Inclusion Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 1000 words - 1

Inclusion - Essay Example The term "inclusion" captures the two-way movement taking place to abolish the distinction between the disabled and the general population. Rather than treat the disabled as a separate group, those who support the notion of "inclusion" called for promoting the principle that society and its institutions have to structure its processes and systems to accommodate everyone without any form of discrimination so that a wide range of people with their individual characteristics, including that portion although a minority to be a part of, and not apart from, of the benefits that can be enjoyed by the general population. Thus, while inclusion has been widely used in the field of education, arising from the roots of liberal and progressive interpretations of the declaration of human rights, it has widened its scope to cover the ideal of an inclusive society (Ainscow). An inclusive society is one where any person can fit in and realize his/her full potential with the help of social institutions that are prepared to do so, instead of focusing mainly its resources to the general population that is characterized by the statistical mean. The reasons for the growing popularity of inclusion are easy to understand. With the growth in prosperity of human societies, there is likewise an improvement in the level of knowledge and science that has enabled society to better understand many of the scientific causes of disabilities. There is likewise a growing sensitivity to the plight of those with these disabilities, and the growing realization that the opportunities enjoyed by the majority of the population should also be enjoyed by those members of society who, regardless of where the fault lies, have disabilities. Therefore, the purpose of inclusion is humane and recognizes the idea that the quality of a society can be gauged by the way it takes care of those who suffer and are least capable of taking care of themselves because they participate and carry out their social function with a physical or mental handicap. Inclusion, therefore, is a good development because it recognizes the dignity and value of every person, and that everyone, including (or especially) those with disabilities can contribute in their own way to make the world a better place for everyone until the end of time. Meanings of Inclusion Inclusion is a term that has several meanings of varied depth and scope. It means more than the simple integration of disabled persons in mainstream or regular schools and in society (Low). The meaning has developed into an ideal of "inclusivism" that takes into consideration all children as a whole and focuses on radical changes that need to be made in schools and educational and teaching systems, instead of just re-placing children from a special to a mainstream education setting (Booth et al.; Wedell; Porter in Thomas et al.). Inclusion is easier dreamt of and said than done because of its complex nature that demands a reorganizing and reconstructing various aspects of the educational system. Gregory argues that these adaptations vary according to the disability, but several changes apply to the wider set of students. Gregory adds that changes would include environmental arrangements like the physical layout of classes, equal access to facilities from anywhere, playground adaptations; material and equipment