ADCET - Australian Disability Clearinghouse on Education and Training’s Post

Reflecting on Disability Inclusion in Electoral and Educational Processes Throughout my advocacy work with the Zambia Federation of Disability Organisations (ZAFOD) in 2021, I consistently highlighted the gaps in inclusivity within our electoral process. My media appearances on platforms like Hot FM's Hot Seat, Radio Phoenix's Let the People Talk, 5FM's Burning Issue, and MUVI TV's Assignment among others have emphasized that the electoral process in 2021 was not fully inclusive for persons with disabilities. Engaging with political parties and government ministries, including the Electoral Commission of Zambia, we advocated for the rights of persons with disabilities to participate fully in public life. This experience has shown me that the challenges we face are also opportunities. In my current role as Education Advisor for the Digital School Project, I see a significant opportunity to leverage technology to improve learning outcomes for learners with disabilities. By targeting these learners with focused interventions, we can begin to make meaningful changes. In the Digital School Project, we are leveraging the use of technology (tablets) to deliver flexible educational programs to out of school adolescents with the goal that they sit for their Grade 7 examinations and proceed to advance in their education or take a skills path. This intervention builds on skills obtained from foundational literacy and numeracy programs. Learners with disabilities can greatly benefit from such interventions if we ensure that teaching and learning materials are in accessible formats. The inadequate accessible election materials mirror the lack of accessible teaching and learning materials for learners with disabilities. This is a call to action for more investment in making the education sector inclusive. Let's work together to ensure that every learner, regardless of their abilities, has access to quality education and is presented with an opportunity to advance as far as they can in their education. Here is a link to some of my advocacy work on disability inclusion: https://lnkd.in/dEdt9jsa #Inclusion #InclusiveEducation #DigitalEducation #InclusiveGovernance

From article: "The College Board and other testing entities are legally required to provide disability accommodations to ensure that testing conditions do not discriminate against individuals with disabilities. However, they have long failed in this mandate. When I prepared to take the SAT back in 2008, my family and I fought for months to get approval for me to take the test with the same accommodations (double time, a scribe and a reader) that my school had determined were necessary to afford me equal access to my education under the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act. The College Board refused, and my family did not have the resources to pay for private educational testing outside the school system and/or to retain a lawyer to fight the decision. While I did as best as I could under only partially accommodated conditions, I ran out of time long before completing each section and spent the final minutes in every block randomly circling half of the answer sheet. Or, in the case of the essay, writing a statement that identified myself as dyslexic, and imploring that I not be discriminated against based on my spelling (which, the year prior, had fallen into the bottom 3 percent of students in my age group). What resulted were standardized test scores that were dramatically lower than my academic standing and intellectual aptitude, and had significant implications for my college options." and "My experience is hardly unique. Many similar reports of individuals being denied accommodations on standardized tests prompted the Department of Justice’s Civil Rights Division to issue guidance in 2015 emphasizing fair testing practices and to scrutinize the College Board and other testing companies for their handling of accommodations. Following this scrutiny, the College Board announced that it would make it easier for test takers to obtain the same accommodations that their high schools had granted. Though this significant progress would have benefited students like me tremendously, it has hardly eliminated the inequities of standardized testing for many students with disabilities, particularly the lower-income students that Brown, Dartmouth, Harvard and Yale rightly seek to support. A 2022 report from the Government Accountability Office found a variety of barriers for students needing accommodations on a range of standardized tests like the SAT, ACT and GRE, including the prohibitive cost to obtain the additional documentation that many testing entities still require, with clear equity implications for the students with the least financial resources." https://lnkd.in/ggbZZMnm #highereducation #disability #standardizedtesting #accommodations #equity

My advocacy extended beyond the classroom through my involvement with the Wayne State University Social Work Disability Justice Coalition. As part of this coalition, I fought for improvements in accessibility across the university, advocating for policies and practices that would make academia more inclusive for everyone. This experience allowed me to take an active role in shaping institutional changes, working toward a future where accessibility is not an afterthought but a foundational aspect of education. I saw firsthand the impact that collective action could have, as well as the challenges that come with pushing for systemic change. Being a disabled student in college was a constant negotiation with accessibility barriers. From navigating campus using a scooter to dealing with inaccessible infrastructure, the pursuit of education was never straightforward. Each effort to advocate for accommodations or push for accessible course materials was not only for my own benefit but also to create a more inclusive environment for future students with disabilities. In these ways, my journey was a form of service to the broader community. It challenged the university to rethink how it approached accessibility and fostered a culture of inclusivity that benefited not only disabled students but all marginalized groups. As I transition into the workforce, I am integrating my advocacy efforts into my professional life, continuing to push for improvements that support a disabled person's ability to live fully and participate in society. My degrees, coupled with my lived experiences, have empowered me to be a stronger advocate for the disabled community. Through involvement with non-profits, policy work, and direct action, I remain committed to advocating for systemic change, paving the way for future disabled individuals who might also face doubts about their potential.

