Martin Scanlan shares his journey into education and his research on inclusive schools. He discusses the importance of recognizing and addressing exclusionary barriers in schools and developing a comprehensive approach to social justice. He emphasizes the need for a schema, or a way of thinking, that goes beyond just having tools and techniques for inclusivity. Martin also highlights the significance of the relationship between schools and families in creating inclusive environments. He concludes by discussing the concept of embodiment and the need to design and redesign schools to accommodate the diversity of bodies.

In this conversation, Joanne Banks interviews Victoria Graf about her work in the field of inclusive education. Graf discusses her early career and how she became interested in working with students with disabilities. She also talks about the importance of teacher education and the challenges of creating inclusive education systems. Graf highlights the tensions and issues in inclusive education today, including resistance to the term 'inclusion' and the need for better models of inclusive practice. She also discusses her work in Northern Ireland and the challenges faced in creating a more inclusive education system there.

This conversation explores the journey of inclusive education in South Africa, highlighting the evolution of the education system, the challenges faced in special education, and the impact of policy development. Judith shares insights from her research on teacher education, the role of funding, and the importance of parent advocacy. The discussion also emphasizes the need for tailored curricula for students with intellectual disabilities and the significance of presuming competence in educational practices. https://health.uct.ac.za/idea/about-us-our-team/judith-mckenzie

Gordon Porter and Jodie Carr discuss their careers in inclusive education and what motivated them to work in this field. They highlight the importance of equity and fairness in providing education for all students, including those with disabilities. They emphasize the need for support and training for teachers to effectively implement inclusive practices in the classroom. They also discuss the role of school leadership in promoting and implementing inclusive education. However, they acknowledge that challenges still exist and continuous effort is required to maintain and improve inclusive education systems. The conversation explores the process of policy development and implementation for inclusive education. It discusses the history of inclusive education in New Brunswick, the challenges faced, and the successful practices that have been implemented. The importance of political leadership, collaboration, and support from stakeholders is emphasized. The conversation also touches on the funding challenges and the need for a vision of inclusion that acknowledges imperfections. The episode concludes with a mention of the 12 elements of successful inclusive education policy and legislative framework.

The conversation discusses the development and importance of the Altitude Charter for Universal Design in Tertiary Education in Ireland. The charter aims to create inclusive environments in education and employment for people with disabilities. It addresses the rising diversity in the student body and the need to adapt approaches to ensure inclusivity. The charter was developed through a collaborative process involving stakeholders from higher education institutions, further education and training sectors, and national stakeholders. The process included extensive consultations, focus groups, and surveys with students and educators. The charter is seen as a framework to guide institutions in implementing universal design practices and fostering a shared ecosystem of inclusion.   https://www.ahead.ie/altitude https://www.atu.ie/about/teaching-and-learning/altitude-charter

Alfredo J. Artiles shares his journey into inclusive education, the evolution of inclusive education globally, and the consequences of policy decisions. He discusses the justice paradox and the role of space in shaping educational experiences. He emphasizes the need to consider equity as embedded in assumptions, policies, and rules, and encourages cross-national exchange of research and ideas. Alfredo J. Artiles is the Lee L. Jacks Professor of Education at Stanford University. He is the Director of the Research Institute at Stanford’s Center for Comparative Studies in Race & Ethnicity. Dr. Artiles received an Honorary Doctorate from the University of Göteborgs (Sweden) and was Honorary Professor at the University of Birmingham (United Kingdom). His scholarship examines equity paradoxes created by educational policies. He studies how protections afforded by disability status can unwittingly stratify educational opportunities for minoritized groups and is advancing responses to these inequities. Dr. Artiles edits the book series Disability, Culture, & Equity (Teachers College Press). He has been appointed to three consensus panels of the National Academies of Sciences, Engineering and Medicine and was a member of the White House Commission on Educational Excellence for Hispanics. Artiles is an elected member of the American Academy of Arts & Sciences and the National Academy of Education. He is a Fellow of the American Educational Research Association and the National Education Policy Center and a Senior Research Fellow at the Learning Policy Institute. He was a Resident Fellow at Stanford’s Center for Advanced Studies in the Behavioral Sciences. Recent publications can be found here.   Website of the Public Scholarship Collaborative: https://publicscholarship.stanford.edu/

In this episode of Inclusion Dialogue, Dr. Rory O'Sullivan shares his extensive experience in the field of inclusive education and further education and training (FET) in Ireland. He discusses his early career, the evolution of FET, and the importance of inclusive practices for students with disabilities. Rory emphasizes the need for equity in education and the role of progressive policies in fostering an inclusive environment. The conversation highlights the diverse nature of FET and the ongoing dialogue necessary to improve educational practices. In this conversation, Rory O'Sullivan discusses the evolution of education policy in Ireland, emphasizing the importance of universal design in education and the need for inclusive practices. He reflects on his experiences as a principal and the impact of educational reforms, particularly during the Troika years. Rory also shares his current interests in skill development and the pathways through the education system, advocating for equal value among all educational routes.

