficulties are characterized as

problems in understanding and using language in
different social contexts. These students may lack an
understanding of the rules for making eye contact,
respecting personal space, requesting information,
and introducing topics.
Activity
Inclusive life for persons with speech and language
difficulties
1. How can schools create inclusive education for
students with speech and language difficulties?
Discuss

2. How persons with speech and language difficulties

should be employed and live independent life?

3. How can persons with speech and language

difficulties lead independent life in the community?

4. What kind of technology they require for speech and

language communication and daily life activities?
(5) Autism

• Autism means a developmental disability significantly

affecting verbal and nonverbal communication and social
interaction, generally evident before age three that
adversely affects a child‘s educational performance.

• Other characteristics often associated with autism are

engaging in repetitive activities and stereotyped
movements, resistance to environmental change or change
in daily routines, and unusual responses to sensory
experiences.

• The term autism does not apply if the child‘s educational

performance is adversely affected primarily because the
child has an emotional disturbance. A child who shows the
characteristics of autism after age 3 could be diagnosed as
• It is characterized by lack of normal sociability, impaired
communication and repetitive obsessive behavior such as
politeness, turn-taking. Linked to Profound Learning Disability
(PLDs) are further impairments in the production of speech.
Among these are (i) personal pronouns reversal for instance the
use of “I” instead of “you” and vice-versa, (ii) the misuse of
such prepositions as “in”, “on”, “under”, “next to” (...), and (iii)
the prevalence, in speech, of echolalia formal repetition of
other‘s utterances (Arron and Gittens, 1999).

• Children with autism vary literally in their use of words, (Rutter,

1966). Communication deficiencies may leave a lasting mark of
social retardation on the child. The link, between social skills
and language is made evident by the often spontaneous
appearance of affectionate and dependent behavior in these
children after they have been trained to speak (Churchill, 1966
& Hewett, 1965).
(6) Emotional and Behavioral Disorders

• According to Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA),

the term Emotional and Behavioral Disorders means a
condition exhibiting one or more of the following characteristics
over a long period of time and to a marked degree that
adversely affects educational performance

(a) An inability to learn that cannot be explained by intellectual,

sensory, or health factors;

(b) An inability to build or maintain satisfactory interpersonal

relationships with peers and teachers;

(c) Inappropriate types of behavior or feelings under normal

circumstances;

(d) A general pervasive mood of unhappiness or depression; or

(e) A tendency to develop physical symptoms or fears associated

with personal or school problems.
Classification of Behavioral and
Emotional Disorders
• An individual having behavioral or emotional disorders can exhibit
widely varied types of behavior. Therefore, different classification
systems of behavioral and emotional disorders can be used for
special education.

• Different professionals have developed a classification system,

which shows some promise for educational practice. These
include:

• Conduct disorder: individuals may seek attention, are disruptive

and act out. The disorder is classified by type: overt (with violence
or tantrums) versus covert (with lying, stealing, and/or drug use).

• Socialized aggression: individuals join subculture group of peers

who are openly disrespectful to their peers, teachers, and parents.
Common are delinquency and dropping out of school. Early symptoms
include stealing, running away from home, habitual lying, cruelty to animals,
• Attention problems: these individuals may have attention
deficit, are easily destructible and have poor concentration.
They are frequently impulsive and may not think the
consequence of their actions.

• Anxiety/Withdrawn: these are self-conscious, reserved,

and unsure of themselves. They typically have low self-
esteem and withdraw from immediate activities. They are
also anxious and frequently depressed.

• Psychotic behavior: these individuals show more bizarre

behavior. They may hallucinate, deal in a fantasy world and
may even talk in gibberish.

• Motor excess: these students are hyperactive. They cannot

sit nor listen to others nor keep their attention focused.
• Kauffman (1993) conclude that emotion or behavioral
disorders fall into two broad classifications:

(1) Externalizing Behavior: also called under controlled

disorder, include such problems disobedience,
disruptiveness, fighting, tempers tantrums,
irresponsibility, jealous, anger, attention seeking etc…

(2) Internalizing Behavior: also known as over controlled

disorders, include such problems anxiety, immaturity,
shyness, social withdrawal, feeling of inadequacy
(inferiority), guilt, depression and worries a great deal.
Causes of behavioral and emotional disorders

• Biological: includes genetic disorders, brain damage, and

malnutrition, allergies, temperament and damage to the
central nervous system.

• Family factors: include family interactions, family influence,

child abuse, neglect, and poor disciplinary practices at home.

