Social participation of children and youth with disabilities in Canada, France and Germany

Abstract

This article proposes a reflection on the issue of the terminology of inclusive education that has been dominating the national and international debates. Reviewing some of the relevant literature and drawing from observations in the education system, the author poses the question if the terms of inclusion and inclusive education represent the most operational terminology when it comes to education of children with disabilities and the different contexts in which their education and schooling occurs. Using examples from four different research studies in France, Germany and Canada, the author demonstrates that inclusion, under the lens of social participation, needs to be reconsidered by listening to people with disabilities, and also by accommodating the need for designated spaces that are offering a reprieve and safety from an ableist society.

Keywords:

• disability
• inclusive education
• special education needs
• social participation
• inclusion

Notes on contributor

Dr Cornelia Schneider is an Associate Professor at Mount Saint Vincent University in Halifax, NS, Canada. Her research interests focus on people involved in educational processes, especially children themselves, in the perspective of sociology of childhood and disability studies, recognising children as actors. Furthermore, Dr Schneider uses comparative education in order to examine issues around educational and inclusive policies, strategies, and practices.

Notes

1. Booth (2011, 38) puts the following universal values at the core for the creation of an inclusive school: equality, rights, participation, community, respect for diversity, compassion, sustainability, non-violence, trust, honesty, courage, joy, love, hope/optimism and beauty.

2. The following studies stem from a comparative research study on peer relationships in inclusive classrooms in France and Germany (Schneider 2007, 2009, 2011); an ethnographic study of youth transitioning into the workplace in a Canadian programme (Schneider 2010) and a mixed methods (surveys, focus groups and interviews) study of the alumni of this programme.

3. LGBTQ: Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Trans, Queer.