Topic outline
UNIT: 1 INTRODUCTION TO CONCEPTS AND TERMS USED IN SPECIAL NEEDS AND INCLUSIVE EDUCATION
Key Unit Competence: Explain and use correctly the key concepts
and terms used in Inclusive and Special
Needs Education
Introductory Activity
In the area of Inclusive Education or Special Need Education, different
concepts and terms related to education, health, medical support, etc. are
used. Brainstorm and share some of the key concepts and terms used ininclusive education and special needs education you might know?
1.1 Definition of key concepts and terms
Activity 1.1
What do you understand by the following terms?
–– Assistive devices
–– Child friendly school
–– Individualized teaching strategies
–– Itinerant educator / teacher
–– Multidisciplinary team
–– Special Needs Education (SNE) professional
–– Habilitation/rehabilitation services
–– Resource room
–– Specialized person
–– Support service/intervention
–– Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
–– Impairment
–– Disability
–– Handicap
–– Special education
–– Special Needs Education (SNE)
–– Special Educational Needs (SEN)
–– Inclusive Education (IE)
–– Integrated education–– Mainstream education
1.1.1 Definitions of Terms and concepts used in special needs and inclusive education
. Assistive devices: These are equipment and materials used to
facilitate or aid the functionality of a person with impairment. Examples:
hearing aids, lenses, Perkins Braille, talking calculators, audio and
video systems, white cane, wheelchairs, tricycles and special seats,adapted software like JAWS, interpreting technology, etc.
• Child-Friendly School (CFS): It is an educational setting characterized
as “inclusive”, healthy and protective for all children, irrespective of their
differences in abilities, gender, social status, background and others. It
is based on the principle that every child should learn in an environment
that is physically safe, emotionally secure and psychologically
enabling. The approach aims at developing a learning environment in
which children are motivated and able to learn. In Rwanda today, a
CFS is characterized by quality education indicators including health
and sanitation promotion, secure and learner protecting environment,
school and community partnership, effective school management,
gender sensitivity, inclusiveness, effective teaching and learning.
These indicators apply to all levels of education
• Disability: According to the World Health Organisation (WHO),
disability refers to difficulties encountered by an individual as a result
of impairment, activity limitations or participation limitations. Disability
arises from the interaction of health conditions with environmental
and personal factors. This is also a development, human rights and
social issue, because different societies interpret abilities or disabilities
in accordance to their social norms and standards. In this document,
reference is made to Visual Disability, Hearing Disability, Physical
Disability, Communication Disabilities, Intellectual Disabilities and
Multiple Disabilities.
• Impairment: This is the damage to a part of the body (organic system)
caused by genetic factors, disease, accident or other factors, which
may cause a disability. It is a partial or complete loss of use (or ability)
of a certain body part or organ which leads to a reduction or loss of
function of that body part or organ.
• Inclusive Education: This is an educational process of addressing
all learners’ educational needs in a mainstream education setting
regardless of their diverse needs. It is based on the principle that every
learner is unique and can learn and develop differently. Therefore, the
education system is expected to be flexible and adapted to cater for
every learners needs.
• Integrated education: This is a process of addressing education of
learners with special education needs within the mainstream education.
The term Integrated Education is commonly used to describe the
process of bringing children with disabilities into an ordinary school but
focusing on the individual child fitting into the existing school system
and doing little to adjust the system. In some countries this is known as
mainstreaming. The child is seen as a problem and must be prepared
for integration rather than the school being ready. Often, children are
moved or a ccepted into school and is of little concern whether the
child is learning or not. The focus is on the individual child and not the
teachers’ skills or the system. In these circumstances many children
drop out or repeat classes for many years. The majority of the extra
resources and methods (if available at all) are focused on the individual
child and not on the teachers’ skills and system. It is based on the
principle that all learners have the right of access to education and
all learners learn differently while education system has no obligation
to change the environment in order to fit their needs. The child must
adapt to the existing system or fail.
• Individualized Teaching Strategies: These are the personalized
instructional approaches or methodologies that cater for the learners
with disabilities and related Special Educational Needs. They involve
among others, Individual Education Plan (IEP) which involves designing
individualized learning and teaching goals, support provisions and
resources, structured teaching approaches using adjusted and/or
functional curricular, etc.