• Cultural factors: include some traditional and cultural

negative practices, for example watching violence and
sexually oriented movies and TV programs.

• Environmental factors: include peer pressure, living in

impoverished areas, and schooling practices that are
unresponsive to individual needs.
Activity

Inclusive life for persons with behavioral difficulties

1. Do you think it is right to dismiss students with

behavioral disorder from schools?

2. How can schools create inclusive education for

students with behavioral disorders? Discuss

3. How persons with behavioral disorder should

employed and live independent life?

4. How can persons with behavioral disorder lead

independent life in the community?
(7) Intellectual Disability

• Intellectual disability is a disability characterized by significant

limitations in both intellectual functioning and in adaptive
behavior, which covers many everyday social and practical
skills.

• This disability originates before the age of 18. An individual is

considered to have an intellectual disability based on the
following three criteria:

(i) Sub average intellectual functioning: it refers to general

mental capacity, such as learning, reasoning, problem solving,
and so on. One way to measure intellectual functioning is an IQ
test. Generally, an IQ test score of around 70 or as high as 75
indicates a limitation in intellectual functioning.
(ii) Significant limitations exist in two or more adaptive skill areas:
it is the collection of conceptual, social, and practical skills that
are learned and performed by people in their everyday lives.
• Conceptual skills—language and literacy; money, time, and
number concepts; and self-direction.
• Social skills—interpersonal skills, social responsibility, self-
esteem, gullibility, innocence (i.e., suspicion), social problem
solving, and the ability to follow rules/obey laws and to avoid
being victimized.
• Practical skills—activities of daily living (personal care),
occupational skills, healthcare, travel/transportation,
schedules/routines, safety, use of money, use of the
telephone.
• People with intellectual disabilities academic learning can be
affected, as well as their ability to adapt to home, school, and
community environments are presented under the following
sub-headings:

• General Cognition– delayed rate of intellectual development .

• Learning and Memory– are significantly below average in

comparison to peers without disabilities.

• Attention– may have difficulty distinguishing and attending to

relevant questions in both learning and social situations.

• Adaptive Skills– may have difficulty in both learning and

applying skills, for distractibility, inattentiveness, failure to read
social cues, and impulsive behavior.

• Speech and Language, Motivation, etc.

Levels of support for individuals with
intellectual disabilities
(8) Physical disability/Orthopedic
Impairment and Health impairment
• Physical disability is a condition that interferes with the
individual‘s ability to use his or her body. Many but not
all, physical disabilities are orthopedic impairments.
(The term orthopedic impairment generally refers to
conditions of muscular or skeletal system and
sometimes to physical disabling conditions of the
nervous system).

• Health impairment is a condition that requires ongoing

medical attention. It includes asthma, heart defects,
cancer, diabetes, hemophilia. HIV/AIDS, etc.
Classification and Characteristics
• Based on the impact of physical disability on mobility and
motor skills, it is divided into three:

(A). Mild physical disability: these individuals are able to

walk without aids and may make normal developmental
progress.

(B). Moderate physical disability: can walk with braces and

crutches and may have difficulty with fine-motor skills and
speech production.

(C). Severe physical disability: these are individuals who are

wheel-chair dependent and may need special help to achieve
regular development.
• The physical disability could be broadly classified in to two

I. The neurological system (the brain ,spinal cord & nerve)

related problems.

II. Musculo skeletal system ( the muscles, bones and

joints) are deficient due to various causes.

I. Neurological system

• With a neurological condition like cerebral palsy or a traumatic

brain injury, the brain either sends the wrong instructions or
interprets feedback incorrectly. In both cases, the result is poorly
coordinated movement. Example:

(a) Epilepsy– a disorder that occurs when the brain cells are not
working properly and is often called a seizure disorder. Most
individuals with epilepsy have normal intelligence.
(b) Spinal bifida and spinal cord injury– damage to the spinal
cord leads to paralysis and loss of sensation in the affected
areas of the body.

