tag:theconversation.com,2011:/us/topics/disabled-people-access-to-education-46602/articlesDisabled people access to education – The Conversation2023-01-04T11:59:37Ztag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1931842023-01-04T11:59:37Z2023-01-04T11:59:37ZDisabled young people have less upward social mobility than their peers – and class background makes this worse<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/501868/original/file-20221219-26-sjxyml.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C6715%2C4480&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/hearing-impaired-woman-working-laptop-talking-1583332936">Monika Wisniewska/Shutterstock</a></span></figcaption></figure><p>We know very little about the inequalities experienced by disabled people in the UK today. My research finds that disabled young people lag behind in employment compared to young people who are not disabled. Not only that, but it’s also likely that disabled young people will end up in jobs with worse pay and conditions than their parents: they have downward social mobility.</p>
<p>Intergenerational social mobility compares the social position of an individual with that of their parents. It tells us who gets ahead and who is held back. As such, it is widely regarded as a measure of societal “fairness” and “openness”. </p>
<p>Together with colleagues, I conducted <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1468-4446.12974">research</a> to look at the role disability plays in social mobility. We analysed data from a nationally representative <a href="https://nextstepsstudy.org.uk/">longitudinal study</a> – research which collects information from the same people at multiple points of time. This research covered 16,000 students from English schools who were born in 1989 and 1990. </p>
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<img alt="Quarter life, a series by The Conversation" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=600&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/451343/original/file-20220310-13-1bj6csd.png?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=754&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<p><em><strong><a href="https://theconversation.com/uk/topics/quarter-life-117947?utm_source=TCUK&utm_medium=linkback&utm_campaign=UK+YP2022&utm_content=InArticleTop">This article is part of Quarter Life</a></strong>, a series about issues affecting those of us in our twenties and thirties. From the challenges of beginning a career and taking care of our mental health, to the excitement of starting a family, adopting a pet or just making friends as an adult. The articles in this series explore the questions and bring answers as we navigate this turbulent period of life.</em></p>
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<p>Looking at this data allowed us to document social mobility patterns by disability status. We looked at the social class of young people’s parents when the young people were 14. We then compared this to the young people’s own social class at age 25. </p>
<h2>Stark inequality</h2>
<p>Our study found that disabled young people are more likely to be unemployed at age 25: 35% of 25-year-old disabled people in the study were unemployed, compared to 18% of people who were not disabled. </p>
<p>They are less likely to experience upward mobility – that is, to end up in jobs with better pay and conditions than their parents. In fact, it is most likely for disabled young people to be downwardly mobile, with jobs with worse pay and conditions than their parents.</p>
<p>But our analysis also reveals another important inequality that has gone unnoticed in earlier studies. Disabled young people from a low social class background fare much worse in the labour market. Of the disabled young people who were unemployed at age 25, a disproportionate number came from a low social class background. A far smaller proportion of disabled young people from intermediate and high social class backgrounds were unemployed at this age. </p>
<p>To better understand the patterns highlighted in our study, we launched another piece of research, a <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/13645579.2022.2049517">qualitative longitudinal study</a>. This is research that regularly collects in-depth information through interviews. We worked with disabled young people from the age of 16 onwards. This allowed us to start tracing the social processes that lead to social disadvantage, with a particular focus on differences by social class. </p>
<h2>The impact of social class</h2>
<p><a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10.1177/00380385221133710">Our research showed</a> the discrimination by class that disabled young people face in mainstream school settings in England. Drawing on interviews with 35 young people, we found that most of the young people in our study found it difficult to receive appropriate support when they were at school. </p>
<p>But it was mostly young people from socially disadvantaged backgrounds that experienced increasing barriers to learning over time, with consequences for their educational progress and <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/00380385221133710">overall schooling experience</a>. </p>
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<img alt="Young woman in wheelchair at desk" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/501870/original/file-20221219-18-erj3u2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/501870/original/file-20221219-18-erj3u2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501870/original/file-20221219-18-erj3u2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501870/original/file-20221219-18-erj3u2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501870/original/file-20221219-18-erj3u2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501870/original/file-20221219-18-erj3u2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/501870/original/file-20221219-18-erj3u2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Social class has a strong impact on young disabled people’s employment status.</span>
<span class="attribution"><a class="source" href="https://www.shutterstock.com/image-photo/african-disabled-woman-sitting-wheelchair-table-1518601526">AnnaStills/Shutterstock</a></span>
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<p>Young disabled people from upper and middle-class families benefited from parental resources and strategies to overcome ableist barriers in the educational system. This included, for instance, entry to a school with exemplary special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) provision, the option to homeschool and the ability to pay for additional private tuition. Parents from more well-off families may be able to use legal means to <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/00380385221133710">challenge schools</a> over discriminatory practices.</p>
<p>In contrast, those from working-class backgrounds had limited means to challenge school authorities to secure young people’s right to support at school. </p>
<p>People who experience structural discrimination and stigmatisation are likely to lag behind in education and <a href="https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S0277953613004449">employment</a>.
