CIT COLLEGES OF PANIQUI FOUNDATION, INC.

PANIQUI, TARLAC
COLLEGE DEPARTMENT

MODULE IN EDUCATION 7

Course Description: Foundations of Special and Inclusive Education

CHAPTER I. Understanding Diversity

Introduction:
In this chapter, you will obtain a better understanding of what diversity is. You will also gain an understanding why it is
important to recognized disability as part of diversity. You will learn about how diversity, as a positive component, contributes to
progress and productivity. It is important that we recognized and accept diversity. This means accepting, respecting, and
tolerating each other’s differences. It means awareness of laws, policies, and systems that will uphold one’s individuality and
uniqueness. These would mean a more peaceful and humane world.

Objectives:
At the end of the chapter you will be able to:

 Discuss the meaning and significance of diversity

 Support diversity as a positive component of relationships, education and organizations
II. Definition
If a group of people were to asked to list down their characteristics and compare to them, the chances of having a good
number with exactly the same characteristics will be zero. Even twins will have different personalities and characteristics. There are
many factors that make one person different from the other person.
There are marked differences that are visible. These are physical characteristics like the color of skin, color of hair, shape of
eyes, nose, height, weight, gender, age, socio-economic class, occupation, and many others. These characteristics are quite obvious
and noticeable. As you walk through a mall, you will easily notice the differences of people you meet. There are other differences
brought about by one’s beliefs, mind-sets, values, sexual identity, and others that are not easily evident or are invisible. These
characteristics are not seen but are manifested through behavior, decision made, and word spoken. You will need to get to know a
person closer to be able to observe that he/she is different from you or other people. Visible and invisible characteristics like skin
color will easily be related to a disposition or trait. For example, people from Africa who have a dark skin color are believed to be
poor and unschooled. This is not necessarily true, but biases play a role in these assumptions (Mor Barak 2005).
It is the uniqueness of each one that is root of diversity. The English noun that captures the essence of difference is the word
diversity. Diversity is from the Latin word divertere, which means turn away, separate, oppose. The Collins dictionary defines
diversity as “the state or quality of being different or varied; a variety or assortment; a point of difference; the inclusion of people of
different races, gender, religions etc in a group; the relation that holds two identities when and only when they are not identical; the
property of being numerically distinct.
In the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO). Guide on ensuring inclusion and Equality
in Education (2007), diversity is defined as “people’s differences which may relate to their race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation,
language, culture, religion, mental and physical ability, class and immigration status.” UNESCO (2017)
Diversity is an issue we have to face and conquer. Presently, people recognized and consider the differences of each person
as important. We all live in global village that brings about changing demographics both in the work force and education. As our
communities become more diverse, it is imperative that we make an effort to understand the different dimensions of diversity,
which is not just all about accepting, understanding and tolerating one’s uniqueness or differences. Confronted with the need to live
in one global village, it is valuable that we discover and explore areas that could connect us and allow us to do collaborative works.
Accepting and celebrating the uniqueness of each individual will allow for respecting different experiences and qualities of
individuals that will open up more avenues to solve problems and innovate. Collaboration and communication are skills that are
needed to develop and succeed. It is, therefore, important that we understand our differences and master how these could be used
to harness tolerance, cooperation, and unity that will lead to productivity.

III. ABILITY (AND DISABILITY) AS A DIMENSION OF DIVERSITY

Another dimension of diversity that is significant is the dimension of ability and disability. Diversity covers the limitless domains of an
individual’s unique characteristics, experiences and capabilities. Diversity encompasses respect and tolerance of differences that enables a
celebration of uniqueness.

