The acknowledgment and development of diversity in communities are one of the primary benefits of inclusive education. It strives to bring together various children in the classroom, allowing everyone the same opportunity to grow and learn. As a result, it can improve cooperation and collaboration at the local level among parents, children, and people outside of the school. However, teaching children with disabilities has several features and may affect teaching practice.
Educators must guarantee that classrooms are accessible to students with disabilities. The Americans with Disabilities Act mandates inclusive education in grades K-12 (ADA Amendments Act of 2008). It provides requirements on classroom design, teaching tactics, and technology use. To transmit vital information, ADA compliance also necessitates the use of communication tools such as captioning and transcribing services. The ADAAA clarified and expanded the definition of “disability,” increasing the number and categories of people protected under the ADA and other federal anti-discrimination legislation.
To establish an inclusive classroom that values all kids, the teacher must work to build a community that prioritizes the student over his or her condition. Disability designations have the potential to stigmatize and propagate the incorrect assumption that pupils with impairments are less capable than their peers. As a general rule, a handicap should only be mentioned when it is relevant to the context. If there is a student with a disability in the class, the teacher should develop teaching materials, content, and instructions that will benefit all students. Furthermore, it is critical to learn about each student’s needs. Each student is an individual with diverse abilities, and such requirements should be identified and met regardless of ability (Clark et al., 2018). This may entail making the classroom physically accessible, such as by providing a walker or structuring the classroom such that a child in a wheelchair may move around as easily as any other student. If necessary, extra equipment will be provided. Furthermore, a range of teaching and evaluation approaches must be used so that all students can demonstrate their talents. There are also differences between the ground-based class and the k12 online class. It is essential to consider that the colors, fonts, and formats of materials are easily perceived by students with low vision or a form of color blindness, as well as to ensure high-quality sound. Whether the learning is online or ground-based, it is important to talk to students about inclusion and respond appropriately to bullying.
References
ADA Amendments Act of 2008. (n.d.). Web.
Clark, C., Dyson, A., Millward, A. (2018). Towards Inclusive Schools? Routledge.