We think that class differences in the school experiences of disabled young people may partly explain class differences between disabled and non-disabled people in the workplace later in life.</p>
<p>Social mobility inequalities may also be related to discrimination in hiring practices, lack of reasonable adjustments in the workplace, and limitations that are specific to the young person’s disability. However, we focused on the school experiences of disabled young people. This is because education has a <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/1043463113519068">very strong influence</a> on socioeconomic trajectories and social mobility.</p>
<p>Our research shows the powerful influence that social class has on the life chances of young people – and disabled young people in particular.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/193184/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Stella Chatzitheochari receives funding from the Leverhulme Trust.</span></em></p>Disabled young people from a low social class background fare much worse in the labour market.Stella Chatzitheochari, Reader in Sociology, University of WarwickLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1419292021-01-04T17:26:19Z2021-01-04T17:26:19ZRestraining and secluding students with disabilities is an urgent human rights issue<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/376553/original/file-20201223-21-12wgivs.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C396%2C4633%2C2851&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">A recent Manitoba study documented the shocking use of restraints and seclusion of children with disabilities in schools. </span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Across Canada, <a href="https://www.policyalternatives.ca/sites/default/files/uploads/publications/National%20Office/2015/07/Disability_and_Inclusion_in_Education.pdf">children with disabilities are disadvantaged</a>
when it comes to the support they receive in schools. While Canada espouses a commitment to <a href="https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities/article-24-education.html">inclusive education</a>, the right to it remains elusive for some students.</p>
<p>Our research team at the University of Manitoba revealed another grave problem that needs redress: The <a href="https://cjds.uwaterloo.ca/index.php/cjds/article/view/693">shocking use of physical restraint and seclusion spaces, which contributes to the further marginalization</a> of children with disabilities in schools. </p>
<p>We conducted an anonymous <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/disabilites-nadine-bartlett-report-behind-closed-doors-1.5610071">survey online</a> of parents of children with disabilities in Manitoba in the summer of 2019. Our team sought to document parental perspectives, because little is known about <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-cornered-canadian-schools-reach-a-turning-point-in-use-of-seclusion">the scope and nature of physical restraint and seclusion in schools in Manitoba</a>, and there is a need for regulation and accountability. </p>
<p>The survey consisted of 48 questions and asked parents/guardians about their child’s experiences with physical restraint and seclusion at school, as well as the nature and impact of such practices. The survey had a sample size of 62 respondents. While the survey sample size was small, the results are worrisome and paint a bleak picture about the treatment of students with disabilities in Manitoba. </p>
<p>Previous surveys conducted in <a href="https://inclusionbc.org/our-resources/stop-hurting-kids-2/">British Columbia </a>, <a href="http://inclusionalberta.org/clientuploads/Seclusion_and_Restraint_Survey_Results.pdf">Alberta</a> and the <a href="https://doi.org/10.2511/rpsd.35.3-4.116">United States</a> have shown similar results. </p>
<h2>Human rights problem</h2>
<p>The reported experiences of students with disabilities in Manitoba’s schools, along with the findings from other surveys, contravene several human rights conventions such as the <a href="https://www.un.org/disabilities/documents/convention/convoptprot-e.pdf">United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities</a> and the <a href="https://www.ohchr.org/Documents/ProfessionalInterest/crc.pdf">United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child</a>. Both these conventions provide protections from cruel and inhumane treatment. Parents should not have to advocate for their children’s basic rights. </p>
<p>The absence of policies further exacerbates this human rights problem. In Manitoba, there are no provincial educational policies to regulate the use of physical restraint and seclusion in schools. There are also no accountability structures to track their use. The absence of regulation has contributed to the misuse of these practices and students with disabilities are most at risk. </p>
<p>Our findings and recommendations for policy and practice are detailed in a report, <a href="https://www.flipsnack.com/bartlettnresearch/behind-closed-doors-restraint-and-seclusion-in-manitoba-s-sc.html"><em>Behind Closed Doors</em></a>. The report provides a framework to make schools more inclusive for students with disabilities and to ensure their rights are not violated under international conventions. </p>
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<img alt="A boy faces a wall sitting on a couch." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/376489/original/file-20201222-15-kmflz3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/376489/original/file-20201222-15-kmflz3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/376489/original/file-20201222-15-kmflz3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/376489/original/file-20201222-15-kmflz3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/376489/original/file-20201222-15-kmflz3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/376489/original/file-20201222-15-kmflz3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/376489/original/file-20201222-15-kmflz3.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Physical restraint and seclusion contributes to further marginalizing of children with disabilities in schools.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
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<h2>Unsafe</h2>
<p>In our study, parents reported the use of unsafe restraints that are banned in most correctional and health care facilities. The restraints included prone and supine holds that are known to have a <a href="https://www.ndrn.org/images/Documents/Resources/Publications/Reports/School_is_Not_Supposed_to_Hurt_3_v7.pdf">high risk of death</a>.</p>
<p>Parents also described the use of mechanical restraints. One parent indicated that “<a href="https://www.medline.com/jump/product/x/Z05-PF58346">posey cuffs</a>” — a kind of wrist restraint sometimes used in mental health settings — had been used to strap their child to a chair.</p>
<p>The <a href="https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/019874290903400405">dangerous misuse of seclusion spaces</a> was also described. For example, a parent reported that a closet had been used to seclude their child. Parents also shared that doorknobs on seclusion spaces had been modified so their child could not get out. </p>
