Education for All: Disability, Diversity and Inclusion - University of Cape Town

Have you or a family member ever been excluded from any learning, social, or other activity - at work, at school or socially? You may remember how painful this experience was. Millions of children around the world are excluded from access to education because of a disability - their exclusion robs them of their potential and diminishes our society.

Inclusive education is about addressing barriers to learning and participation and transforming school communities to allow them to really benefit from inclusion. Although inclusive education is about all forms of diversity, on this course you learn specifically about disability - as it is often an aspect of diversity that is neglected.

Access to education for children with disabilities has been a challenge in many countries, with problems ranging from lack of resources, discriminatory policies, cultural and social prejudice, as well as the lack of practical support for teachers and parents.

This course aims to help teachers, other professionals and parents to tackle inclusion, in a practical way, in their own environment. Over six weeks, we will look at the background of disability and strategies for creating an enabling environment in the school and community.

You will learn in a variety of ways, from short video lectures, readings and discussions, to online quizzes. Each will introduce different perspectives in the inclusive education framework and help you to apply inclusive education in your own context.

From challenging perceptions of disability to everyday classroom practices, this course will offer you insights from a range of people who have worked with disabled children - parents, teachers, facilitators, occupational and allied therapists and school principals.

You will also learn from established educators. Dr Judith McKenzie is a lecturer and researcher at the University of Cape Town who has taught and published extensively on disability and inclusive education; she has worked in rural areas focusing on community based and interdisciplinary efforts to address disability, exclusion and poverty.

Chioma Ohajunwa has a B.Ed in Special Education and Language Arts and an MPhil in Disability Studies and has worked in various contexts ranging from educare for disabled children in Nigeria and Liberia, to disabilities studies in South African higher education.

In the words of American educator, Dr Kevin Maxwell, “Our job is to teach the kids we have. Not the ones we would like to have. Not the ones we used to have. Those we have right now…all of them.” This course will help you teach all of our children, right now.

● Week 1 - Why inclusion?

● Week 2 - Education begins at home

● Week 3 - Creating an inclusive school

● Week 4 - Partnerships for success

● Week 5 - Changing classroom practices

● Week 6 - Building networks