Wheelchair users, and people with disabilities and special needs are constantly faced with barriers. As much as we may try to include people with disabilities in situations such as mainstream education, sports etc, we may wonder: is it really possible to achieve full inclusion?
People tend to have very strong viewpoints, quite understandably so, about the issue of inclusion generally. On one hand it may be considered unfair to treat people with physical disabilities and Serial Educational Needs any differently to any body else (although in practise, it doesn’t always appear this straightforward); on the other hand, it could be seen as more beneficial to the individual to be provided with a more specialised and specific education in an environment with other people in similar circumstances (such as in a special school). It is also important to consider though, that not all disabilities and conditions are the same or even of the same severity.
People may also be concerned that by including people with disabilities and SEN in mainstream schools, for example, that their own child’s learning practice will be interfered with or “slowed down”. There is the possibility however, that this concern can be overcome with the provision of a teaching assistant such as myself, to provide extra classroom support.
I have been considering for a while, the ways in which these ideas can be applied to the inclusion of people with SEN and disabilities into art forms such as dance. For me, one of the main debates occurring internally in my mind is: would having a separate dance class for people with disabilities be considered exclusion from learning with able bodied people, or a way of inclusion into the art form generally?
Having considered my mind map on the subject, I would have to also think about whether it would even be possible to teach an effective dance class at the same time to both able bodied and disabled people without the standard of teaching and learning being disrupted? Is there any one locally already providing this? Are the premises that I currently teach at suitable and accessible for wheelchair and crutch users? What provisions would have to make to transport disabled dancers to/from performances for example? Would I need any more of or a different type of liability insurance? What funding is available for this type of activity? All of these factors would have to be considered before even thinking about the actual content of a lesson and how I might make it effective for a range of disabilities.