<p>Not surprisingly, 90 per cent of the parents surveyed indicated that their child had suffered emotional trauma due to these practices.</p>
<p>While restraint and seclusion are intended to be <a href="https://www.autcom.org/pdf/HowSafeSchoolhouse.pdf">crisis responses</a>, some parents reported their frequent and prolonged use. </p>
<p>The accounts included children being restrained or secluded on a daily basis, with instances of seclusion lasting up to three hours. The students who were identified as being restrained and secluded most often were between the ages of five and 10, and were on the autism spectrum.</p>
<h2>Under-reported</h2>
<p>Reporting practices about the use of restraint and seclusion were highly variable. Approximately half of the parents indicated that they were rarely or never informed by the school that their child had been restrained or secluded.</p>
<p>When parents were asked how they learned about the use of restraints, they said the most frequent informants were the children themselves. Some parents that were informed by the school indicated that it often happened much after the fact in an informal manner. Written documentation was reported as almost non-existent, with 90 per cent of parents sharing that they never received a written report. </p>
<p>Based on these shocking findings, the research team has proposed several recommendations. </p>
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<img alt="Incident report." src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/376490/original/file-20201222-49513-5eecd7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/376490/original/file-20201222-49513-5eecd7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=352&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/376490/original/file-20201222-49513-5eecd7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=352&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/376490/original/file-20201222-49513-5eecd7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=352&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/376490/original/file-20201222-49513-5eecd7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=442&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/376490/original/file-20201222-49513-5eecd7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=442&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/376490/original/file-20201222-49513-5eecd7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=442&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Mandated documentation and reporting must be established to ensure accountability.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
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<p><strong>1. Provincial standards</strong></p>
<p>In Manitoba, there is an urgent need for the province to set provincial standards that clearly define restraint and seclusion as crisis responses. Standards should spell out that restraint and seclusion may only be used when there is an immediate threat to physical safety, and should regulate their use. The province must also mandate school divisions to follow standards.</p>
<p>The provinces of <a href="https://www.alberta.ca/seclusion-standards.aspx">Alberta</a> and <a href="https://edu.princeedwardisland.ca/psb/policies-regulations/operational-policies-and-procedures">Prince Edward Island</a> already regulate these procedures and may serve as models for Manitoba. </p>
<p><strong>2. Documentation, reporting and accountability</strong></p>
<p>Mandated documentation and reporting practices at the school, district and provincial level must also be established to ensure transparency and accountability. Reporting to parents should occur within 24 hours and include a written followup and debriefing meeting. The opportunity to reflect on the events leading up to and including the restraint and seclusion are critical to changing practice and preventing future occurrences. </p>
<p>Establishing data collection at the school, division and provincial level will also help to monitor prevalence and create accountability.</p>
<p>In the United States, the <a href="https://www2.ed.gov/policy/seclusion/restraint-and-seclusion-resource-document.html">Department of Education</a> has developed reporting requirements that have been incorporated into many state policies. Ensuring that restraint and seclusion are not strategies in students’ individualized plans may also prevent their normalization. </p>
<p><strong>3. Provincial audit of seclusion spaces</strong></p>
<p>A provincial audit of seclusion spaces and the development of standards are clearly warranted to ensure they are safe, humane and comply with health, safety and fire codes. If not banned completely, as has been proposed in <a href="https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/alberta/article-alberta-united-conservatives-repeal-ban-on-school-seclusion-rooms/">Alberta</a>, seclusion spaces at a minimum must be highly regulated.</p>
<p><strong>4. Training</strong></p>
<p>Along with regulation and comprehensive training of educators, including teachers, administrators and educational assistants, evidence-based, positive, proactive alternatives to restraint and seclusion must be prioritized. <a href="https://www.pbis.org/">Positive Behaviour Interventions and Supports (PBIS)</a> and training in de-escalation strategies have been found to reduce the use of restraint and seclusion and should be required for all educators.</p>
<h2>Looking ahead</h2>
<p>When contacted by CBC News about this study in June, a representative of the <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/disabilites-nadine-bartlett-report-behind-closed-doors-1.5610071">minister of education in Manitoba</a> said the ministry would immediately initiate a review of the report and issue recommendations related to seclusion. </p>
<p>While this may indicate a step in the right direction, notably absent from the ministry’s response was any mention of restraint. Unfortunately, the response also highlights the ongoing need to defend the rights of children with disabilities across Canada.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/141929/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Nadine Bartlett receives funding from The Centre for Human Rights Research at the University of Manitoba and
The Faculty of Education at the University of Manitoba
</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Taylor Ellis does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>The use of restraints and seclusion in schools for children with disabilities is a human rights problem that needs redress through greater accountability.Nadine Bartlett, Assistant Professor in Inclusive Education, University of ManitobaTaylor Ellis, Research assistant, Faculty of Education, University of ManitobaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1329422020-03-11T17:31:27Z2020-03-11T17:31:27ZCanadians with disabilities face an uncertain financial future<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/318711/original/file-20200304-66106-kqbawd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&rect=0%2C0%2C4800%2C3154&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Cutting disability benefits while providing little by way of education and job training is only going to lead to increasing poverty and an increasing disability wealth gap.