According to the Collins English Dictionary, ability refers to the possession of the qualities required to do something; necessary skill or
competence, or power. Disability, on the other hand, is defined by the World Health Organization (WHO n.d.) as the umbrella term for
impairments, activity limitations, and participation restrictions; referring to the negative aspects of the interaction between an individual (with a
health condition) and that individual’s contextual factors (environmental and personal factors). This definition underscores that disability is not
only a health issue but also an issue that affects a person’s state in life and the environment he/she is in. A person’s self-identity and his/her
perspectives of the world around him/her are affected by both ability and disability. The American Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) “defines a
person with disability as a person who has a major life activity. This includes people who have a record of such impairment even if they do not
currently have a disability. It also includes individuals who do not have a disability but are regarded as having a disability.”

“Disabilities may affect one’s senses ot one’s mobility; they may be static or progressive, congenital or acquired, formal (affecting the
shape of the body) or functional, visible or invisible” (Couse 2005)

A person’s disability make him/her a unique individual who is, at time, shunned from places and activities. They have to be acknowledge
as part of the spectrum of diversity. They have to be recognized as human beings who should not be discriminated against, but rather
understood, accepted, and tolerated. They have to be accorded their rights. Disabilities have to be seen as natural part of life and a natural part
of diversity. People with disabilities have to be perceived and accepter as people with distinct abilities. They have to identify themselves as
having disabilities so that the world can accept them and create avenues for them to live in.

IV. THE DILEMMA OF DIVERSITY

In this age of fast paced development where diversity plays a unique role, there are still challenges that confront a lot of people who
have been identified as “different”. Discrimination issues around race, gender, age, and intellect still bound inspite of charters, laws, and policies
that uphold diversity.
 In some workplaces, women and people of color are still discriminated against and not given positions in management or administration.
People of a certain race are stereotyped to be of a specific character. A number of time, Muslims have been taken aside in immigration and
interrogated. Non-married and same-sex couples are still not accepted in some parts of the world. In some schools, children with special needs
are shunned with the reason that they are not ready for school yet or are not suited for the school. Children from indigenous groups have to go
through and educational system that does not consider their ethnic background, needs, and values. Though there is still so much effort that
needs to be put in so that diversity is accepted, respected, and tolerated, there has been progress in a lot of areas. In more workplaces, there are
systems and processes put into place to intentionally promote diversity. Diverse ways of thinking and doing things bring in creativity and
productivity. Innovate thinking and collaboration are encouraged when different people work to come up with solutions to problems or
challenges. In schools, diversity is the best way to teach what it means to be tolerant and respectful of each other’s differences. In government,
the acknowledgement that diversity is an integral component of community equates to laws and policies being passed to look out for the
welfare of people of diverse cultures and backgrounds. Diversity, therefore, is an integral component of life and of living.

ACTIVITY
1. What is the definition of diversity?

2. Why is diversity important in present times?

3. Why are disability and disability considered another dimension of diversity?

4. How does diversity encourage innovation and problem solving?

5. What can non acceptance of diversity do in an organization?

Quiz
Read each paragraph and explain what you would do and why.

1. A parent asks to see you. He demands that you take out the crucifix inside your classroom because the religion they belong to does not
believe in the crucifix. He insists that his child is being taught the wrong values. How will you respond to the parent?

2. You plan a relay game for your class. While you are explaining the mechanics of the game, one student raises her hand and says she can't do a
particular task in the game because she has a prosthetic leg. How will you respond to this situation?

3. During a class election, Gina and Roy are running for the position of Class President. What criteria will you base your decision whom to vote
for?
 CIT COLLEGES OF PANIQUI FOUNDATION, INC.
PANIQUI, TARLAC
COLLEGE DEPARTMENT

MODULE IN EDUCATION 7

Course Description: Foundations of Special and Inclusive Education

CHAPTER 2. Addressing Diversity Through the Years: Special and Inclusive Education
Introduction:
This chapter allow you to look at Special Needs and Inclusive Education from historical and philosophical context. First step to
becoming an effective Special Needs and/or Inclusive teacher lies not in one's skill to teach strategically, but in one's willingness and
commitment to respect individual differences. As seen in the previous chapter, diversity is a natural part of every environment and
must be perceived as given rather than exception.

