Inclusive Education

Inclusive education is a justice-based educational philosophy grounded in a belief that all children have the right to an education within their neighborhood schools, using strategies that are responsive to their strengths and needs for support. For students with disabilities specifically, inclusive education involves the provision of individualized instruction and interventions that allow access to the core curriculum. Inclusive education requires that teachers proactively set up accessible learning environments and make adaptations to curricular content or instructional methods as needed, in order to ensure meaningful participation for all students. Entities such as UNESCO have positioned inclusive education as a fundamental civil right and an equity-based educational model. In recent decades, there has been an increasing global commitment to inclusive education, based on research indicating the benefits of this practice for students with and without disabilities. However, numerous systemic and attitudinal barriers continue to present obstacles to the full implementation of inclusive education in many countries, and large numbers of disabled students continue to be placed in segregated educational settings. Ultimately, inclusive education requires a paradigm shift—one in which disability is positioned as a form of human diversity, and inclusivity in schools is understood as both a prerequisite for and an outcome of a democratic society. This chapter outlines the conceptual and practice-based components of inclusive education, as well as the outcomes, and implications of this educational approach.