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span></figcaption></figure><p><a href="https://www.utpjournals.press/doi/abs/10.3138/cpp.2015-040">Wealth inequality in Canada</a> continues to grow. It’s particularly staggering for people with disabilities because they have little to no money to put aside for a rainy day.</p>
<p>Right now, individuals and households with disabilities face uncertainty about their financial futures in provinces threatening to cut their disability benefits. </p>
<p>As part of drastic cuts to social services, Alberta’s governing United Conservative Party <a href="https://edmontonjournal.com/news/politics/changes-to-alberta-aish-program-continue-to-draw-fire">plans to de-index payments</a> made to people with disabilities through the Assured Income for the Severely Handicapped (AISH) program. This means that benefits won’t increase with inflation, resulting in a yearly decrease in AISH payments.</p>
<p>In Ontario, Doug Ford’s Conservative government has been toying with <a href="https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/toronto/doug-ford-government-rolls-back-social-assistance-cuts-1.5307351">cutting benefits</a> and other supports, including in education. While the government has since backed off cutting Ontario Works, Ontario residents with disabilities continue to live under the persistent threat of losing whatever little economic independence they have. </p>
<p>The bottom line: Cutting disability benefits while providing little by way of education and job training is only going to lead to increasing poverty and an increasing disability wealth gap. </p>
<h2>Millions live with disabilities</h2>
<p>According to the <a href="https://www150.statcan.gc.ca/n1/pub/89-654-x/89-654-x2018002-eng.htm">most recent data</a>, 6.2 million Canadians live with a disability. </p>
<p>Many also live in poverty — as high as nearly 30 per cent, according to the Statistics Canada data. Only 59.4 per cent of Canadians with disabilities were employed in 2015, compared to 80.1 per cent of the rest of the population. </p>
<p>When they do work, Canadians with disabilities tend to be in low-paying and often more unstable jobs at risk of <a href="https://www.cirhr.utoronto.ca/news/skills-gaps-underemployment-and-equity-labour-market-opportunities-persons-disabilities-canada">disappearing due to automation</a>. This is why annual incomes were, on average, $2,000 to $8,000 less per year for full-time workers with disabilities. Gaps were even greater for those in part-time work. </p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/the-future-of-work-will-hit-vulnerable-people-the-hardest-131963">The future of work will hit vulnerable people the hardest</a>
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<p>But unemployment and low wages aren’t the only factors contributing to inequality. </p>
<p>Disability benefits programs place limits on assets, while mounting housing and health-care costs and limited access to credit makes saving money almost impossible for people with disabilities. </p>
<h2>Difficulties making ends meet</h2>
<p>Two years ago, the <a href="https://www.thestar.com/news/gta/2018/03/23/advocates-pin-hopes-on-budget-for-roadmap-out-of-poverty.html"><em>Toronto Star</em></a> reported on the challenges Canadians with disabilities face when trying to make ends meet. Even with government benefits, people with disabilities were still living in poverty. </p>
<p>This prompted <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/journal/1755618X">our recently published study</a> of asset building among Canadians with disabilities. </p>
<p>We analyzed assets for more than 33,000 Canadians. We found that even after considering education, employment and financial situation, households that included a person with a disability had 25 per cent less in non-housing assets than those that did not include persons with disabilities.</p>
<p>There was also more to the gap. Because people with disabilities earn a lot less from employment, their job situation makes the wealth gap between disabled and non-disabled Canadians even worse. Factoring in employment earnings, we found that disability led to an additional 5.9 per cent decrease in non-housing assets.</p>
<h2>Putting the onus on people to save</h2>
<p>Unfortunately, government policies have typically emphasized a person’s responsibility to save. For example, Registered Disability Savings Plans (RDSPs) are a non-tax-deductible program in which the government provides matching savings contributions for individuals qualifying for the Disability Tax Credit. </p>
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<a href="https://images.theconversation.com/files/318714/original/file-20200304-66112-1mzre6s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=1000&fit=clip"><img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/318714/original/file-20200304-66112-1mzre6s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=237&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/318714/original/file-20200304-66112-1mzre6s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/318714/original/file-20200304-66112-1mzre6s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/318714/original/file-20200304-66112-1mzre6s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/318714/original/file-20200304-66112-1mzre6s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/318714/original/file-20200304-66112-1mzre6s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/318714/original/file-20200304-66112-1mzre6s.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px"></a>
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<span class="caption">People with disabilities often struggle to save money.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">(Shutterstock)</span></span>
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<p>There are numerous limitations associated with this program, chief among them the assumption that people have some money to put aside. People with disabilities often have little to nothing left after paying for food, shelter and other living expenses. </p>
<p>Rather than blaming people for not saving enough, we need programs that recognize these broader structural problems. </p>
<p>We need policies and programs that target the root causes of inequality like health-care costs, educational access, vocational training and means-tested government benefits. Otherwise, talking about human rights and equality will not be enough to end the enduring economic marginalization of this historically disadvantaged community.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/132942/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>David Pettinicchio receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada and Ontario's Ministry of Research and Innovation.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Michelle Maroto receives funding from the Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada.</span></em></p>Canadians with disabilities often have little to nothing left after paying for food, shelter and other living expenses. We need policies that target the root causes of their inequality.David Pettinicchio, Assistant Professor, Sociology, University of TorontoMichelle Maroto, Associate Professor of Sociology, University of AlbertaLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/1120582019-02-20T05:23:34Z2019-02-20T05:23:34ZWhy schools desperately need a royal commission into the abuse of disabled people<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/259876/original/file-20190220-148506-11mw4ag.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">We need to listen to people with disabilities when they tell us their stories.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">www.shutterstock.com</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>On Monday, the federal parliament agreed on a motion to support a royal commission into the abuse of disabled people. This is a good thing, but we still need a timeline, terms of reference and a whole lot more detail. </p>