Could specialist schools for children with disabilities actually do more harm than good? According to Dr Mann, an education academic, there is no research to suggest children with disabilities perform better in specialist schools. It’s time Australia completely reimagined education. Specialist teachers, mainstream teachers, leaders, and governments all need to collaborate. Every school should be equipped with the resources, support systems, and materials to create an inclusive environment that works for everyone. I especially like how Dr Mann framed it here. Being inclusive isn’t about “being nice,” but about catering to the rights of every student. The money that is spent building more and more specialist schools could be used to support children with disabilities in mainstream schools. It has always been my view that we need campuses, with primary and secondary schools on the same campus with specialist facilities on site, with children with disabilities able to interact freely with other children. I was expected to attend a specialist school, but thank goodness my parents were like Harry’s parents. Visual Description: Three children riding bikes with helmets, with Harry Banks, a child with physical and communication disabilities, in the middle. #2024DisabilityEmpowerment #Education #DisabilitySupport

Our new master’s #degree program in #disability #access and #inclusion fills a gap in disability education, providing instruction beyond compliance. It also refocuses existing coursework for students pursuing a professional track, rather than PhDs or research careers. The hybrid program requires 32 credit hours, which can be completed in person or online in three to four semesters. “Learning how to ‘do inclusion’ — from documents to people and everything in between — is critically important across multiple industries.” https://lnkd.in/g27QXgHv

LIGHT SENSITIVE LEARNERS and DISABILITY Disability: An evolving concept that results from the interaction between a person with impairment(s) and attitudinal and environmental barriers that hinder their full and effective participation in society on an equal basis with others (Australian Government Response to the Disability Royal Commission July 2024, p. 295) The Government’s definition of disability adds impetus to the provision of adjustments for Light Sensitive Learners.  ·     Teachers knew in 1908 that white paper made it difficult to read and a glarimeter was developed. Since then, paper manufacturers have added fluorescent dye to make the paper even whiter and more difficult to read. ·     School principal A.W. Ray worked out in 1938 that artificial illumination was an “educational” problem. He argued that “adequate spectral quality …is essential … for … seeing”.   ·     As a teacher, I negotiated inclusion of the clause “learning differently” in the Australian Disability Discrimination Act. The wording in the draft Bill “learn more slowly” was not applicable to intellectually gifted students, even though they read more slowly, or didn’t read much at all.   ·     Another teacher supports a “revision of school policies regarding digital learning environments and awareness raising to support inclusive access and use by students with light sensitivity.”   Teachers are required under the Australian Disability Discrimination Act to adjust the environment. These adjustments include providing overlays which reduce the glare from paper and filter the spectrum; provision of access to natural daylight: a personal lamp if necessary.   The National Health and Medical Research Council suggests “Anti-glare filters for computer screens to relieve eyestrain, fatigue, headaches and stress. Place blinds on windows, flicker free lighting, full spectrum lighting, light filters for covering fluorescent lighting, lower wattage overhead lights, task lighting or other alternative lighting. Large print Coloured paper These adjustments to the classroom environment are relatively easy and cheap. Nevertheless, attitudinal barriers, and lack of knowledge hinder their implementation, and that perpetuates inequity.

