Make education fully accessible and inclusive for everyone, everywhere | #SocietySomedaySunday
Society someday will... make education fully accessible and inclusive for everyone, everywhere.
Towards the end of secondary school, my education became everything to me. I had always taken it seriously, but as the stakes got higher and people around me figured out what they wanted to do with their lives, it became paramount. For me, it was a way for me to prove myself and deal with any teasing I experienced.
I also saw education as a way to compensate for the things I find hard due to my disability. Everyone compensates for something to some extent, but to me it meant a lot. I’d say I’m a little better at accepting my limits now, although it is still in the back of my mind.
There were times I felt different from my peers, because of the accommodations I needed to be able to complete exams. I can only speak for myself as a physically disabled person who attended mainstream schools. The work we were completing was the same, yet it at times felt harder because of the physical challenges involved.
On occasion, I felt held back, and I worked so hard to prove myself. I couldn’t help but wonder if it was because people had judged me based on (their ideas of) my abilities. So, it’s not always easy. But that’s not the point of this post. I wrote this post because around the world, many, many disabled children (and adults) do not have access to education, especially not one that is inclusive and safe. The World Bank (2020) reported findings from the Education Commission - that at least half of the World’s disabled children are not in school, and UNICEF - that around 85% of primary school aged children not in school have never attended. These statistics are heartbreaking for me, and make me feel even more grateful to have the opportunities I do.
The real question is, How can we change this? Well, clearly there are practical elements such as ensuring educational institutions are physically accessible and greater resources go into making schools inclusive (though initiatives such as the World Bank’s Inclusive Education Initiative (IEI) have started to make good strides towards this.
I think the other aspect which can sometimes be overlooked (and everyone has the power to change) is the attitudes we have towards disability and education, how it is seen socially. I believe we need to try to challenge any preconceptions we have about someone’s abilities. We need to recognise the potential of every child to achieve their best, and give them the support they heed to do this. More widely, I think we need to see the education of disabled people as meaningful and acknowledge that disabled people are able to contribute to society in whatever ways they can if social barriers they face are removed.
It means so much to me that every child (and adult) - regardless of their ability, need or any other social grouping receive access to a good quality, safe and inclusive education. I hope that one day it is realised.
Thank you for reading and your support!
Ellie
Source: World Bank (2020) One-Year Anniversary of the Inclusive Education Initiative: Influencing Discourses Around Education for Children With Disabilities. Available online at: https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/feature/2020/04/23/one-year-anniversary-of-the-inclusive-education-initiative Accessed 17 October 2020
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