Objectives:
This chapter aims for you to develop the following competencies:

1. The ability to create a safe, inclusive and culturally responsive learning environment for students with additional needs
2. The ability to use your knowledge of general and specialized curricula to individualize learning for students with additional needs
3. The ability to demonstrate reflective thinking and professional self-direction.
I. Models of Disability
The concept of disability has been existent for ages. The Bible chronicles the presence of persons who are blind and crippled
who needed to be healed. Cultural narratives like "The Hunchback of Notre Dame" and "Kampanerang Kuba" depict disability as
source of fear and ridicule. Even Philippine History has records of disability through the Apolinario Mabini, who was unable to walk
because of physically impairing condition called polio. Clearly disability cuts across the countries, cultures and timelines. But perhaps
it it part of human nature to react negatively to anything perceived as different or out of the ordinary. Persons with Disabilites are
not exempted from this kind of treatment. How PWD's were once treated is not something any nation would be proud of.
Historically, people formed opinions and reactions toward disability in a similar pattern. It was consistent for almost every country
society first took notice of those physical disabilities because they immediately stood out, then they notice those with less apparent
developmental conditions because they acted differently. Sociology reminds us that human behavior must always be studied in
relation to cultural, historical, and sociocultural contexts. In fact, the best way to understand why people thinks or act the way they
do is by looking at what was happening to their community at certain point in time. Events tend to shape one's belief and value
system. As such it is important that we examine historical highlights to appreciate man's perspectives on disability.
A.Religious Model of Disability
The moral/religious model of disability is the oldest model of disability and is found in a number of religious traditions, including the
Judeo-Christian tradition (Pardeck & Murphy 2012:xvii). The religious model of disability is a pre-modern paradigm that views
disability as an act of a god, usually a punishment for some sin committed by the disabled individual or their family. In that sense,
disability is punitive and tragic in nature. This model frames disability as something to be ashamed of and insinuates that disabled
people or their families are guilty of some unknown action that caused their impairment. But that mentality only serves to stigmatize
disability, and the claim that praying heals disability is based on purely anecdotal evidence.
B.The Medical Model of Disability Medical models of disability equate pathology with inherent disability. For example, a person with
hearing loss is considered disabled, just as a person with cancer is considered disabled. In these models, the disability is viewed as a
defect that the field of medicine and healthcare professionals must fix. This implies that disabilities and disablement can be “cured”
by medicine. A solely medical model of disability consequently leads to any individual with pathology, however severe it may be,
qualifying for social aid and accommodations regardless of level of function. This resulted in the stigmatization, impoverishment, and
institutionalization of many individuals with pathologies.
C.The Social Model of Disability Social models of disability frame disability in an environmental context. For example, a person with
hearing loss is not disabled by the hearing loss itself, but by the environment not providing the appropriate resources for that
person. This type of model was pioneered mostly by individuals who had been labeled as disabled by the medical models of
disability. Through their self-advocacy, social models were conceived in order to defend autonomy and personal freedoms despite
level of functioning.1 Mike Oliver, a pioneer of the social model in the 1980s, based the model on his belief that it is not individual
limitations that are the cause of the problem. Rather, it is society’s failure to provide appropriate services and adequately ensure
that the needs of disabled people are taken into account in societal organization.
D.Human Rights Based Model of Disability
From the mid 1980's countries such as Australia enacted legislation which embraced rights-based discourse rather than
custodial discourse and seeks to address the issues of social justice and discrimination. The legislations embraced the shift from
disability being seen as an individual medical problem to it instead being about community membership and fair access to social
activities such as employment, education and recreation. The emphasis in the 1980's shifted from dependence to independence as
people with disabilities sought to have a political voice. Disability activism also helped to develop and pass legislation and
entitlements became available to many people. However, while the rights-based model of disability has helped to develop additional
entitlements, it has not changed the way in which the idea of disability is constructed. The stigma of 'bad genes' or 'abnormality' still
goes unchallenged and the idea of community is still elusive.