<p>This commission has been a <a href="https://www.aph.gov.au/Parliamentary_Business/Committees/Senate/Community_Affairs/Violence_abuse_neglect/Report/c10">long time coming</a>. The <a href="https://disabilityroyalcommissionnow.wordpress.com/2017/04/05/open-letter/">stories</a> we’ve heard over the last few years in the media have been devastating, such as a child with a disability being <a href="http://a4.org.au/node/1530">stripped naked and locked in a closet</a>. We can expect the stories that will be revealed over the course of this royal commission to be similarly hard to hear. </p>
<p>Any of us can be or become disabled. <a href="http://www.abs.gov.au/ausstats/abs@.nsf/Lookup/by%20Subject/4430.0.10.001%7E2015%7EMedia%20Release%7EHalf%20of%20older%20Australians%20living%20with%20disability%20(Media%20Release)%7E3">At least a half</a> of us will become disabled as we age. This is not an issue just for “others”, this is an issue for all of us. </p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/what-you-need-to-know-if-your-child-with-a-disability-is-starting-school-soon-107275">What you need to know if your child with a disability is starting school soon</a>
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<h2>Why a royal commission?</h2>
<p>Royal commissions deal with systemic and endemic issues. People with a disability need societal support to overcome the barriers their ability presents in a society where able-bodied people are seen as “normal”. This leads to a <a href="https://research.unimelb.edu.au/__data/assets/pdf_file/0012/2400312/Social-Inclusion-Unproofed-manuscript.pdf">systemic power structure</a> that allows those who seek out targets to abuse the ability to do so with very little accountability. </p>
<p>Families are unlikely to complain about the services they rely on for everyday life, in case of retribution or the removal of these services. Such issues were also apparent in the <a href="https://www.childabuseroyalcommission.gov.au/identifying-and-disclosing-child-sexual-abuse">the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse</a>. This means it’s very likely many incidents go unreported.</p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/259891/original/file-20190220-148513-oqq3n7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/259891/original/file-20190220-148513-oqq3n7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/259891/original/file-20190220-148513-oqq3n7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/259891/original/file-20190220-148513-oqq3n7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/259891/original/file-20190220-148513-oqq3n7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/259891/original/file-20190220-148513-oqq3n7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/259891/original/file-20190220-148513-oqq3n7.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Without this royal commission, we won’t know the full scope of abuse perpetrated against students with disabilities.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">from www.shutterstock.com</span></span>
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<p>Some <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/reports-data/health-conditions-disability-deaths/disability/about">20% of Australians have a disability</a>. A royal commission into the violence, abuse and neglect perpetrated against people with disability has the potential to be huge. The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse cost upwards of <a href="http://www.lib.latrobe.edu.au/research/ageofinquiry/biogs/E000045b.htm">A$500 million dollars</a>. So the appropriate cost of the proposed royal commission into disability abuse may be well above the A$26 million floated in parliament this week.</p>
<h2>Is there really an issue?</h2>
<p>Looking at school education alone in <a href="https://www.aihw.gov.au/getmedia/34f09557-0acf-4adf-837d-eada7b74d466/Education-20905.pdf.aspx">the latest ABS statistics</a>, 336,000 students with a disability are enrolled in schools. This does not include thousands of children with a disability who are home schooled, often because of the abuse or discrimination they experience in education settings. </p>
<p>Statistics on how common the abuse of children with a disability in schools is can be hard to find. But in 2018, NSW revealed there were <a href="https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/lcdocs/other/11846/Answers%20to%20Supplementary%20questions%20PC%203%20Stokes.pdf">657 complaints about staff members</a> in one year alone. Some 438 of these complaints were allegations of sexual or physical abuse against staff working in public schools.</p>
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<em>
<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/nsw-could-lead-the-way-in-educating-students-with-a-disability-80812">NSW could lead the way in educating students with a disability</a>
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<p>In 2017, shocking allegations were revealed through Freedom of Information requests: <a href="https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/government-investigates-246-reports-of-abuse-of-disabled-children-in-nsw-schools-20171009-gyxatt.html">246 reports of abuse</a> were made about staff in the NSW Department of Education. </p>
<p>In 2015 reports revealed that a child with autism was being placed in a “<a href="https://www.canberratimes.com.au/national/act/autism-cage-details-emerge-as-united-nations-investigates-abuse-of-children-20160809-gqo7m8.html">blue cage</a>” in a school. And in Victoria a <a href="https://www.parliament.vic.gov.au/file_uploads/FCDC_Report_into_Services_for_people_with_Autism_Spectrum_Disorder_Z5KhPNcW.pdf">coffin-like box</a> was being used as a form of restraint.</p>
<p>Inquiries in <a href="http://a4.org.au/sites/default/files/Report%20of%20the%20Select%20Committee%20on%20Access%20to%20the%20South%20Australian%20Education%20System%20for%20Students%20with%20a%20Disability.pdf">SA</a>, <a href="https://www.parliament.nsw.gov.au/lcdocs/inquiries/2416/170921%20-%20Final%20report.pdf">NSW</a> and reports from <a href="https://education.qld.gov.au/student/Documents/executive-summary-disability-review-report.pdf">Queensland</a> reveal widespread denial of enrolment, denial of supports and funding, denial of learning, children being beaten, hit and isolated.</p>
<p>Even if the abuse is reported, children with a disability are too often seen as <a href="https://www.alrc.gov.au/publications/witnesses">unreliable witnesses</a>. A disability is wrongly (and offensively) assumed to mean an intellectual disability. It is assumed they simply don’t have the mental capacity. </p>
