“Ain’t I a Human”: Disabled Students, Inclusive Schooling and the Experiences of their Inclusion in India

Afaq Ahmad Mir

Abstract


In school education, an ongoing interest in exploring the voices of disabled students has been reflected in a number of studies in western societies. However, literature reveals that despite strong advocacy for inclusion, the reality of school life for students with disabilities remains largely one of continued exclusion and barriers to learning. In most developing countries, including India, the voices of the students with disabilities appear significantly unexplored, not only in the policy making process but in the research as well. This paper aims to address this lacuna by focusing on exploring the disabled students` educational experiences, the barriers and support they encountered in school education, and the attitudes they experienced from the school community. Results of the study demonstrate common experiences of a lack of support networks and differential experiences of socio-cultural activities. The article indicates the need for refining school practices and adopting more nuanced approaches to inclusion.  

Keywords: Disabled students voices, inclusive schooling, barriers, support


Keywords


disabled students` voices; inclusive schooling; barriers; support; India

Full Text:

PDF

References


Ainscow, M., Farrell, P., Tweddle, D., & Malki, G. (1999). The role of LEAs in developing inclusive policies and practices. British Journal of Special Education, 26(3), 136-140. https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-8527.t01-1-00125

Anderman, E. M., & Kimweli, D. M. (1997). Victimization and safety in schools serving early adolescents. The Journal of Early Adolescence, 17(4), 408-438.

Armstrong, F., & Barton, L. (1999). Is there anyone there concerned with human rights? Cross-cultural connections, disability and the struggle for change in England. In F. Armstrong & L. Barton (Eds.), Disability, human rights and education: Cross cultural perspectives (pp 210-229). Buckingham: Open University Press.

Bawane, J. (2019). Paradoxes in teacher education: Voices from the Indian context. In R. Setty, R. Iyengar, M. A. Witenstein, E. J. Byker, & H. Kidwai (Eds.), Teaching and teacher education. South Asian perspectives (pp 49–70). Cham: Springer.

Bax, M. (1999). Joining the mainstream. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 41(1), 3-3.

Bhattacharjea, S., Wadhwa, W., & Banerji, R. (2011). Inside primary schools: A study of teaching and learning in rural India. ASER.

Booth, T. (1996). A perspective on inclusion from England. Cambridge Journal of Education, 26(1), 87-99.

Boyatzis, R. E. (1998). Transforming qualitative information: Thematic analysis and code development. Thousand Oaks, CA: Sage.

Cefai, C., & Cooper, P. (2010). Students without voices: the unheard accounts of secondary school students with social, emotional and behaviour difficulties. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 25(2), 183-198. https://doi.org/10.1080/08856251003658702

Closs, A., Stead, J., Arshad, R., & Norris, C. (2001). School peer relationships of ‘minority’ children in Scotland. Child: Care, health and development, 27(2), 133-148.

Corbett, J., & Slee, R. (2016). An international conversation on inclusive education. In F. Armstrong, D. Armstrong, and L. Barton (Eds.), Inclusive Education: Policy, Contexts and Comparative Perspective (pp 133-146). Routledge.

Davies, J. D. (2005). Voices from the margins: The perceptions of pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties about their educational experiences. In P. Clough, P. Garner, J.T. Pardeck, and F. Yuen (Eds.), The SAGE handbook of emotional and behavioural difficulties (pp 349-362). London: Sage.

Davis, J. M., & Watson, N. (2001). Where are the children's experiences? Analysing social and cultural exclusion in 'special' and 'mainstream' schools. Disability & Society, 16(5), 671-687. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687590120070060

Deci, E. L., Vallerand, R. J., Pelletier, L. G., & Ryan, R. M. (1991). Motivation and education: The self-determination perspective. Educational psychologist, 26(3-4), 325-346.

