Actionable Steps Toward Disability-Inclusive Education and Lessons Learned from Implementation

• In Event: Improving Implementation in Disability-Inclusive Education

Proposal

Inclusive education is a process that requires systems change, a shift in attitudes and behaviors, and a skilled workforce. Achieving inclusive education takes time and thus requires progressive realization, creating a committed and consistent growth plan toward achieving the aims of inclusive education over time. Establishing finances for inclusive education and providing inclusive pre-primary education are two ways to support the progressive realization of an inclusive education system. Unfortunately, financing inclusive education and inclusion of learners with disabilities in pre-primary education are areas that have traditionally been under-researched and not universally applied. To address this, two partners worked together to disseminate the Disability Inclusive Pre-Primary Education White Paper and Financing Disability-Inclusive Education White Paper and ground-truth findings and develop actionable recommendations. The panel will present a synthesis of the responses collected from the disability community, government representatives, education practitioners, and academia. Feedback was collected through online consultations and via a survey to try and reach a diverse global representation. The presentation will include a brief overview of the feedback process, and draft programmatic and advocacy steps for stakeholders to make education more inclusive in different contexts, particularly in low-resource settings. These tiered recommendations support the concept of progressive realization by promoting both immediate actions while laying the groundwork for longer-term strategic approaches.

Authors

• Anne M. Hayes, Inclusive Development Partners

• Amy Deal, Education Development Center EDC