<p>Education systems often investigate themselves, which presents difficulties with conflict of interest. Most abusers tend to abuse in private, so the findings are either not proven, or a <a href="https://www.sbs.com.au/news/the-feed/children-misdiagnosed-with-intellectual-disabilities-using-inappropriate-tests?fbclid=IwAR2gvDw3XUCfdoTLPbgQPD6Tql31f3Z-wc6BRfUZTXtWFEuctgnO-rNsd30">quick confidentiality settlement</a> is made to silence the alleged victims. A royal commission would mean an independent authority would do the investigating.</p>
<h2>Making it work</h2>
<p>For this royal commission to work, the terms of reference must be broad. It must include all institutions where people with a disability go about their lives – especially schools where children spend most of their time when not in the family home. </p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/259881/original/file-20190220-148530-pc668m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/259881/original/file-20190220-148530-pc668m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/259881/original/file-20190220-148530-pc668m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/259881/original/file-20190220-148530-pc668m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/259881/original/file-20190220-148530-pc668m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/259881/original/file-20190220-148530-pc668m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/259881/original/file-20190220-148530-pc668m.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">The terms of reference for this royal commission must be broad enough to make sure everyone gets heard.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">from www.shutterstock.com</span></span>
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<p>It must have power to compel all witnesses, including those at the highest level of state and federal politics, to give evidence. </p>
<p>It must allow those with confidentiality agreements to be able to share their stories without prejudice. </p>
<p>It must be well funded, to allow millions of voices across education, aged care and all institutions and settings to be heard and have access. </p>
<p>It must deal with both historic abuse as well as current systemic, discriminatory and abusive practices. A royal commission can’t change the past, but it can help heal the wounds, shine a light on the present and create a more equal future. This was demonstrated by the royal commission into child sexual abuse.</p>
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<strong>
Read more:
<a href="https://theconversation.com/happy-birthday-braille-how-writing-you-can-touch-is-still-helping-blind-people-to-read-and-learn-89550">Happy birthday, Braille: how writing you can touch is still helping blind people to read and learn</a>
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<p>Given how potentially widespread this issue may be, A$500 million dollars and four years as a time-line may be a good starting point for resourcing this royal commission. It needs to be established now, before the election, so it has bipartisan support. </p>
<p>The leadership must also involve those with a disability. Any investigation that seeks to redress the exclusion and abuse of people with a disability should not further disenfranchise them by excluding them from leadership on this issue. </p>
<hr>
<p><em>This article has been updated since publication to clarify that the ABS statistics mentioned about how many children with disabilities are enrolled in schools are not just confined to mainstream schools.</em></p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/112058/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>David Roy does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organisation that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.</span></em></p>There are systemic problems with the way mainstream schooling treats students with disabilities. A Royal Commission would shed light on these issues and give us a way forward to a more equal future.David Roy, Lecturer in Education, University of NewcastleLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/930332018-06-26T13:46:44Z2018-06-26T13:46:44ZLow expectations are stopping young disabled people going to university<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/224650/original/file-20180625-19379-10hdkb2.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">
</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>Almost half of all young people in England now go on to higher education. This means that teenagers in the UK are <a href="https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/record-numbers-teenagers-university-scotland-england-study-a7952151.html">more likely to go to university</a> than ever before.</p>
<p><a href="https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/participation-rates-in-higher-education-2006-to-2016">Official figures</a> reveal that 49% of students in England are expected to enter advanced studies by the age of 30. But our new research shows that students with special educational needs and disabilities are far less likely to go to university <a href="https://warwick.ac.uk/fac/soc/impact/policybriefings/childhood_disability_and_education_chatzitheochari_policy_briefing_april_2018.pdf">than those with no known disabilities</a>.</p>
<p>Our <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1111/1468-4446.12372">study</a> investigated the different factors influencing disabled young people’s attainment. We examined data from a <a href="http://www.cls.ioe.ac.uk/page.aspx?&sitesectionid=1246&sitesectiontitle=Welcome+to+the+Longitudinal+Study+of+Young+People+in+England+">longitudinal survey</a> of about 16,000 young people in England, linked with administrative data on school performance. Our analysis covered young people with special educational needs and those with long-term mental and physical conditions. </p>
<p>We found that only 26% of disabled students achieve five A* to C grades at GCSE – including English and maths – compared to 67% of their non-disabled peers. Among those disabled students who did achieve five A* to C GCSEs, 75% chose to continue to A-Levels – compare this with 85% of non-disabled students.</p>
<p>Our findings also reveal that this attainment gap between disabled and non-disabled peers was formed before pupils started at secondary school – and could be seen in test scores at age 11. This was the case even though few of the conditions among the disabled children we studied implied cognitive impairment. </p>
<h2>Low expectations</h2>
<p>The reason for this is clearly seen in previous research, which demonstrates how expectations <a href="https://www.nber.org/papers/w15683">influence educational trajectories</a>, over and above school attainment. Our research supports this, as we found that disabled students are ten percentage points more likely to have low educational expectations compared to non-disabled peers with similar school performance. For disabled students, expectations accounted for more than a quarter of the decision not to continue on to studying A-Levels – despite achieving the required GCSEs. </p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/224651/original/file-20180625-19399-1o4ct2o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/224651/original/file-20180625-19399-1o4ct2o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/224651/original/file-20180625-19399-1o4ct2o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/224651/original/file-20180625-19399-1o4ct2o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/224651/original/file-20180625-19399-1o4ct2o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/224651/original/file-20180625-19399-1o4ct2o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/224651/original/file-20180625-19399-1o4ct2o.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">Only 26% of disabled students achieved five A* to C grades at GCSE.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