• The spinal blfida is a birth defect of the backbone (spinal

column). The cause si unknown but it usually occurs in the first
twenty-six days of pregnancy.
• II. Musculoskeletal system
• It includes the muscles and their supporting framework and
the skeleton:
• Progressive muscle weakness (muscular dystrophy);
• Inflammation of the joints (arthritis), or
• Loss of various parts of the body (amputation)
E.g., Cleft lip and cleft palate, Polio, etc. Read the list of the
impairment and associated with musculoskeletal malformation.
Health Impairments (Heart disease, Acquired immune deficiency
syndrome (AIDS), Hemophilia, Asthma, Diabetes, Cancer , etc)
(9) Vulnerability
• Vulnerable means being at risk of being harmed. Everyone
can be harmed, so being vulnerable is part of being
human. In principle, everyone is vulnerable to some
adverse event or circumstance, but some people are more
vulnerable than others. For instance, people with
disabilities are more likely as a group to experience
greater vulnerability. They are also often more severely
affected by the vulnerability they experience.

• Based on the existing literature, vulnerability can be

generally defined as a complex phenomenon that refers to
the following dimensions:
(a)Economic difficulties/lack of financial resources: poverty, low living
standards, housing problems (e.g. too damp, too expensive, too cold or
difficult to heat) etc.;

(b) Social exclusion: limited access to facilities such as transportation,

schools, libraries or medical services;

(c) Lack of social support from social networks: no assistance from family
members, friends, neighbors or colleagues (referring to practical help as
well as emotional support) like highly gifted individuals;

(d) Stigmatization: being a victim of stereotypes, being devalued,

confronted with disgraceful behavior because of belonging to a particular
social or ethnic group;

(e) Health difficulties: disadvantages resulting from poor mental health,

physical health or disabilities;

(f) Being a victim of crime: in family context especially of violence.

Causes of Vulnerability

• Vulnerability may be causes by rapid population

growth, poverty and hunger, poor health, low levels
of education, gender inequality, fragile and
hazardous location, and lack of access to resources
and services, including knowledge and technological
means, disintegration of social patterns (social
vulnerability).

• Other causes includes; lack of access to information

and knowledge, lack of public awareness, limited
access to political power and representation (political
vulnerability).
 Chapter 2
Concept of Inclusion
Brainstorming Questions
• What comes to your mind when you hear about the word
inclusion?

• Do you know to whom inclusion is required? Why?

• Who do you think benefit from inclusion?

• Why inclusion has got the world wide attention?

• Where do you think inclusion originated from?

• How do you think inclusion can be implemented?

• What are the barriers to inclusion?

 Concept of Inclusion
Brainstorming Questions
• What comes to your mind when you hear about the word
inclusion?

• Do you know to whom inclusion is required? Why?

• Who do you think benefit from inclusion?

• Why inclusion has got the world wide attention?

• Where do you think inclusion originated from?

• How do you think inclusion can be implemented?

• What are the barriers to inclusion?

Definition of Inclusion
• Inclusion in education/service refers to ―an ongoing process
aimed at offering quality education/services for all while
respecting diversity and the different needs and abilities,
characteristics and learning expectations of the students and
communities and eliminating all forms of discrimination ‖
(UNESCO, 2008, P.3, as cited in EADSNE, 2010, p.11). Inclusive
services at any level are quality provisions without discrimination
or partiality and meeting the diverse needs of people.

• Inclusion is seen as a process of addressing and responding to

the diversity of needs of all persons through increasing
participation in learning, employment, services, cultures and
communities, and reducing exclusion at all social contexts.
Definition…
• Besides, inclusion is defined as having a wide range of
strategies, activities and processes that seek to make a
reality of the universal right to quality, relevant and
appropriate education and services. It acknowledges that
learning begins at birth and continues throughout life,
and includes learning in the home, the community, and
in formal, informal and non-formal situations.

• This definition has components such as, Concepts about

learners, Concepts about the education system and
schools, Concepts about diversity and discrimination,
Concepts about processes to promote inclusion, and
Concepts about resources.
Concepts about Learners

• Education is a fundamental human right for all people;

• Learning begins at birth and continues throughout life;

• All children have a right to education within their own

community;

• Everyone can learn, and any child can experience

difficulties in learning;

• All learners need their learning supported child-

focused teaching benefits all children.
Concepts about the Education
System and Schools
• It is broader than formal schooling;

• It is flexible, responsive educational systems;

• It creates enabling and welcoming educational

environments;

• It promotes school improvement – makes

effective schools;

• It involves whole school approach and

collaboration between partners.
Concepts about Diversity and
Discrimination
• It promotes combating discrimination and
exclusionary pressures at any social sectors;

• It enables responding to/embracing diversity as

a resource not as a problem;

• It prepares learners for an inclusive society that

respects and values difference.
Concepts about Processes to
Promote Inclusion
• It helps to identifying and overcoming barriers
to participation and exclusionary pressures;

