an online magazine from eyeway.org
an online magazine from eyeway.org
issue 2
january-february 2005
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other sections in this issue: by george | perspectives | profile | headlines | forum
Within walls, without boundaries
Handbook of inclusive education for educators, administrators, and planners
When
a country talks about ‘Education for all’, it means including everybody.
And when the country in question is India, with nearly 70 million disabled citizens,
it also means education for disabled children as well. Inclusive education is
the most feasible way of ensuring that education and its resultant opportunities
reach every child.
Moreover, inclusion should not be limited to only children with disabilities; it should embrace children who face any kind of barrier to education. Special institutions came into being to fill this vacuum. Over time, they have, however, only perpetuated the gap between children with disabilities and those without.
A new handbook, titled ‘Within walls, without boundaries’, aims to put the issue of inclusive education into perspective. It is based on the premise that diversity should not be used to segregate, that inclusive schools help the development of communities where all children are equally valued and receive the same opportunities for growth. A first of its kind handbook for educators, administrators and planners, it admirably bridges the yawning gap between the theory and practice of inclusive education. The handbook is meant to help policy-makers, teachers, educationists and even school administrators understand the basic concept of an ‘inclusive school’. It is meant to provide a roadmap of how to make people with different disabilities integral participants in the process of change.
“We do believe that this book has the potential to start off a change in thinking and perceptions about the education of persons with disabilities,” write the authors, George Abraham and Madhumita Puri, in the Preface to the book. “It would also establish that ‘inclusion’ is no longer an experiment. It is very much do-able and must be pursued.”
The handbook brings together varied models, experiences, first person accounts and success stories. It presents practical strategies that can be followed in the day-to-day practice and implementation of inclusive education. It is divided into three units. The first gives an overview of the concept and practice, as well as the policy and legal aspects, of inclusive education. The second unit describes innovative practices in the implementation of such models for children with a wide range of disabilities. The last unit discusses current developments and describes what a ‘real’ inclusive school should be like.
The handbook makes a strong case for inclusive education; for a system whose effects will echo for generations as children grow up recognising, experiencing and accommodating diversity. Education leads to comprehending your environment, and disability is part of that environment. This handbook shows us the way of creating a generation of adults who will understand and live with disability, not as a concept but as a way of life.