INCLUSION : THE WAY FORWARD

Welcome to the online course ‘INCLUSION- THE WAY FORWARD’.

This course has been started by ANUGRAHAM in collaboration with the Institute of Community Integration at the University of Minnesota to increase awareness, acceptance and inclusion of individuals with special needs. ANUGRAHAM is an initiative to train teachers, parents, principals, Special educators to achieve inclusion in every school of India.

The Institute on Community Integration (ICI) at the University of Minnesota pushes the edge of inclusion through an intensive focus on policies and practices that affect children, youth, and adults with disabilities, and those receiving educational supports. ICI’s collaborative research, training, and information-sharing ensure that people with disabilities are valued by, included in, and contribute to their communities of choice throughout their lifetime. ICI works with service providers, policymakers, educators, employers, advocacy organizations, researchers, families, community members, and individuals with disabilities around the world, building communities that are inclusive.

The National Educational Policy 2020 (India) envisages Equitable and Inclusive education. The term Inclusion is a broad umbrella term encompassing diversities of gender, abilities, learning styles, languages, socio-economic status and backgrounds. All classrooms across the globe are essentially heterogeneous.

When we ensure inclusive, accessible and quality education for children and persons with disabilities at all levels (primary, secondary, tertiary, and vocational training) resulting in relevant and effective learning outcomes, the Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG)will be achieved.

This course empowers the participants to address the inclusive educational needs of children with disabilities and diverse learning needs using a human -rights based model. It is an 8-week course designed to help the participants at  their own pace. They will be continuously mentored throughout the course to ensure complete learning. The participants can pace themselves and move at their own comfort levels to complete the course. All participants will have a log -in ID and password through which they will access the modules of every week.  Course related material which includes videos, reading material and assessments will be posted at the beginning of every week. Participants need to complete their reading and submit the assignments online. There will be an online session for 1.5 hours every week on Zoom during which the weekly topics and performance in assignments will be discussed and questions will be answered. The course material will be in English and during the synchronous sessions, Hindi English and vernacular languages will be used as per the need of the participants. 

The course will thus operate on both synchronous ((live meetings where instructors and students are together) and asynchronous (activities students engage in on their own time) modes.

Learning takes place by making connections. When one concept gets associated with another by memorizing, by experiencing, by conversing, by analyzing or by responding, connections are made. This course incorporates all of these by setting up the conditions to learn. .

Each of us has a unique way of learning. There is no universal “best” learning method, but generally we learn well when we set our own goals; make active choices about what we do and don’t want to learn; and think about what we have just learnt and relate it to our knowledge.

Most importantly, we learn well when we share and enjoy the experience!

By being expert goal directed learners ourselves, we will learn to make expert learners of all our children irrespective of the diversities they face. Let us together make education in India more inclusive, open opportunities to the marginalized to be included and make our society a better place for individuals with disabilities.

So ‘All the best’ for this journey!!!

Subha Chandrashekhar
Founder-Director
RCI Rehabilitation Practitioner & Consultant Special Educator
Fulbright DAI Scholar, Arizona State University
ADA Fellow, University of Minnesota