Community Living Ontario

People always ask me why is it important to include children who have an intellectual disability in classrooms with their peers in their neighborhoods. It’s quite simple really.

1. It’s good for all children. The children who have a disability benefit from being in school- the same school – as their brothers and sisters. It’s about values and respect. It’s also good for the “typical” kids who get to know their peers who have a disability. Social capital is built that can make a real difference in quality of life for everyone.
2. It’s good for the teachers and the school. Sending kids away to self-contained special education classes is an obstacle to school improvement. It leads down a path where a teacher’s first instinct is to send away any child with a learning challenge. That’s happening in Ontario in 2010. The Chair of the TDSB recently reported that while the overall student population has declined in the last five years, the number of students in special education has increased from 31,600 in 2005 to 36,800 in 2010. That’s in just one of more than 70 school districts in Ontario! The model is broken. It needs to be fixed. The answer isn’t more money.
3. Inclusive schooling, well supported, is a benefit for the parents and families of kids who have a disability. Schools that are conditional in their commitment to students do some very damaging things to moms and dads who are already experiencing stress in their lives. A school that
   • sends a child home early whenever there is a problem;
   • restricts attendance to part of the day;
   • refuses to allow the child to participate in the full range of school activities;
   • is compromising the integrity of the relationship of trust that is so important between parents and teachers.
4. It is a human rights issue. Canadian human rights law establishes a “duty to accommodate”. Systemic and persistent segregation violates this duty. Schools that provide little or no investment in supporting students and their teachers to make inclusion successful in the community/neighbourhood school are failing the test. Canadians put high value on human rights. We are committed to do better by our Charter and the newly ratified UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities.

The vision for the future? It’s simple.

• Neighbourhood or community schools that serve all children effectively.
• Schools and classrooms that are inclusive.
• Parents and teachers working as partners.
• Kids developing the knowledge, skills and social networks needed to enjoy a full life as a Canadian citizen.

That’s my vision for the future. What are your thoughts?

Gordon Porter is the Director of Inclusive Education Canada. He is also the Chair of the New Brunswick Human Rights Commission and an educator with extensive experience in inclusive education.