• Itinerant teacher/educator: Also referred to as a “visiting” or
“peripatetic” teachers, itinerant teachers are traveling schoolteachers,
often specialized in certain fields of Special Needs Education, who
move from school to school, providing individualized support to learners
with SEN, and/or supporting their teachers.
• Mainstream schools: Also referred as ‘Ordinary’ or ‘Regular’ schools
as opposed to ‘special schools’. They are schools which educate
and therefore do not require any exceptional educational adjustments.
Most of Rwandan mainstream schools, accommodate learners with a
range of mild and moderate disabilities without any adjustment to suit
their needs.
• Multi-Disciplinary Team (MDT): This is a team of experts with
different backgrounds working in complementary way in the delivery of
education service and/or programming for an individual (or group of)
learner (s) with Special Educational Needs. The specific roles of the
Multi-Disciplinary team at school include (1) assessment of educational
needs, (2) guiding the development of Individual Educational Plans
(IEP) and following up learners with special needs. In Rwandan
context, a multi-Disciplinary Team in a school include (not exhaustive);
the school management-head teacher, director of studies, parents,
teachers, health professionals, psychologists, social worker, learners
and Special needs education specialist.
• Special Needs: Special needs are any of various difficulties (such as
a physical, emotional, behavioural, health, ultra-poor or impairment)
that cause an individual to require additional or specialized services
or reasonable accommodations (in education or recreation). All
those difficulties or challenges that a person faces and render him/
her different from other average persons are referred to as “special
needs” because they may demand adjustments in order to participate
or access services equally.
• Special Educational Needs (SEN): These are non-ordinary needs
a learner may have in schooling as a result of intrinsic or extrinsic
limitations/barriers. The learner with SEN will need extra attention /
assistance from the teacher and/or the use of different educational
approaches or/and tools. Special needs that have a bearing on school
work and education are generally referred to as special educational
needs.
• Special Needs Education (SNE): In Rwanda, some children learn
in specialized settings, due to temporary or permanent SEN, thus in
those settings teachers provide adjusted educational programs or
services known as “Special Needs Education” (SNE). Experiences in
the Rwandan context continue to indicate that the concept is largely.
Interpreted as ‘Uburezi bw’abafite ubumuga’ or education for those
with disabilities, typically intellectual, multiple disabilities, or sensory
disabilities. Providing services and programs adapting the educational
system (Teaching approaches, environment, programs, and tools)
and adjusting them to fit the individual needs of learners with specialeducational needs is what is referred to as Special Needs Education.
• Special needs education professional staff: These are professional
service providers in the field of special needs officially recruited to
offer specialized services that require specialized skills. Sign language
interpreters, Special Needs Education Coordinators (SNECO) and
resource room technicians for example.
• Habilitation /Rehabilitation services: Rehabilitation refers to
services provided to newly persons with disabilities with the purpose of
restoring some of the functionality they lost as a result of their disability.
This is done mainly to help them acquire skills for independent living.
Habilitation is like rehabilitation except that it is a service accorded to
persons who had no functional skills in the first place at the time of
acquiring the disability. It is both about teaching new skills to people
who never had them.
• Resource room: This is a room/place in a school for supporting and
teaching learners with SEN, equipped with specialized resources,
various learning materials and support services. At times teachers
also use it and other resource personnel, for other activities related to
special needs education services.
• Special School: A school that is set and organized to provide educational
services to learners with specific Special Educational Needs. In
Rwanda, there are schools specified for learners with hearingdifficulties
,withvisual difficulties those with cognitive challenges, etc.
• Support services/intervention: These are special services offered
by professionals in support of mainstream teachers of learners with
disabilities and related educational needs; such as speech and
language therapy, occupational therapists, sign language interpretation,
counselling, etc.
• Ultra-poor Children: These are children that are living below the
poverty line. Ultra-poverty is defined as the in ability to meet minimum
daily consumption needs, discomfort, exhaustion, exclusion, rejection,
isolation and loneliness, low self-confidence. Learners who are brought
up in low income families are at risk for academic as well as social
problems and poor health and well-being which can in turn undermine
educational achievement.