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<p>But our analysis also showed that young people’s educational expectations are highly dependent on those of their parents. And we found that generally, disabled young people’s parents held lower expectations for their child’s future – regardless of their actual performance. </p>
<p>Earlier research suggests that parents of disabled children may become overprotective and anxious about their child’s future. Parents’ suppressed expectations may well be because of fears surrounding the higher risk of discrimination and stigma at <a href="https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/09687590120059568">university</a> and <a href="https://academic.oup.com/oep/article-abstract/58/3/407/2279017">the workplace</a> for disabled people. Our <a href="http://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1177/0038038515574813">earlier research</a> also shows that disabled young people in England are more likely to suffer from <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=38mZLDWMNe4">school bullying</a>. But in our latest research, it did not seem that bullying was a factor in those pupils deciding not to study for A-levels.</p>
<h2>Change in attitudes</h2>
<p>Ultimately though, these results highlight the shortcomings of <a href="https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/berj.3276">primary school education</a> to adequately support disabled children’s academic progress in England. So given the fact that the majority of disabled children fall behind in primary school and never catch up, it is clear that a rethink of the teaching support provided to disabled children is needed. </p>
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<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/224656/original/file-20180625-19404-1i7rvpl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/224656/original/file-20180625-19404-1i7rvpl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/224656/original/file-20180625-19404-1i7rvpl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/224656/original/file-20180625-19404-1i7rvpl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=400&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/224656/original/file-20180625-19404-1i7rvpl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/224656/original/file-20180625-19404-1i7rvpl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/224656/original/file-20180625-19404-1i7rvpl.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=503&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
<figcaption>
<span class="caption">A university education should be for everyone.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span>
</figcaption>
</figure>
<p>Universities could also better promote themselves among highly achieving disabled students – and further support and guidance within school could help. This could help to decrease the numbers of students who succeed but don’t proceed. </p>
<p>Our research also shows that positive expectations could make all the difference. In this way then, parents of disabled children could benefit from more support to help them gain a better understanding of the impact of expectations on young people’s life choices. But of course, expectations are not formed in a vacuum, which is why a major change in societal attitudes is also crucial to tackling inequality.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/93033/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Stella Chatzitheochari has received funding from the Economic and Social Research Council.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Lucinda Platt has received funding from the Economic and Social Research Council. She has also received funding for past research from the Department for Work and Pensions, Department for Education, and Public Health England, as well as from the Equalities and Human Rights Commission, the Nuffield Foundation and the Joseph Rowntree Foundation.</span></em></p>Low expectations influence disabled young people’s educational attainment, finds new study.Stella Chatzitheochari, Assistant Professor in Sociology and Quantitative Methods, University of WarwickLucinda Platt, Professor of Social Policy and Sociology, London School of Economics and Political ScienceLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.tag:theconversation.com,2011:article/876772017-11-30T09:21:36Z2017-11-30T09:21:36ZImproving education inclusion for disabled people in Indonesia<figure><img src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/196681/original/file-20171128-7458-1e91k47.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=496&fit=clip" /><figcaption><span class="caption">Giving disabled people access to higher education would improve their social mobility.</span> <span class="attribution"><span class="source">Shutterstock</span></span></figcaption></figure><p>December 3 has become a day of action and celebration for furthering the rights of people with disabilities around the world. An Indonesia-Australia collaboration has looked into whether Indonesian schools, including Islamic institutions, open their doors to disabled people.</p>
<p>The Indonesian government has made efforts to promote accessible and inclusive education for people with disabilities. These students depend <a href="http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017/11/23/islamic-schools-not-inclusive-enough-disabled-students.html">on government and community commitment</a> to the equality and participation of people with disabilities. </p>
<h2>Progress in accessibility and inclusion</h2>
<p>The Indonesian government ratified the <a href="https://www.un.org/development/desa/disabilities/convention-on-the-rights-of-persons-with-disabilities.html">United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities</a> (UNCRPD) in 2011 and introduced <a href="https://globalpublicpolicywatch.org/2016/12/02/creating-a-fairer-indonesia-for-people-with-disabilities">disability rights law in 2016</a>. Efforts have been made to <a href="http://www.thejakartapost.com/life/2016/10/05/promoting-disability-inclusion-in-indonesia-lessons-learned-from-the-paralympics.html">promote disability inclusion</a>. </p>
<p>Barriers to schools and universities have been examined. Efforts have been made to redevelop buildings, adding ramps for classroom access. Curriculum in Islamic and secular public education has been redesigned to increase disabled students’ participation. </p>
<p>Improvement is also happening outside the education sector. Some local governments are reported to have begun inclusive development planning to <a href="http://www.ilo.org/jakarta/info/public/pr/WCMS_593078/lang--en/index.htminclusion%20of%20persons%20with%20disabilities">build accessible infrastructure</a>. </p>