Call for Papers — A Disabled University Experience: Lessons for, and Experiences of, Disabled Undergraduates   Proposal Deadline: 7/15/2024   Transitioning from high school to university can mark a significant change in a disabled student’s life, as they leave behind the managed care of an individualized education plan and begin a more agentic relationship with their disabilities. For many, this also marks the first chance they really have to engage with the cultural identity of “disabled.” Unfortunately, introductory readers in disability studies in the Canadian context are a rarity. We have elected to create a special edition of the Canadian Journal of Disability Studies (CJDS) that fills this gap, highlighting the unique experiences of disabled undergraduate students and providing accessible content on disability with them in mind.   We are seeking submissions of previously unpublished articles on disabilities, with a special focus on manuscripts that either study the experiences of disabled undergraduate students or are written for an undergraduate audience for the CJDS. Contributions can include empirical works, qualitative explorations, theoretical inquiries, extended literature reviews, methodological papers, or even book reviews. We encourage articles from minoritized populations, including disabled authors. Please submit your extended abstracts (200–500 words) to Special Issue Editors Dr. Paul Bones ([email protected]) and Christopher Churchill ([email protected]) by 7/15/2024. Please include your contact information in your email. For those accepted for consideration, the deadline for full paper submission will be 1/30/2025 for preliminary review. Final submissions should be no more than 6,000 words, excluding references, notes, and tables. Submissions should have no more than 40 references.   Possible topics include (but are not limited to): ● Navigating ableist educational institutions ● Disabled identity formation ● Disability as an intersection - how do race, gender, sexual orientation, etc. interact with experiences of disability? ● Indigeneity and disability ● Quality of life and disability ● Madness and mental health ● Building mad and disabled communities ● Access and accommodation ● Explaining disability   Editors: Paul D.C. Bones, Christopher Churchill, Yiyan Li, Danielle Lorenz

My thoughts in Inside Higher Ed on the implications of the return to standardized testing in elite college admissions for applicants with learning disabilities -- drawing on my own experience, the legal history, and more recent reports and findings. There are some compelling reasons to bring testing back. But colleges must ensure equity for those with LD and any other segment of the applicant pool for whom standardized testing impairs fair and accurate evaluation of merit and potential. Harvard University Yale University Dartmouth College Brown University The College Board #SAT #learningdisabilities #LD #disability #dyslexia. This might be of interest to FairTest, International Dyslexia Association, Learning Disabilities Association of America, and National Center for Learning Disabilities (NCLD).

✊🏼 Students with disabilities are pushing for change on their campuses! "....However, freshman Mason Hoey, an SGA senator dedicated to increasing disability diversity, proposed a resolution to update the disability maps after spotting about 50 inaccuracies within the map." 👊🏼 Students with disabilities know that disability is an aspect of diversity on campus and like many other minority groups, their needs are often overlooked. "...While it has to be considered that updating older buildings can have legal issues, the university should look for other solutions to accommodate this minority group. Overall, disability services at JMU need attention. ODS does its best with the funds it receives. However, as a minority group, it seems they are overlooked." 👉🏼 This opinion piece from James Madison University's student paper, talks about what students with disabilities on campus are facing, and how they hope to make improvements: https://lnkd.in/dkEfvaqH #College #Disability #Accessibility #Access #DEI #Inclusion #HigherED

🌟 Taking a Holistic Approach to Disability Inclusion in Schools 🌟 To truly advance disability inclusion within schools, we must adopt a holistic approach that considers intersectional factors. This means addressing not only physical access but also social, emotional, and educational barriers that may impede the full participation of children with disabilities. Traditional models such as the medical, social, and biopsychosocial models often fall short in recognising the complexity of disability inclusion: 🔹 Medical Model: Focuses primarily on the individual's impairment. 🔹 Social Model: It sometimes overlooks individual medical needs and personal experiences. 🔹 Biopsychosocial Model: Fails to fully address the intersectionality and unique challenges faced by children with disabilities in diverse educational settings. Here are the key components of a truly holistic approach: - Physical Access: Ensuring that school buildings, classrooms, playgrounds, and facilities are accessible to children with physical disabilities. This includes ramps, lifts, adapted toilets, and designated parking spaces. - Inclusive Curriculum and Pedagogy: Designing a curriculum that is flexible, adaptable, and responsive to the diverse learning needs of all students, including those with physical disabilities. This may involve incorporating universal design principles, differentiated instruction, and assistive technologies. - Supportive Environment: Creating a culture of inclusion and acceptance within schools, where diversity is celebrated, and all students feel respected, valued, and included. This includes promoting positive attitudes towards disability, fostering peer relationships, and providing social and emotional support. - Professional Development: Providing ongoing training and support for teachers and school staff to enhance their knowledge, skills, and attitudes towards disability inclusion. This may include workshops, seminars, and mentoring programs focused on inclusive education practices. - Intersectional Awareness: Recognising the diverse intersectionality of disability with other social identities and experiences, such as race, gender, socio-economic status, and cultural background. This involves acknowledging and addressing the unique challenges faced by children with disabilities who belong to marginalised groups. I'm thoroughly enjoying delving into this area as part of my doctorate at Cardiff Metropolitan University and as co-convenor of the British Educational Research Association (BERA) Inclusive Education SIG. Please give my BERA blog a read. https://lnkd.in/eeN2iZdy #DisabilityAwareness #HolisticApproach #Diversity #InclusiveEducation #BERA