• Vulnerable and Marginalised Girls: The most marginalized and
difficult to reach groups of girls vary according to local and national
contexts. Unfortunately, there is limited availability of appropriate tools
to assist with identification of the most marginalized girls. Many situation
analyses tools have not been designed to collect the type and quality of
information that will help identify and then reach the most marginalized
or disadvantaged girls, who thus fall off the radar of formal or informal
interventions. Some of these girls include the following:
• Married adolescent girls
• Girls living in areas where child marriage is accepted
• Girls whose parents have disabilities
• Girls heading households due to orphan hood or other reasons
• Adolescent mothers
• Out of school and illiterate girls
• Girls from socially conservative families
• Girls separated from their families
• Domestic workers
• Adolescent girls living with one or no parent
• Girls living in rural, remote or isolated geographical areas
• Adolescent girls with minimal social networks
• Universal Design for Learning (UDL): This is an internationallyrecognized
approach to inclusive teaching and learning. It refers to a set
of principles and practices that allows all learners equal opportunities
in the same educational setting. UDL provides a design for creating
instructional goals, methods, materials, and assessments that work
for everyone, and not a single, one-size-fits-all solution, rather, flexible
approaches that can be customized and adjusted for individual needs.
The UDL Guidelines are a framework to improve and optimize teaching
and learning for all people based on scientific insights into how humans
learn. The UDL Guidelines are organized according to three main
principles that address representation, expression, and engagement,
for each of which, “Checkpoints” are specified and highlighted.
Self- assessment 1.1.
Using examples explain the following terms:
Assistive devices, Child friendly school, Individualized teaching strategies,
Itinerant teacher/educator, Multidisciplinary team, SNE professional,
habilitation/rehabilitation services, Resource room, Specialized person,
Support service/intervention, Universal design for learning, Impairment,
disability, Handicap, Special education, Special needs Education, Special
educational needs, Inclusive education, Integrated education, Mainstream
education
1.2 Differentiation of some key terms used in special needs
and inclusive education
Activity 1.2
In inclusive education and special needs, there are some terms that people
tends to use interchangeably but are completely different.
Those terms are:
–– Impairment, disability & handicap
–– Special Needs Education, and Special Educational Needs.
–– Inclusive education, integrated education, mainstream education
From your own understanding, how can you differentiate them?
a. Impairment, disability and handicap: These terms will be explained
using clear example.
David is a 4-year old boy. He has a form of Cerebral Palsy (CP) called spastic
diplegia. David’s CP causes his legs to be stiff, tight, and difficult to move.
He cannot stand or walk.
Impairment: The stiffness, tightness and inability to move the legs easily
at the joints and inability to bear weight on the feet is impairment. Without
orthotics and surgery to release abnormally contracted muscles, David’s
level of impairment may increase as imbalanced muscle contraction over a
period of time and it can cause hip dislocation and deformed bone growth.
No treatment may be currently available to lessen David’s impairment.
Disability: David’s inability to walk is a disability. His level of disability can
be improved with physical therapy and special equipment. For example, if
he learns to use a walker, with braces, his level of disability will improve
considerably.
Handicap: David’s cerebral palsy is handicapping to the extent that it
prevents him from fulfilling a normal role at home, in preschool, and in the
community. His level of handicap has been only very mild in the early years
as he has been well-supported to be able to play with other children, interact
normally with family members and participate fully in family and community
activities. As he gets older, his handicap will increase where certain sports
and physical activities are considered “normal” activities for children of the
same age. He has little handicap in his preschool classroom, though he
needs some assistance to move in the classroom and from one activity to
another outside the classroom. Appropriate services and equipment can
reduce the extent to which cerebral palsy prevents David from fulfilling a
normal role at home, school and in community as he grows.
Note: when all barriers, limitations, prejudice removed and negative attitudes
changed, the handicap does no longer exist to someone who has a disability
or impairment.
b. Special Needs Education and Special Educational Needs.
The only difference between those two terms is that Special Educational
Needs (SEN) is a need that an individual has. For example, someone
who has Down syndrome, emotional disturbance, reading and learning
disabilities, intellectual disabilities, pervasive developmental disorder, etc.
while Special Needs Education (SNE) is an educational service made to
carter the individual educational needs aiming to fully develop the capabilities,
independence and social participation of individual with disability or specialneed.
c. Inclusive Education, Integrated Education, Mainstream Education
Note: Both approaches (integrated education and inclusive education) have
the same objective to bring a student in a mainstream classroom. However
integrated education expects students to adapt to the pre-existing structure,
while inclusive education ensures that the existing education system is
adapted to each student.