• It increases real participation of all

collaboration, partnership between all
stakeholders;

• It promotes participatory methodology, action

research, collaborative enquiry and other
related activities.
Concepts about Resources

• Promotes unlocking and fully using local resources

redistributing existing resources;

• It helps to perceive people (children, parents,

teachers, members of marginalized groups, etc) as
key resources;

• It helps to use appropriate resources and support

within schools and at local levels for the needs of
different children, e.g. mother tongue tuition,
Braille, assistive devices.
• McLeskey and Waldron (2000) have identified inclusion
and non-inclusive practices. According to them
inclusion includes the following components:
• Students with disabilities and vulnerability attend
their neighborhood schools;
• Each student is in an age-appropriate general
education classroom;
• Every student is accepted and regarded as a full
and valued member of the class and the school
community;
• Special education supports are provided to each
student with a disability within the context of the
general education classroom;
• All students receive an education that addresses
their individual needs;
• No student is excluded based on type or degree of
disability;
• All members of the school (e.g., administration,
staff, students, and parents) promote
cooperative/collaborative teaching arrangements;
• There is school-based planning, problem-solving,
and ownership of all students and programs
• Employed according to their capacities without
discriminations.
• On the other hand, they argue that inclusion does
not mean:
• Placing students with disabilities into general
education classrooms without careful planning
and adequate support.
• Reducing services or funding for special
education services;
• Placing all students who have disabilities or who
are at risk in one or a few designated
classrooms;
• Teachers spending a disproportionate amount of
time teaching or adapting the curriculum for
students with disabilities;
• Isolating students with disabilities socially,
physically, or academically within the general
education school or classroom;
• Endangering the achievement of general education
students through slower instruction or a less
challenging curriculum;
• Relegating special education teachers to the role of
assistants in the general education classroom;
• Requiring general and special education teachers to
team together without careful planning and well-
defined responsibilities.
Principles of Inclusion
• The fundamental assumption of inclusion is that all persons should
learn, work and live together wherever possible, regardless of any
difficulties or differences they may have. Inclusive education
extends beyond special needs arising from disabilities, and
includes consideration of other sources of disadvantage and
marginalization, such as gender, poverty, language, ethnicity, and
geographic isolation.

• Besides, inclusion begins with the premise that all persons have
unique characteristics, interests, abilities and particular learning
needs and, further, that all persons have equal access education,
employment and services. Inclusion implies transition from
separate, segregated learning and working environments for
persons with disabilities to community based systems.
Four Major Inclusion Principles
(UNESCO, 2005)
(1). Inclusion is a process. It has to be seen as a never-ending
search to find better ways of responding to diversity. It is
about learning how to live with difference and learning how to
learn from difference. Differences come to be seen more
positively as a stimulus for fostering learning amongst children
and adults.

(2). Inclusion is concerned with the identification and removal of

barriers that hinders the development of persons with
disabilities. It involves collecting, collating and evaluating
information from a wide variety of sources in order to plan for
improvements in policy and practice. It is about using evidence
of various kinds to stimulate creativity and problem - solving.
(3). Inclusion is about the presence, participation and
achievement of all persons. ‘Presence’ is concerned with
where persons are provided and how reliably and punctually
they attend; ‘participation’ relates to the quality of their
experiences and must incorporate the views of learners/and or
workers and ‘achievement’ is about the outcomes of learning
across the curriculum, not just test and exam results.

(4). Inclusion invokes a particular emphasis on those who may

be at risk of marginalization, exclusion or underachievement.
This indicates the moral responsibility to ensure that those ‘at
risk’ are carefully monitored, and that steps are taken to
ensure their presence, participation and achievement.
Rationale for Inclusion
• Implementation of inclusion has number of rationales.
The major ones include: educational, social, legal,
economic and inclusive society building foundations.

Educational Foundations

• Children do better academically, psychologically and

socially in inclusive settings.

• A more efficient use of education resources.

• Decreases dropouts and repetitions.

• Teachers competency( knowledge, skills, collaboration,

satisfaction.
Social Foundation

• Segregation teaches individuals to be fearful, ignorant and

breeds prejudice.

• All individuals need an education that will help them develop

relationships and prepare them for life in the wider community.

• Only inclusion has the potential to reduce fear and to build

friendship, respect and understanding.

Legal Foundations

• All individuals have the right to learn and live together.

• Human being shouldn‘t be devalued or discriminated against by

being excluded or sent away because of their disability.

