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Education for All: Disability, Diversity and Inclusion

Discover ways to make education more inclusive, especially in areas where resources are limited.

57,089 enrolled on this course

School blackboard with colourful handprints
  • Duration

    6 weeks
  • Weekly study

    3 hours

Learn practical strategies for making education inclusive

Millions of children around the world are excluded from access to education because of a disability - robbing them of their potential and diminishing our society.

On this course you will learn about inclusive education, understanding what barriers there are to learning and how to challenge them. Over six weeks you will learn from a range of people with experience of disability, discovering practical ways to create a more inclusive learning environment that you can apply in your own area.

Join us and help create a world where learning is for all children.

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Skip to 0 minutes and 21 seconds When we think about education for all. What is inclusion? Why discuss it? Inclusion is important because it implies an acceptance and a celebration of human diversity. It is about all of us. We need to contribute and participate and know that we’re making a difference in our communities and in the lives of others. It is through inclusion that we achieve education for all children in all their diversity. In this course we’ll focus on a particular aspect of diversity which is disability. We’ll learn more about how our educational systems can adjust to welcome children with disabilities into schools and we’ll also look at how the student can be supported to be, to participate, and to belong.

Skip to 1 minute and 4 seconds When my son was born we were told that he had a genetic syndrome, and words like ‘mental retardation’, ‘developmental delay’ were thrown at us. And this meant all our dreams for his future were shattered. And we had no idea what education would look like for him. But as he started growing and as we started hearing about what the options were, this idea of inclusion really appeal to us. The idea that Matt could be accepted for who he was in a every day government school where he could learn alongside the children from the community, and not segregated to a school for children with special needs. You do not have to be a well resourced school to make inclusion happen.

Skip to 1 minute and 43 seconds The three main resources you actually need are passion, commitment, and cooperation. What is amazing about inclusion is that when it is successful, it is beneficial to everyone who participated in making it happen. So this is what the course is about. We come together to engage and to explore proven ways of making inclusion happen, and in this way we further the goal of education for all.

What topics will you cover?

  • Why inclusion – the benefits of inclusive education
  • The social context of disability and identifying the barriers to inclusion
  • The role of the family supporting inclusive schooling
  • The importance of a home-school partnership
  • How to build an inclusive school environment
  • Community support for inclusive schooling – key stakeholders, community assets and changing mindsets
  • Changing classroom practices to maximise inclusion
  • Curriculum differentiation and practical tips for teaching
  • Professional support networks to sustain teachers and develop inclusive practices

Learning on this course

On every step of the course you can meet other learners, share your ideas and join in with active discussions in the comments.

What will you achieve?

By the end of the course, you‘ll be able to...

  • Describe the principles and approaches of inclusive education
  • Identify environmental and social barriers to inclusion
  • Discuss the role of the family and the community in supporting inclusive education
  • Explore how to create an inclusive school environment
  • Apply ideas for inclusive education practices in the classroom
  • Explore the impact of attitudes on one's ability to implement inclusive education

Who is the course for?

The course has been created for teachers, other professionals and parents interested in developing inclusive education.

If you are part of a community wanting to develop inclusive education in a school, you could form a group to support each other’s learning and try out inclusive strategies. We will provide additional resources and ideas for those wanting to implement inclusive education practices, especially in low resource settings.

Who will you learn with?

Judith is a lecturer and researcher in Disability Studies at the University of Cape Town. She has worked in rural areas focusing particularly on community based and interdisciplinary projects.

Chioma has a B.Ed in Special Education, MPhil in Disability Studies and is currently working on her PhD. Chioma has worked in the disability field in Nigeria, Liberia and South Africa

Who developed the course?

University of Cape Town

The University of Cape Town is one of the leading higher education and research institutions on the African continent and has a tradition of academic excellence that is respected worldwide.

Learning on FutureLearn

Your learning, your rules

  • Courses are split into weeks, activities, and steps to help you keep track of your learning
  • Learn through a mix of bite-sized videos, long- and short-form articles, audio, and practical activities
  • Stay motivated by using the Progress page to keep track of your step completion and assessment scores

Join a global classroom

  • Experience the power of social learning, and get inspired by an international network of learners
  • Share ideas with your peers and course educators on every step of the course
  • Join the conversation by reading, @ing, liking, bookmarking, and replying to comments from others

Map your progress

  • As you work through the course, use notifications and the Progress page to guide your learning
  • Whenever you’re ready, mark each step as complete, you’re in control
  • Complete 90% of course steps and all of the assessments to earn your certificate

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