Having a disability can be one of the most marginalizing factors in a child’s life. In education, finding ways to meet the learning needs of students with disabilities can be challenging, especially in schools, districts, regions, and countries with severely limited resources. Inclusive education—which fully engages all students, including students with disabilities or other learning challenges, in quality education—has proven particularly effective in helping all students learn, even while challenges to implementing inclusive education systems remain. This guide provides suggestions for developing inclusive education systems and policies, especially for low- and middle-income countries that are moving from a segregated system toward an inclusive system of education. We specifically address the needs of countries with limited resources for implementing inclusive education. However, our strategies and recommendations can be equally useful in other contexts where inclusive education practices have not yet been adopted.

Having a disability can be one of the most marginalizing factors in a child's life. In education, finding ways to meet the learning needs of students with disabilities can be challenging, especially in schools, districts, regions, and countries with severely limited resources. Inclusive education--which fully engages all students, including students with disabilities or other learning challenges, in quality education--has proven particularly effective in helping all students learn, even while challenges to implementing inclusive education systems remain. This guide provides suggestions for developing inclusive education systems and policies, especially for low- and middle-income countries that are moving from a segregated system toward an inclusive system of education. We specifically address the needs of countries with limited resources for implementing inclusive education. However, our strategies and recommendations can be equally useful in other contexts where inclusive education practices have not yet been adopted.

Students with disabilities who are not able to perform to the best of their abilities often find themselves learning in inaccessible environments and subjected to increased stress levels due to the haphazard provisioning of education characterized by physical, communicative, and unsuitable teaching and learning approaches. Very often this is a result of various shortcomings including unfair assessment practices. Misconceptions and a lack of knowledge with regard to the implementation of inclusive education detract from the successful admission of students with disabilities and their retention and active participation. The Handbook of Research on Creating Spaces for African Epistemologies in the Inclusive Education Discourse explores the concept of inclusive education in an African context. It advocates for the monitoring and evaluation of inclusive education and proposes interventions where reasonable accommodation or lack of accessibility is a reason for students with disabilities to not benefit from this system. Covering topics such as barriers to learning, rural schools, and student support, this major reference work is an essential resource for administrators, advocates for students with disabilities, policymakers, researchers, pre-service teachers, educators, academicians, and students.

At the midway point towards the United Nations (UN) Agenda 2030, this critical volume focuses on how a range of contextually diverse countries are progressing towards inclusive education. Contributors critically consider the current state of inclusive education in their own countries in relation to meeting the UN’s Agenda 2030 initiative and Sustainable Development Goal 4. The foundation is set in chapter one by the editors, with a historical overview of inclusion and inclusive policies globally. Key international scholars critique the history and status of inclusion in their respective contexts. In reference to local research, they explore the history of inclusion, the current policies and state of inclusion, barriers and levers for inclusion, and look towards the future of inclusive education. Chapters demonstrate how the continued call for a shift towards inclusive education in different countries is extremely complex and varies greatly within each international context. Attention is given to levers promoting inclusion through contextually appropriate international initiatives and the importance of the realignment of policies and practices if all countries are to achieve the 2030 UN’s education goal. Progress Toward Agenda 2030 serves to challenge all educational stakeholders to critically consider, analyze, and innovate policies and practices for inclusive education for all by 2030.

Children living with disabilities face hardships of many kinds that make it impossible for them to access quality education in the same way as their peers in the schooling system. All children are entitled to quality education and a supportive school environment that allows them to develop to their full potential irrespective of their disabilities. However, different factors make it difficult for many learners who live with disabilities to access, participate, and succeed in the schooling system. The Handbook of Research on Shifting Paradigms of Disabilities in the Schooling System focuses on the global trends in education that require the total eradication of every form of impediment in the process of accessing quality education and lifelong learning for people living with disabilities. Rooted in the philosophy of equal rights, human dignity, and social justice, access to quality education for all has led to the current drive for inclusive education. Covering topics such as inclusive schooling systems, visual impairments, and emotional disabilities, this major reference work is an essential resource for students and faculty of higher education, administrators of both K-12 and higher education, government officials, policymakers, non-profit organizations, researchers, and academicians.

Known as the breadbasket of Europe, Ukraine, presently being in the center of international concerns and hopes, shows new dimensions of dignity and determination for which it may be called the school of the world. This collection of texts on inclusion of persons with special educational needs and disabilities from international and Ukrainian scholars was mostly written before the biggest war in Europe since WWII. This volume is the first book for the English reading public on Ukraine’s view on inclusive education. It is always useful to start from the backgrounds and witness the future development. Contributors are: Natalia Andriichuk, Tetyana Blyznyuk, Olena Budnyk, Inna Chervinska, Olga Derkachova, Iryna Dubkovetska, Stephanie Fitzgerald, Kateryna Fomin, Clayton E. Keller, Karolina Kołodziejczak, Mykhaylo Kotyk, Donald F. Lavin, Jr., Zoriana Leniv, Nataliia Matveieva, Kelly Ann Merchant, Mykhailo Palahniuk, Katarzyna Smoter, Armineh Soorenian, Lidia Sydoriv, Sergiy Sydoriv, Olha Telna, Oksana Tytun, Hryhorii Vasianovych and Anna Ziętek.

Learning disabilities are among the most common disabilities experienced in childhood and adulthood. Although identifying learning disabilities in a school setting is a complex process, it is particularly challenging in low- and middle-income countries that lack the appropriate resources, tools, and supports. This guide provides an introduction to learning disabilities and describes the processes and practices that are necessary for the identification process. It also describes a phased approach that countries can use to assess their current screening and evaluation services, as well as determine the steps needed to develop, strengthen, and build systems that support students with learning disabilities. This guide also provides intervention recommendations that teachers and school administrators can implement at each phase of system development. Although this guide primarily addresses learning disabilities, the practices, processes, and systems described may be also used to improve the identification of other disabilities commonly encountered in schools.

For “A School for All” to be a reality, changes need to be made to the education system regarding culture, policies, and practices within schools. Inclusive education requires more than just a standard educational provision. Teaching and education have been extensively researched during the COVID-19 pandemic, and yet there is little research that has addressed the practices that can improve phygital teaching effectiveness in inclusive environments. Following the move to online teaching programs in the pandemic, children with special needs faced even greater challenges, including digital exclusion and the threat of being left behind, as well as the inability of teachers to teach them appropriately due to an absence of appropriate assistive equipment, internet access, accessible materials, and poor preparation. Inclusive Phygital Learning Approaches and Strategies for Students With Special Needs provides current, relevant information concerning inclusive classroom teaching approaches during COVID-19, which are still implemented post COVID-19. Covering topics such as inclusive classroom teaching, phygital teaching, and the digital divide, this book is essential for pre-service and in-service teachers, inclusive educational leaders, academics, curriculum development specialists, and those who are interested in inclusive phygital practices for students in special education.

The International Science and Evidence Based Education (ISEE) Assessment is an initiative of the UNESCO Mahatma Gandhi Institute of Education for Peace and Sustainable Development (MGIEP), and is its contribution to the Futures of Education process launched by UNESCO Paris in September 2019. In order to contribute to re-envisioning the future of education with a science and evidence based report, UNESCO MGIEP embarked on the first-ever large-scale assessment of knowledge of education.