Self- assessment 1.2.
Differentiate the following terms used in special needs and inclusive education:
–– Impairment, Disability and Handicap
–– Special Needs Education and Special Educational Needs.–– Inclusive Education, Integrated Education, Mainstream Education
END UNIT ASSESSMENT
1. In your own understanding, explains the following terms used in special
needs and inclusive education:
–– Assistive devices
–– Child friendly school
–– Individualized teaching strategies
–– Itinerant teacher/educator
–– Multidisciplinary team
–– SNE professional
–– Habilitation/Rehabilitation services
–– Resource room
–– Specialized person
–– Support service/intervention
–– Universal design for learning
2. Referring to the following case study differentiate disability, impairment
and handicap.“Cindy is an 8-year-old who has extreme difficulty with reading.3. Is your school setting inclusive or integrated? Justify your answer using
She has good vision and hearing and scores well on tests of
intelligence. She went to an excellent preschool and several
different special reading programs have been tried since early in
kindergarten.”
examples?
4. From your own perspective, which approach (integrated or inclusive
education) do you think Rwandan schools should adopt? Why?
5. Answer with a yes or no to the following statement, if your answer is no,
provide the right definition:
6. Special educational needs is an educational approach or technic that
is adopted in order to enable students with disability and special needs
to learn depending to their own pace and ability, participate, developindependence and social participation.
UNIT: 2 TRENDS THAT MARKED INCLUSIVE AND SPECIAL NEEDS EDUCATION
Key Unit Competence: Identify and contextualize Inclusive
Education in the current policy trends andpedagogical practices.
Introductory Activity
1. The right to education of children with Special Needs has been
promoted over time in Rwanda. With examples, discuss on what
has been done to promote the right to education of children with
Special Needs in Rwanda.
2. There are different types of schools that children with Special
Needs may attend. Name at least four special schools and ten
inclusive schools that you know.
3. Persons with Special Needs/diverse needs have long been
neglected and not considered as productive member of the society.
How is the situation today? Discuss the long journey that Personswith Special Needs went through to arrive at where they are today.
2.1. Brief history of the development of Special Needs and Inclusive Education
Activity 2.1.
1. All children can learn. With reference to the history of development
of Special Needs, elaborate on this statement.
2. Explain four phases of development of Special Needs Education
Educational Historians typically trace the beginning of Special Education
to the late of eighteenth and the early nineteenth centuries. Before that
time, persons with disabilities and other special needs were not taken into
consideration.
One of the earliest documented attempts at providing a special education were
the efforts of the French physician Jean Marc- Gaspard Itard (1775-1838)
at educating 12year old Victor, the so called” Wild boy of Aveyron”. Victor
was discovered by a group of hunters in a forest near the town of Aveyron,
France. When found, he was unclothed, without language, ran but did not
walk, and exhibited animal-like behaviour. Itard, an authority on diseases of
ear and teaching youngsters with Hearing Impairments endeavoured in 1979
to civilize Victor. He attempted to teach Victor through a sensory training
program and what today would be called behaviour modification. Because
this adolescent failed to fully develop language after five years of dedicated
and painstaking instruction, and only mastered basic social and self-help
skills (dressing, sleeping, eating), Itard considered his efforts a failure. Yet
he successfully demonstrated that learning was possible even for individual
described by his contemporaries as a hopeless and incurable idiot. The title
“Farther of Special Education” is rightly bestowed on Itard because of his
ground-breaking work 200years ago.
Another influential pioneer was Itard’s student Edourd Seguin (1812-1880).
He developed instructional programs for youngsters whom many of his fellow
professionals believed to be incapable of learning. Like his mentor Itard,
Seguin was convinced of the importance of sensorimotor activities as an aid
to learning. His methodology was based on a comprehensive assessment of
the student’s strengths and weaknesses. Seguin also realized the value of
early education; he is considered one of the first early interventionists.
The work of Itard, Seguin and other innovators of their time helped to
establish a foundation for many contemporary practices in special education.
Examples of these contributions include individualized instruction, the use of
positive reinforcement techniques and a belief in the capacity of all children
to learn.
In Rwanda, the history of special education can be traced back in the year
1962 when Father Joseph Fraipont Ndagijimana opened the first centre for
medical, education and reintegration of persons with Disabilities in Gatagara.