Diez, A. M. (2010). School memories of young people with disabilities: an analysis of barriers and aids to inclusion. Disability & Society, 25(2), 163-175. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687590903534346

Gallacher, L. A., & Gallagher, M. (2008). Methodological immaturity in childhood research? Thinking through participatory methods'. Childhood, 15(4), 499-516.

Garner, P. (1995). Schools by scoundrels: The views of ‘disruptive’ pupils in mainstream schools in England and the United States. In M. L. Smith and J. D. Davies (Eds.). On the margins. The educational experience of ‘problem’ pupils (pp18–21). Chester: Trentham Books.

Gibson, S. (2006). Beyond a ‘culture of silence’: inclusive education and the liberation of ‘voice’. Disability & Society, 21(4), 315-329. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687590600679956

Gordon, M. (2010). Student voice key to unlocking inclusive educational practices. Canadian Journal for New Scholars in Education, 3(2).

Taneja-Johansson, S., Singal, N., & Samson, M. (2021). Education of children with disabilities in rural Indian government schools: A long road to inclusion. International Journal of Disability, Development and Education, 1-16. DOI: 10.1080/1034912X.2021.1917525

Kalyanpur, M. (2008). Equality, quality and quantity: challenges in inclusive education policy and service provision in India. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 12(3), 243-262. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603110601103162

Kalyanpur, M. (2011). Paradigm and paradox: Education for All and the inclusion of children with disabilities in Cambodia. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 15(10), 1053-1071. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2011.555069

Kalyanpur, M. (2016). Inclusive education policies and practices in the context of international development. Lessons from Cambodia. .” Journal for International Education Research and Development Pedagogy, 39 (3), 16-21.

Leicester, M., & Lovell, T. (1997). Disability Voice: educational experience and disability. Disability & Society, 12(1), 111-118. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599727506

Llewellyn, A. (2000). Perceptions of mainstreaming: A systems approach. Developmental Medicine and Child Neurology, 42(2), 106-115.

MacEachern, S., Forkert, N. D., Lemay, J. F., & Dewey, D. (2022). Physical activity participation and barriers for children and adolescents with disabilities. International Journal of Disability, Development and Education, 69(1), 204-216. https://doi.org/10.1080/1034912X.2021.1952939

McMaugh, A. (2011). En/countering disablement in school life in Australia: Children talk about peer relations and living with illness and disability. Disability & Society, 26(7), 853-866. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687599.2011.618740

Mir, A. A. (2020, July 12). Making of an Inclusive School. Rising Kashmir, July 12. https://www.humanitywelfarehelpline.org/media/Zaiba-Aapa-Institute-of-Inclusive-Education-in-RK.pdf

Naraian, S., & Natarajan, P. (2013). Negotiating normalcy with peers in contexts of inclusion: Perceptions of youth with disabilities in India. International journal of disability, development and education, 60(2), 146-166. DOI: 10.1080/1034912X.2013.786565.

Neuman, W. L. (2014). Social research methods: Qualitative and quantitative approaches. Essex, UK: Pearson.

NUEPA (National University of Educational Planning and Administration). (2016). Elementary education in India. Where do we stand? State Report Cards 2015–2016. New Delhi: NUEPA.

Oliver, M. (1990). The Politics of Disablement. Basingstoke: Macmillan.

Oliver, M. (1996). “Education for all? A perspective on an inclusive society.” In M. Oliver (Eds.), Understanding Disability (pp 78-94). Palgrave, London.

Oliver, M., & Barnes, C. (2010). Disability studies, disabled people and the struggle for inclusion. British journal of sociology of education, 31(5), 547-560. https://doi.org/10.1080/01425692.2010.500088

Pasha, S. (2012). Readiness of Urban Primary Schools for Inclusive Education in Pakistan. Journal of Research & Reflections in Education (JRRE), 6(2). 113-128.