In this conversation, Professor Sujata Bhan discusses her journey into the field of inclusive education and her experience in teaching special education. She explains the teacher education qualifications in India for pre-service teachers, including bachelor's and master's programs in special education. She also highlights the challenges that pre-service teachers face when engaging with special education and the broader topic of inclusive education. The conversation then delves into the current state of inclusive education policy in India and the direction it is headed. The government is taking initiatives for capacity building of in-service teachers and making changes to the pre-service education curriculum to better equip teachers in handling inclusive classrooms. In India, there is a push for comprehensive and inclusive teacher training programs to ensure that all teachers are equipped to manage diverse classrooms. Special educators have historically been treated as second-class citizens, but efforts are being made to bridge the gap and provide them with equal opportunities. The government is taking steps towards inclusive education, while still recognizing the need for special schools for students with severe and profound disabilities. The SNDT Women's University in India was founded in 1916 to empower women and provide education to widows who were marginalized in society. The university now offers a wide range of disciplines and aims to empower women in all fields. The university is hosting an International Conference on Education in 2025, focusing on embracing diversity and intersectional experiences. The conference aims to bring together international speakers and discuss best practices and challenges in inclusive education.

Elizabeth Walton shares her personal journey and experiences in the field of inclusive education, highlighting the challenges and injustices faced by individuals with disabilities. She discusses the entrenchment of special schools in the South African education system and the impact of colonialism on inclusive education. Additionally, she explores the concept of inclusive education as a knowledge practice and the importance of context in understanding inclusive education. The conversation also delves into the role of inclusive leadership in schools and the challenges faced by leaders in creating inclusive structures. Professor Walton’s new book ‘The Knowledge of Inclusive Education: An Ecological Approach’ is going to be released in March, here is the link for preorders More information on her work with the DRIVE project is here: https://includingdisabledrefugees.wordpress.com/

Michael Giangreco shares his journey into the field of inclusive education and the impact of his experiences at a summer camp. He discusses the evolution of his career and the different settings he has worked in, from institutions to community residences and segregated schools. Giangreco emphasizes the importance of inclusion and the need for adults to change their attitudes and expectations. He also talks about his cartoon work, which aims to hold a mirror up to the field of special education and make fun of the absurd things that educators do. Lastly, he discusses the concept of inclusion-informed service delivery and the need for a system that supports effective inclusive practices.   Link to bio: https://www.uvm.edu/cess/cdci/profiles/michael-f-giangreco-phd Cartoons: https://cdi.uvm.edu/collection/giangrecocartoons

Justin J.W. Powell has been Professor of Sociology of Education in the Institute of Education & Society at the University of Luxembourg since 2012. His comparative institutional analyses of educational systems chart persistence and change in special and inclusive education, in vocational training and higher education, and in science and research policy. His research—bridging sociology, political science, and education—has been widely published in English and German and received numerous international awards. Recent books include Barriers to Inclusion (Routledge, 2011/2016), Comparing Special Education: Origins to Contemporary Paradoxes (Stanford UP, 2011), The Century of Science: The Global Triumph of the Research University (Emerald, 2017), and European Educational Research (Re)Constructed: Institutional Change in Germany, the United Kingdom, Norway and the European Union (Oxford: Symposium Books). In 2017, he co-founded the Luxembourg Educational Research Association (LuxERA).

Deborah Gallagher is Professor of Education at the University of Northern Iowa. She received her PhD in Special Education at the University of Virginia in 1992. Her research interest centers on the philosophy of science as it pertains to research on disability, pedagogy, and policy in education and special education. Among numerous articles and book chapters, she is the lead author of a book entitled Challenging Orthodoxy in Special Education: Dissenting Voices (2004). In 2006, this book was selected by the European Educational Research Association as one of three key texts for the conference’s inclusion strand. She has presented invited papers on research methodology at both international (Norwegian University of Sport and Physical Education’s NYTT Seminar Program, Oslo Norway; Exeter University, Exeter, England and Leeds University, Leeds, England) and national conferences. She also served as an international advisory board member of the British Educational Research Journal and is a founding member of the Disability Studies in Education Special Interest Group at the American Educational Research Association where she has served as its co-chair and program chair.