Persons with disabilities in Rwanda suffered stigmatization, isolation and
segregation and was denied their rights to education. It is only after the
1994 Genocide against the Tutsi that the government of Rwanda committed
to leave no one behind. Inclusive Education was then adopted as a mean to
give rights to education to all children including those with disabilities.
All over the world, the education of learners with special needs can be
categorized into four phases:
• Period of extermination and Neglect
Before 17th century, all over the world, disability was seen as a punishment
from God, a bad or evil sign. God created a man in his own image, disability
was therefore an impurity. Persons with Disabilities could not approach
sacred places.
Plato and Aristotle called for infanticide and Ciceron calls for the purity of
the race, a society free of defectives. As a result of this philosophy, Persons
with Disabilities were left on hills to die, thrown off cliffs and locked away.
Fathers had rights to terminate child’s life. Children with severe intellectualDisabilities, Blind and Deaf had little more chance to live.
• Period of Institutionalization and isolation
Early eighteen, Christians believed that Jesus helped persons with disabilities
(ex: Blind miracle). Disability was therefore seen as less a fault or evil sign.
They felt that there was a need of assistance and help. As a result, Persons
with Disabilities were often placed in hospitals, asylums or other institutions
that provided little, if any education. They were isolated from the society and
considered as useless eaters. The belief was that once disabled always
disabled. Persons with Disabilities could not marry or get married. The
sterilization law was enacted to prevent society from getting more personswith disabilities.
• Period of segregation
The Second World War (1939-1945) left many persons with a certain disability
and other special needs. Many were injured during the war and became
disabled. Families of injured people pushed the US government to help
persons with disabilities. The movement continued and reached to children
with disabilities. The education of children with disabilities started. However,
during this period, children with disabilities were catered for in segregated
set ups in the community. Children with disabilities may be placed in special
schools in which they learn with others who have similar difficulties like
themselves. The school can be day or boarding. They were schools for the
hearing impaired, visually impaired, mentally handicapped and physically
handicapped. Under this kind of education, children with disabilities were still
taken to be different hence segregation. This form of education has however
some advantages which include:
• Smaller class enrolment resulting in a teacher handling fewer children
• Greater access to expert like trained special needs teachers, therapists
such as physiotherapists, occupational therapists, speech therapist and others
• Modified environment such as cemented pavements, ramps and lowered toilets
• Availability of specialized equipment and resources.
The disadvantages of segregated education include:
• The special schools are often far from the learner’s home, separating
the learner from the family and age mates
• They may be limiting to learner’s interaction with the real worlds as
they spend most of the time with others like themselves.
• The learners are separated from peers and siblings in the formative
years and come back home after the schooling years to people who
may not know how to relate to them. This make it difficult for the learner
to face the real world full of diversities, which he/ she was not prepared for.
• The special teachers in the special programme rarely interact with
teachers of regular schools and so they do not exchange new ideas on teaching.
• The teachers are trained to work with only a specific disability or special need.
• The cost of this provision is very high and not sustainable
• Most of the special education provision was started and maintained
through a charity approach. Because of the charitable outlook of this
type of provision children with special needs education are viewed as:
–– Object of pity
–– Dependent on others
–– Underachievers
–– Persons with special needs who need to be in a special school or
class under a special teacher trained in special institution
• Period of integration
As society started accepting those with special needs as part of the society,
they become more tolerant and understanding. The idea of integration was
conceived. Integration reflects the attempts to place learners with special
needs into the mainstream. Even though this is being done, the focus is still
on disability. The child is expected to adapt and fit into the education system
without any major changes being done to its curriculum or style of teaching
and learning. Everything in these schools is tailored to fit the normal child.
That leaves out the Children with Disabilities, whose needs are normally
ignored. Integration is still practiced in many countries in Africa. This then
shows that the means by which the Children with Disabilities should access
basic quality education without discrimination is yet to be achieved in many
parts of the world. This therefore calls for flexibility in educational practices.
This form of education also has its advantages and disadvantages.
