Editorial [Malta Review of Educational Research, 11(2)]

Abstract

Inclusive education is about making sure that schools, colleges and universities, and the education systems within which they operate, cater for the individual educational needs of each and every student. It is about asking the question ‘what do we need to do to accommodate this student’s needs?’. For this special issue of the Malta Review of Education Research, we have sought answers to this question in relation to the inclusion of disabled students. More specifically, we have sought these answers from research carried out with disabled students themselves. The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) (United Nations 2006) determines the rights of disabled students in education. Article 24 sets out the details of these rights, establishing that non-discrimination and equal opportunity in the area of education requires ‘an inclusive education system at all levels and lifelong learning’ (Article 24.1) and the provision of a quality and holistic education that enables disabled students to develop their potential to the maximum. Furthermore, these rights require the provision of reasonable accommodation that attends to disabled students’ impairmentrelated needs, including Braille, sign language, augmentative and alternative forms of communication, and individualized support. Crucially, Article 24 also emphasizes the function of education to enable disabled students to attain a ‘sense of dignity and self-worth’ (Article 24.1(a)) and ‘to participate effectively in a free society’ (Article 24.1(c)).