Professor Chris Forlin is a Research Fellow at the University of Notre Dame Australia.  She is also an international education consultant specializing in supporting governments and school systems to implement effective and quality inclusive education. She has worked in the field of education for more than 40 years as a teacher, university lecturer and government advisor. Her extant research and publications focus on policy development for education reform and systemic support for children and youth with disabilities; and development of inclusive curriculum and pedagogy with a particular emphasis on inclusion in developing countries. Her most recent book, published by Emerald (2022), is on transition programs for children and youth with diverse needs published in the International Perspectives on Inclusive Education series that she edits.

Srikala Naraian is Professor of Education in the Department of Curriculum and Teaching at Teachers College, Columbia University. She locates herself in the disability studies tradition and is interested in qualitative inquiry in inclusive education and teacher preparation for inclusive education. Alongside her research in US public schools, Dr. Naraian has also prepared teachers for inclusive education in international contexts; she has served as a Fulbright Specialist in Germany and in India. She has published widely in many journals including International Journal of Inclusive Education, Teachers College Record and Curriculum Inquiry. Her recent books include Narratives of Inclusive Teaching: Stories of Becoming in the Field (2021), co-authored with Sarah Schlessinger and Teaching for Inclusion: Eight Principles for Equitable and Effective Practice (2017). 

My guest this week is Professor Suzanne Carrington who is a Research Professor in the Centre for Inclusive Education QUT Australia. She has over 27 years of experience working in universities including teaching, research, international development, and various leadership roles. Her areas of expertise are in inclusive education, ethical and transformative leadership for inclusive schools, disability and teacher preparation for inclusive schools. Suzanne is currently the Program Director of the School Years Program for The Cooperative Research Centre for Living with Autism (Autism CRC). http://www.autismcrc.com.au/.

James M. Kauffman is Professor Emeritus of Education, University of Virginia, where he joined the faculty in 1970. His Ed.D. (1969) is from the University of Kansas, and in 2011 he received the distinguished alumni award from the University of Kansas School of Education. He is a past president of the Council for Children with Behavioral Disorders and a former teacher of both general elementary students and special education for students with emotional and behavioral disorders. He is author or co-author and editor or co-editor of more than 30 books, many book chapters, and many journal articles. Garry Hornby and he edited a special issue of Education Sciences, which is to be published as a book in 2021 and titled Special and inclusive education: Perspectives, challenges and prospects. In 2020 he edited a volume titled On educational inclusion: Meanings, history, issues and international perspectives; He is also editor of a forthcoming book to be published in 2022, Revitalizing special education: Revolution, devolution, and evolution. 

My guest this week is Professor Johan Malmqvist, Professor of Education at Linnaeus University Department of Pedagogy and Learning in Sweden. His work focuses on issues around school context and pedagogical approaches in inclusive education with a particular focus on the conditions and adaptations required for inclusive education. Johan is an expert for the Swedish National Agency for Education.

This week I speak with two guests, Drs Susan Gabel and Amanda Miller, on the topic of inclusive education from the US perspective. Susan and Amanda work in the College of Education in Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan. In this podcast we talk about their research which focuses on how school systems, policies, and practices impact girls of color, including girls who identify with or have been labeled with disabilities.

Ines Alves is a Lecturer in Inclusive Education and the Programme Leader for the MEd in Inclusive Education at The University of Glasgow. She holds a PhD in Education from The University of Manchester, UK; a MA in Special Education (Inclusion and Disability Studies), Institute of Education, London; and a MA in Language, Ethnicity and Education from King’s College London. Ines is a co-convenor for the European Educational Research Association Network on Inclusive Education. She has been involved in a number of European projects such as Walk the Global Walk, EDiTE (European Doctorate in Teacher Education), and MURINET (Multidisciplinary Research Network on Health and Disability), and has worked as a consultant collaborating with schools in disadvantaged areas within a Portuguese Ministry of Education area-based intervention (TEIP). Ines Alves’ research interests are in the fields of inclusive education, equity and social justice, Human Rights and disability, and Autism.  She is also interested in exploring conceptualisations of diversity and difference within educational settings, and in comparative research in education.

Professor Dr. M. Tariq Ahsan has been working at the Institute of Education and Research of University of Dhaka since 2001. Tariq did his PhD in 2015 at Monash University, Australia on teacher preparation for inclusive education. Tariq has vast experience in the areas of equity and inclusion, ECCD, Education in Emergency, Adolescent Skill for the 21st Century and National Curriculum Framework Development. Tariq conducted a significant number of researches and published more than 100 papers in the forms of national and international journal articles, books, conference proceedings, and reports. He is the Secretary General of the “Asian Centre for Inclusive Education” and founding editor of “Asian Journal of Inclusive Education”. Dr. Ahsan received Australian Government’s “Australian Alumni Excellence Awards 2014”; Venus International Research Award 2017 from Chennai, India and Jiddu Krishnamurti Awards 2018 from the Annapurna Memorial College of Education & Jadavpur University, Kolkata, India for his contributions.