Pitt, V., & Curtin, M. (2004). Integration versus segregation: the experiences of a group of disabled students moving from mainstream school into special needs further education. Disability & Society, 19(4), 387-401. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687590410001689485

Sebba, J., & Sachdev, D. (1997). What works in inclusive education? Ilford, UK: Barnardos.

Serpell, R., & Jere-Folotiya, J. (2011). Basic education for children with special needs in Zambia: Progress and challenges in the translation of policy into practice. Psychology and Developing Societies, 23(2), 211-245.

Shah, R., Das, A., Desai, I., & Tiwari, A. (2016). Teachers' concerns about inclusive education in A Ahmedabad, India. Journal of Research in Special Educational Needs, 16(1), 34-45.

Shah, S. (2007). Special or mainstream? The views of disabled students. Research papers in education, 22(4), 425-442.

Shakespeare, T. (2006). The social model of disability. In L.J. Davis (Eds.), The disability studies reader (pp 197-204). New York: Routledge.

Sharma, U., Moore, D., & Sonawane, S. (2009). Attitudes and concerns of pre-service teachers regarding inclusion of students with disabilities into regular schools in Pune, India. Asia-Pacific Journal of Teacher Education, 37(3), 319-331. https://doi.org/10.1080/13598660903050328

Singal, N. (2005). Mapping the field of inclusive education: A review of the Indian literature. International journal of inclusive education, 9(4), 331-350. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603110500138277

Singal, N. (2006). An Eco systemic approach for understanding inclusive education: An Indian case study. European Journal of Psychology of Education, 21, 239-252.

Singal, N. (2008). Working towards inclusion: Reflections from the classroom. Teaching and Teacher Education, 24(6), 1516-1529. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.tate.2008.01.008

Singal, N. (2010). Doing disability research in a Southern context: Challenges and Possibilities. Disability & Society, 25(4), 415-426. https://doi.org/10.1080/09687591003755807

Singal, N. (2019). Challenges and opportunities in efforts towards inclusive education: Reflections from India. International journal of inclusive education, 23(7-8), 827-840. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2019.1624845

Slee, R. (2001). Driven to the margins: Disabled students, inclusive schooling and the politics of possibility. Cambridge Journal of Education, 31(3), 385-397. https://doi.org/10.1080/03057640120086620

Sawhney, S. (2015). Unpacking the nature and practices of inclusive education: The case of two schools in Hyderabad, India. International Journal of Inclusive Education, 19(9), 887-907. https://doi.org/10.1080/13603116.2015.1015178

Naraian, S., & Natarajan, P. (2013). Negotiating normalcy with peers in contexts of inclusion: Perceptions of youth with disabilities in India. International journal of disability, development and education, 60(2), 146-166. DOI: 10.1080/1034912X.2013.786565

Tangen, R. (2008). Listening to children’s voices in educational research: some theoretical and methodological problems. European journal of special needs education, 23(2), 157-166.

UNESCO. (1994). (The) Statement and Framework for Action on Special Needs Education. 1994. Madrid: UNESCO/Ministry of Education and Science.

UNESCO. (2011). Out-of-school Children and Youth. UNESCO: Institute for Statistics. http://www.uis.unesco.org/Education/ Pages/out-of-school-children.aspx/

UNESCO. (2019). N for nose: State of the education report for India 2019. Children with disabilities. New Delhi: UNESCO. https://unesdoc.unesco.org/ark:/48223/pf00003 68780?posInSet =1&queryId=61d8f754-79af-400a-ae81-8b3700e24397

Vlachou, A., Didaskalou, E., & Argyrakouli, E. (2006). Preferences of students with general learning difficulties for different service delivery modes. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 21(2), 201-216.

Wise, S. (2000). Listen to me! The voices of pupils with emotional and behavioural difficulties EBD. London: Sage Publications.

Yu, L., Su, X., & Liu, C. (2011). Issues of teacher education and inclusion in China. Prospects, 41, 355-369. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11125-011-9204-8


Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Bookmark and Share


Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.

ISSN: 2454-6623