• There are no legitimate reasons to separate children for their

education.
Economic Foundation

• Inclusive education has economic benefit, both for

individual and for society.

• Inclusive education is more cost-effective than the

creation of special schools across the country.

• Children with disabilities go to local schools.

• Reduce wastage of repetition and dropout.

• Children with disabilities live with their family use

community infrastructure.

• Better employment and job creation opportunities for

people with disabilities.
Foundations for Building Inclusive Society

• Formation of mutual understanding and appreciation of

diversity

• Building up empathy, tolerance and cooperation

• Promotion of sustainable development

Factors that Influenced
Development of Inclusion
• Inclusive education is facilitated by many influencing
actors. Some of the major drivers include:
1. Communities: pre-colonial and indigenous approaches
to education and community-based programs movement
that favor inclusion of their community members.
2. Activists and advocates: the combined voices of
primary stakeholders – representatives of groups of
learners often excluded and marginalized from education
(e.g. disabled activists; parents advocating for their
children; child rights advocates; and those advocating for
women/girls and minority ethnic groups).
3. The quality education and school improvement
movement: in both North and South, the issues of
quality, access and inclusion are strongly linked, and
contribute to the understanding and practice of inclusive
education as being the responsibility of education
systems and schools.
4. Special educational needs movement: the ‗new
thinking‘ of the special needs education movement – as
demonstrated in the Salamanca Statement – has been a
positive influence on inclusive education, enabling
schools and systems to really respond to a wide range of
diversity.

5. Involvement of International agencies: the UN is a

major influence on the development of inclusive
education policy and practice. Major donors have formed
a partnership – the Fast Track Initiative – to speed
progress towards the EFA goals. E.g. UNESCO, etc.
6. Involvement of NGOs movements, networks and
campaigns: a wide range of civil society initiatives,
such as the Global Campaign for Education, seek to
bring policy and practice together and involve all
stakeholders based on different situations
7. Other factors: the current world situation and
practical experiences in education. The current world
situation presents challenges such as the spread of
HIV/AIDS, political instability, trends in resource
distribution, diversity of population, and social
inclusion. This necessitates implementation of inclusion
to solve the problems. On the other hand, practical
experiences in education offers lessons learned from
failure and success in mainstream, special and inclusive
education. Moreover, practical demonstrations of
successful inclusive education in different cultures and
contexts are a strong influence on its development.
Benefits of Inclusion
• It is now understood that inclusion benefits communities,
families, teachers, and students by ensuring that children with
disabilities attend school with their peers and providing them
with adequate support to succeed both academically and
socially.
• Benefits for Students with Special Needs– Education–
Improved friendships with the social environment; Increased
achievement of individualized educational program (IEP) goals;
Increased social initiations, interactions, relationships and
networks; Greater access to general curriculum.
• Benefits for persons without Special Needs– Education–
Serve as peer tutors during instructional activities; Play the role
of a special ‘buddy’ during lunch, in the bus or playground;
Learn that students with SEN have many positive characteristics
and abilities; Have increased academic outcomes.
• Benefits for Teachers and Parents/Family– developing
their knowledge and skills that meet diverse students‘ needs
and ability differences to enhancing their skills to work with
their stakeholders; and gaining satisfaction in their profession
and other aspects.
Inclusive Environments
• An inclusive environment is a place that is adjusted to
individuals‘ needs and not vice versa – that individuals
are adjusted to the environmental needs.

• It acknowledges that individual differences among

individuals are a source of richness and diversity, and
not a problem, and that various needs and the
individual pace of learning and development can be
met successfully with a wide range of flexible
approaches
Features of Inclusive
Environment
• It has the following major characteristics:

• It ensures the respect and dignity of individuals with

disabilities.

• It meets current accessibility standards to the greatest

extent possible to all people with special needs.

• Provides accommodations willingly and proactively.

• Persons with disabilities are welcomed and are valued

for their contributions as individuals.
Barriers to Inclusion

• Economic factors– this is mainly related with poverty of

family, community and society at large.

• Lack of stakeholders taking responsibility in their cooperation

as well as collaboration for inclusion.

• Conservative traditions among the community members

about inclusion.

• Lack of knowledge and skills among teachers regarding

inclusive education.

• Fragile democratic institutions that could not promote

inclusion.
• Therefore, successful environment has the following
characteristics:

• It involves restructuring environment, culture,

policy, and practice.

• It promoting pro-social activities.

• It makes provides services and facilities equally

accessible to all people.

• It involves mobilizing resources within the

community, etc.