SPECIAL NEED EDUCATION

Merriam Webster Online defines education as "the action or process of teaching-learning process following a particular
sequence. First they are educated at home by their parents; then they go through preschool, which prepared then for a more
formal, systematic and rigorous type of learning. In elementary, secondary, tertiary people attempt to understand the world through
various subjects and different types of knowledge through typically singular teaching strategies. Most graduates become part of the
workforce while others choose to go beyond tertiary education and pursue higher academic degrees. Although there are countless
of schools in every country, the education process stays the same for everyone because the goal remains the same as well.
According to Prensky "the real goal of education is becoming 'a good person' and becoming more capable person than when you
started",. William Butler Yeats have said that "education is not filling of pail but lightning of a fire". Education plays a fundamental
role in a human's psrsonal and social development given that man is both an individual and social being; one simply cannot think of
the human person outside the context of a community. In its totality the vision of education for humanity is noble and appropriate.
 However for any given population, statistical data shows that people possess different aptitude and skill levels depending on
standards or expectations that society ultimately dictates and holds are true. This is what Clough refers to as "pathology of
difference". The facts remains: teaching strategies that normally work with average population will not work the same with those at
extremes. The student would not be able to learn as fast as much and as well as most. With scenarios like these one eventually
would have to wonder-how does education address this reality? This then becomes the very definition of Special Education.
Historically, Special Education has been regarded as "an attempt to increase the fairness of universal public education for
exceptional learners" because there are "those with special difficulties and extraordinary abilities in learning". Acknowledging
learner differences the special education lies in this goal to educate a certain population of students, particularly those at the tail
ends of normal statistical distribution of performance. In other words, special education tries to ensure that those perceived to have
difficulties learning will be taught, albeit in a different way.

INCLUSION
Inclusive education is an educational practice that places students with disabilities in the general education classroom along
with typically developing children under the supervision and guidance of a general education teacher (Del Corro-Tiangco 2014). It
takes root in special needs education and is anchored on the philosophy that every child has an inherent right to be educated
equally with his peers, no matter how different he or she may appear to society. The global arena has been consistently vocal in its
stand on children, persons with disabilities, and education. In as early as 1948, there have already been worldwide declarations on
children and their right to be educated(Universal Declaration of Human Rights 1948; United Nations Convention on the Rights of the
child 1989). In 1990, many countries banded together for the world declaration of Education for All (EFA), which stated that all
children must have access to complete, free, and compulsory primary education. Soon after, the UN Standard Rules on the
Equalization of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities (1993) was created. It is in this standard set of rules that each child's right
to education was affirmed. It is also in this directive that the importance of providing education in integrated and general school
settings was first specified. This mandate was immediately followed by the landmark policy on special education, The Salamnca
Statement and Framework foe Action on Special Needs Education (1994), which reiterated that schools should accommodate all
children, including the disabled, the gifted, and the marginalized.

INCLUSION IN EDUCATION INVOLVES

A.Valuing all students and staff equally
B. Increasing the participation of students in and reducing their exclusion from the cultures, policies and practices in schools so that
they respond to the diversity of student in the locality
C. Reducing barriers to learning and participation for all students, not only those with impairments or those who are categorized as
having special educational needs
E. Learning from attempts to overcome barriers to the access and participation of particular students to make changes for the
benefit of student more widely
F. Viewing the difference between students as resources to support learning, rather than problems to overcome
G. Acknowledging the right of students to an education in their locality
H. Improving schools for staff as well as for the students
I. Emphasizing the role of schools in building community and developing values

ACTIVITY
Let us check if yoy are able to understand the key concepts central to developing the competencies stated at the start of this
chapter.
On your own, answer the following question by using what you have learned from the chapter. When you are ready, discuss your
answer with a partner.
1. What are the different models of disability? How would each one define disability?
2. How are impairments different from disabilities?
3. What is special needs education? How different is it from inclusive education?
4. Which international treatises are directly involve in the pursuit of inclusive education?