Inclusive education is a human right

The right to education is enshrined in the Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948). As a universal and fundamental human right, the right to education means that all people, including people with disability, have access to quality education. Therefore, inclusion in education is central to achieving quality education to all students. Inclusive education has been clarified as a fundamental human right and defined as:

a process of systemic reform embodying changes and modifications in content, teaching methods, approaches, structures and strategies in education to overcome barriers with a vision serving to provide all students of the relevant age range with an equitable and participatory learning experience and environment that best corresponds to their requirements and preferences

These rights are reflected in the Australian Disability Standards for Education 2005 (DSE). The DSE legally require educators to consult students with disability and provide reasonable adjustments. The DSE applies to education providers across compulsory education and higher education.

A reasonable adjustment is a change to remove or reduce barriers to students’ access and participation in education. This change is put in place by education providers and educators in consultation with the student. Students must be involved in the design of adjustments, to make sure the adjustment is relevant and well-designed.

If adjustments are not made, barriers remain in place. Adjustments can be time consuming and costly, particularly if they are retrospective. However, by implementing universal design principles at the planning and development stage, barriers can be designed out from the outset, saving time and money.

Inclusive education and the Social Model of Disability

Inclusive education is based on the social model of disability and the concept of barriers.

Through the social model of disability, a person is not disabled by their impairment but by the interaction between that impairment and an environment that was designed by and for people without that impairment. Removing these barrier create equity and offers people with disability opportunities to fully participate in society.

The social model of disability provides a practical framework for the development of inclusive educational settings.

Watch this animation featuring Senator Jordon Steele-John to learn more about the concept of barriers

Widening Participation in Higher Education

Widening participation aims to address patterns of inequities in educational outcomes and under-representation in higher education. Many OECD countries, including Australia, have seen sustained investment in widening participation programs, with tertiary institutions putting considerable effort  to develop high-quality programs. While widening participation targets for most equity groups in Australia have not been met, the move towards an universal higher education resulted in a large increase in the number of students entering university. As a result,  a more diverse cohort of students are now attending university, so university educators must learn to how to design theirs courses in a way that supports all students.

References

Graham, L., Medhurst, M., Tancredi, H., Spandagou, I. & Walton, E. (2020). Fundamental Concepts of Inclusive Education. In Inclusive Education for the 21st Century (L. Graham. Ed). Allen &Unwin.