<p>Despite strong support for disability inclusion across Indonesia, there is still work to do.</p>
<h2>Conference on diversity and disability inclusion</h2>
<p>Two Australian institutions, the Institute for Religion, Politics and Society at Australian Catholic University and the Institute for Culture and Society at University of Western Sydney, have been collaborating with the Faculty of Religious Propagation and Communication at State Islamic University (UIN), Jakarta, since 2016. The partnership aims to develop disability inclusion in the Islamic and secular tertiary education sector. </p>
<figure class="align-center ">
<img alt="" src="https://images.theconversation.com/files/196717/original/file-20171128-7447-35yfgd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&fit=clip" srcset="https://images.theconversation.com/files/196717/original/file-20171128-7447-35yfgd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=1 600w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/196717/original/file-20171128-7447-35yfgd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=2 1200w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/196717/original/file-20171128-7447-35yfgd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=600&h=450&fit=crop&dpr=3 1800w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/196717/original/file-20171128-7447-35yfgd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=45&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=1 754w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/196717/original/file-20171128-7447-35yfgd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=30&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=2 1508w, https://images.theconversation.com/files/196717/original/file-20171128-7447-35yfgd.jpg?ixlib=rb-1.1.0&q=15&auto=format&w=754&h=566&fit=crop&dpr=3 2262w" sizes="(min-width: 1466px) 754px, (max-width: 599px) 100vw, (min-width: 600px) 600px, 237px">
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<span class="caption">A conference on inclusion in Muslim societies was the result of Indonesia-Australia collaboration.</span>
<span class="attribution"><span class="source">Dina Afrianty</span>, <span class="license">Author provided</span></span>
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</figure>
<p>The <a href="http://www.thejakartapost.com/news/2017/11/23/islamic-schools-not-inclusive-enough-disabled-students.html">Diversity and Disability Inclusion in Muslim Societies Conference</a> is a result of this partnership. <a href="http://ddims.event.uinjkt.ac.id">This conference</a> received support from UIN Jakarta and the Australian government initiative, Program Peduli, managed by The Asia Foundation. </p>
<p>Interest from across Indonesia was extensive. Presenters included disabled activists and civil society advocates. </p>
<p>The conference brought together scholars from different disciplines, including education, social work, psychology, law, policy and religious studies. This interdisciplinary approach was highly visible in the two days of discussion. </p>
<p>Issues presented at the conference included ongoing discrimination, societal perceptions of disability and discriminatory policies. Researchers also presented findings on inclusion practices at the community level. Most of the 52 papers raised a lack of inclusion in the education sector as a key issue. </p>
<p>The focus on inclusive education in <a href="http://indonesiaatmelbourne.unimelb.edu.au/people-with-disability-locked-out-of-learning/">Islamic education is intentional</a>. High-quality education for people with disability is central to gaining high-quality employment. Indonesia’s legislation requires people with disability to have <a href="http://www.hukumonline.com/klinik/detail/lt4b8cf8abc7dc4/kesempatan-kerja-bagi-penyandang-cacat">equal opportunity of employment</a>.</p>
<h2>Benefits of inclusive education</h2>
<p>Inclusive education builds the skills and capacities of people with disabilities to be as competitive and valued in the labour market. Their inclusion in higher education also promotes positive community attitudes, participation and social inclusion. </p>
<p>Discussions at the conference demonstrated how disability and diversity can be an important pathway towards bridging differences. Disability inclusion promotes dialogue and learning, expanding social understandings of rights, justice and non-discrimination.</p>
<h2>Islamic education and disability</h2>
<p>The collaboration between Australian and Indonesian academics examines <a href="http://globaldisability.org/2016/09/06/disability-inclusive-education-indonesian-islamic-education-institutions">disability inclusion in Islamic education</a>. This includes Islamic boarding schools (<em>pesantren</em>), Islamic schools (<em>madrasah</em>) and Islamic universities. The academics reviewed Islamic teachings, from verse to hadith, about inclusive practices. </p>
<p>Researchers and Muslim disabled activists at the conference discussed key Islamic teachings that promote inclusion, respect and dignity. Presenters noted the positive support for difference and diversity within Islamic teachings. This included the role of faith as an important source of support for rights in everyday life. </p>
<p>A core issue raised at the conference is that most Indonesians living with disability are in rural areas. This creates many challenges. <em>Madrasah</em> and <em>pesantren</em> are mostly in rural areas with poor facilities and resources. Rarely are these poor rural schools accessible.</p>
<p>The conference helped share ideas, knowledge and expertise from across Indonesia. Advocates and activists presented their experiences to show new ways of including disability in Indonesia. </p>
<p>Combined, the personal experiences and research highlight the key role of government policy in promoting inclusion of people with disabilities, especially in education. Presenters and participants emphasised the importance of education inclusion in changing social attitudes to disability. </p>
<p>Conference participants agreed to continue this important collaboration. Shared engagement of academic and disability activists will lead to better policy, driven by the voices and concerns of people with disabilities. The conference ended with the establishment of the Australia-Indonesia Disability Research Network to build on the momentum created for social change.</p><img src="https://counter.theconversation.com/content/87677/count.gif" alt="The Conversation" width="1" height="1" />
<p class="fine-print"><em><span>Dina Afrianty leads the inclusive education in Islamic education institution research project. She was the convener of the DDIMS Conference and presented her research at in this international conference mentioned in this article.</span></em></p><p class="fine-print"><em><span>Karen Soldatic was a member of the DDIMS conference committee. Karen also receives funding from the Australian Research Council. </span></em></p>An Indonesia-Australia collaboration is working to improve inclusion for disabled people in Indonesian schools, including in Islamic institutions.Dina Afrianty, Postdoctoral Research Fellow, Australian Catholic UniversityKaren Soldatic, ARC DECRA Fellow / Senior Research Fellow, Western Sydney UniversityLicensed as Creative Commons – attribution, no derivatives.