https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6930-3742
The past decade has seen significant attention paid to the inclusion of young people with disabilities to ensure they have access to a quality of life and high-quality education that is rightfully theirs. These rights are mandated by Article 24 of the UN Convention of the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which recognises that education should be accessible and inclusive, without discrimination, and on the basis of equal opportunity.
However, despite a global focus on inclusion and keen academic interest in the topic, there continues to be a wide gap between policy, practice, and outcomes. The problem is that there appears to be no definitive policy statement that effectively describes the concept of inclusion for children and young people with disabilities, particularly deaf and hard of hearing (DHH) students.
Much of the literature on inclusion lacks a clear conceptual focus and can sometimes be polarised, depending on the perspective of policymakers, administrators, and advocacy organisations. Without a strong evidence-based conceptual and practice framework, there will continue to be inconsistent and variable practice.
On the one hand, there is the position taken by many educational administrators and policymakers that inclusive education is a multi-faceted concept involving aspects such as school placement, building design, pedagogy, adjustments to the curriculum and learning environment and assessment, to name but a few. For DHH students, these adjustments may also include assistive technology, access to captioning and sign language interpreters and optimal room acoustics.
On the other hand, some believe that a bimodal bilingual approach, incorporating sign language and cultural immersion, can create an inclusive and supportive learning environment that addresses the language and communication challenges, isolation, and exclusion that deaf children frequently experience in their school environments. Other perspectives focus on the “normalisation” of deafness and argue that true inclusion can only be achieved in mainstream settings where there is no segregation and where empowerment, self-determination and choice are prioritised.
In some cases, specialist Schools for the Deaf are considered the most inclusive environment for DHH children to learn due to their culture of acceptance, understanding, and, most importantly, a language shared amongst all pupils and staff in the school. In these specialist settings, students are instructed in sign language and have opportunities to gain a strong deaf identity and access deaf peer networks and deaf adult role models. Yet, we are aware that these specialist schools are becoming a thing of the past and are being decommissioned by many educational jurisdictions as they believe them to be a form of segregation. However, there are also strong arguments against these changes. Supporters of specialist schools for the deaf view their settings as an example of true inclusivity, with no learning barriers and a focus on understanding and supporting the individual needs of deaf children and young people.
The diversity of DHH students’ needs undoubtedly contributes to the challenges in identifying a robust, evidence-based framework for effective inclusion. Inclusion for DHH young people encompasses more than merely accessing the curriculum and keeping up with their hearing peers. It is more than using one language or mode of communication over another or enrolling in a particular educational setting.
Too often, the inclusion policies articulated for deaf and hard of hearing students centre around a cluster of prescriptive adjustments in the classroom, including tiers of intervention, assistive technology, developing Individual Education Plans and determining funding and support needs based on functional skills assessments. Whilst these adjustments are appropriate and effective, there needs to be more evidence that these policies articulate strategies that address the social, emotional and wellbeing needs of deaf and hard of hearing young people.
By developing policies that articulate meaningful inclusion for DHH students, we have opportunities to reframe how inclusion is perceived. Placing young DHH learners at the centre of these policies and learning from the wisdom of their experiences will, in turn, help to guide the policies and practices that form the foundation of their education and will maximise outcomes.
We also want to see evidence of inclusive education policies and practices that acknowledge belonging and participation, self-determination, self-advocacy, and identity as essential aspects of inclusion for deaf and hard-of-hearing young people. These are the fundamental attributes that underpin an inclusive and accessible education.
As educators of deaf and hard of hearing students, we need to illuminate the attitudes of governments, school leaders, teachers, and communities if we are to achieve leading practices in inclusion for DHH young people. We must see leadership in inclusive practices in all schools and teachers’ positive attitudes in all learning environments. Only then will we see inclusion at its best.