ENHANCING INCLUSION AND ACCESSIBILITY



Disability inclusion means that individuals with disabilities have the opportunity to participate in every aspect of life to the fullest extent possible. These opportunities include participation in education, employment, public health programming, community living, and service learning. Including people with disabilities in everyday activities and encouraging them to have roles similar to their peers who do not have a disability is important for building the capacity of youth with disabilities, and making society more inclusive for all individuals.


Individuals with disabilities need what all people need, including school-based preparatory experiences and other opportunities to develop their knowledge and skills. While people with disabilities should set and manage their own goals, they can experience many challenges in accessing and participating in education due to external barriers like stereotypes, low expectations, implicit bias (i.e., unconscious bias), the financial costs of providing unique services in a school, and underprepared educators. Special education services, accommodations, accessibility, universal design for learning, and modifications can help to bridge this gap and ensure that disabled persons have equal opportunities in school.



​RASIT’s commitment to inclusive and accessible education, which is part of the its strategy framework, aims to provide all students with equal opportunities to reach their full potential. RASIT recognizes the importance of this in its education scheme, learning solutions and in addressing harmful stereotypes or limited perspectives.



FOCUS AREAS



Develop



Accessible and Inclusive Education Policy




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Provide



Practical Guidance for Educators




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Support



Tools and Resources




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Advice



Accessibility Solutions




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"Achieving Sustainable Development Goal 4 will be impossible without improving access to and quality of education for children and people with disabilities."



HRH Princess Dr. Nisreen El-Hashemite

RASIT's Executive Director



ACCESSIBLE AND INCLUSIVE EDUCATION POLICY



It is well known that reaching children and youth with disabilities remains one of the main groups being widely excluded from quality education. Disability is recognized as one of the least visible yet most potent factors in educational marginalization.


People with disabilities have the right to education. Article 24 of the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, is on education and includes the following:

State Parties shall ensure that:

  • persons with disabilities are not excluded from the general education system on the basis of disability, and that children with disabilities are not excluded from free and compulsory primary education, or from secondary education, on the basis of disability.
  • persons with disabilities receive the support required, within the general education system, to facilitate their effective education.
  • persons with disabilities can access an inclusive, quality and free primary education and secondary education on an equal basis with others in the communities in which they live.
  • reasonable accommodation of the individual’s requirements is provided.
  • effective individualized support measures are provided in environments that maximize academic and social development, consistent with the goal of full inclusion.

The best way to improve education for people with disabilities is to improve the education sector as a whole.


RASIT assist governments and institutions in developing and strengthening its policies and strategic plans to promote accessible and inclusive education systems from kindergarten to university levels.




PRACTICAL GUIDANCE FOR EDUCATORS



Within lectures, barriers often relate to a ‘one-size-fits-all’ delivery style and the fact that adjustments for disabled students are often not anticipated at the lecture preparation stage.


Course or subject educators should play an active role in removing barriers by building accessibility into all courses and ensuring that competence standards are non-discriminatory.


RASIT provides academic institutions with practical guidance with clear information for educators and staff about how to apply disability accessibility to teaching and learning.


Our approach is to develop guidance that aims to raise awareness and understanding among academic staff and educators of their responsibilities towards disabled students, provide practical examples of how academics can support disabled students to reach their full potential to succeed and participate in all areas of their programs and promote a more inclusive approach to learning, teaching, and assessment. The guidance developed by RASIT are also intended to be a tool for staff development and training.


Areas covered in the practical guidance designed, include:

  • Admissions and induction
  • Program design and validation
  • Lectures
  • Practical sessions
  • Group work
  • e-learning and distance learning
  • Work placements, field trips and study abroad
  • Assessment
  • Retention
  • Progression and transition
  • Employability


ACCESSIBILITY TOOLS FOR INCLUSIVE LEARNING



Not everyone learns the same way, just as not everyone teaches the same way. It’s imperative that education institutions recognize every student’s need as an individual and build learning tools that reflect this.


According to the World Health Organization (WHO), one billion people experience a form of disability. It’s important to remember that disabilities are not always visible or obvious.


Fostering equity and inclusivity in education institutions is a challenge, but it’s important that accessibility is not just about opening doors but ensuring that they remain open. The doors to schools and universities have opened wider across the globe, with progression in accessibility and inclusion. As admission to primary and higher education expands its accessibility, the learning must do well to keep up.


RASIT professional fellow members have been helping educators in creating tools and resources to make learning inclusive and accessible.


Our tailored and holistic approach starts with:

  • assess the students with disabilities needs,
  • train educators in how to meet the needs of students with disabilities.
  • creating accessible lectures based on the subject taught,
  • developing toolkits and resources to provide educators with guidance on ensuring inclusivity and accessibility when designing and delivering their courses and activities,
  • etiquette guide for communicating with people who have special needs or disabilities, and
  • teaching assessment checklist.


ACCESSIBILITY SOLUTIONS



Whether for governments or academic institutions, to improve or develop a code of practice, accessibility solutions, or make significant changes to the way education services are delivered, RASIT’s fellow blind, deaf, and physical disability professionals Members and partners are ready to help and provide support.


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