Advantages include:
• The learners with special needs in education enjoy social integration
from peers and relatives
• It is less restrictive to the learners as they interact with others without
similar special needs education
• Gives an opportunity for learners without special needs to support
those with special needs in various activities
Disadvantages include:
• If not well coordinated, a learner with special needs in education may
be excluded from academic learning while being socially included
• Labelling and stigmatization of the learners with special needs may
results from special arrangements to help meet their needs. This may
lower their learners’ self-image
• The regular teachers feel incompetent to deal with the special learnerwho they think many only be handled by special teacher.
• Period of Inclusion
The integrated education model emphasizes on where the pupil is placed
rather than on the quality of his or her learning experiences. With time,
educators have realized that integration needs to be reviewed and that is
how the inclusion started. After the international year for the PWDs in 1981,
many organizations of and for persons with disability organized themselves
and become vocal on the quality of education they were receiving. They
argued that CWDs who went to regular schools got better education than
those in special schools. They came to the conclusion that provision of
education through inclusive approach was the best option. Inclusion follows
from integration but differs from it in that, in inclusion it is the school that
must make the adjustments to accommodate or include the child. Inclusion
means participating in school life in all aspects. It requires the educational
system to meet the needs of the child as normally and inclusively as possible
rather than the child with the special needs being made to adapt to suit
the needs of the system. The key issue with inclusive education is to make
the regular schools welcoming for all learners regardless of difficulties thelearners might have.
SELF Assessment 2.1
1. What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of integration?2. What are the negative aspects of segregated education?
2.2. Pioneering contributors to the development of Special Education
Activity 2.2
1. Explain how the work of Louis Braille influenced the education of
learners with Visual Impairments in Rwanda?
2. Maria Montessori believed that children learn best by direct
sensory experience, in a group. Discuss how children can learn
using different senses?
3. Name four pioneers who contributed to the development of SpecialEducation
Many people contributed to the development of Special Education. The
following are selected people whose contributions marked the development
of Special Education.
• Jacob Rodrigues Pereine (1715- 1780): Introduced the idea that
persons who are deaf could be taught to communicate. He developed
an early form of Sign Language.
• Phillippe Pinel (1745-1826): A reform minded French physician who
was concerned with the humanitarian treatment of individual with
mental illness. Advocated releasing institutionalized patients from their
chains. Pioneered the field of occupational therapy
• Jean Marc Gaspard Itard (1755-1838): A French doctor who secured
lasting fame because of his systematic efforts to educate an adolescent
thought to be severely mentally challenged. Recognized the importanceof sensory stimulation.
• Thomas Gallaudet (1787-1851): Taught children with Hearing
Impairments to communicate through a system of manual signs
symbols. Established the first institution of Learners with Hearing
Impairments in United States of America.
• Samuel Gridley Howe (1801-1838): An American Physician and
educator accorded international fame because of his success in
teaching individuals with visual and hearing impairments. Founded the
first residential facility for the blind in America.
• Louis Braille (1809-1852): A French educator, himself blind who
developed a tactile system of reading and writing for people who are
blind. His system, based on a cell of six embossed dots, is still usedtoday.
• Eduard Seguin (1812-1880): A pupil of Itard, Seguin was a French
physician responsible for developing teaching methods for pupils with
Intellectual Disabilities. His training emphasized sensorimotor activities.
• Alfred Binet (1857-1911): A French psychologist who constructed
the first standardized developmental assessment scale capable of
qualifying intelligence. The original purpose of this test was to identify
students who might profit from a special education and not to classify
individuals on the basis of ability. Also originated the concept of mental
age with his student Theodore Simon.
• Maria Montessori (1870-1952): Achieved Worldwide recognition for
her pioneering work with young children and youngsters with Intellectual
Disabilities. First female to earn a medical degree in Italy. Expert in
Early Childhood Education. Demonstrated that children are capable
of learning at a very early age when surrounded with manipulative
materials in a rich and stimulating environment. Believed that children
learn best by direct sensory experience.
• Lewis Terman (1877-1956): An American educator and psychologist
who revised Binet’s original assessment instrument. The result was the
publication of the Stanford Binet Scale of intelligence in 1916. Terman
developed the notion of intelligence quotient, or IQ. Also famous forlifelong study of gifted individuals. Considered the grandfather of gifted education.
SELF Assessment 2.2
1. Name three pioneers of Special Education and explain how
their works influenced education of learners with Special Needs Education in Rwanda?
2.3 Current trends in inclusive and Special Needs Education
policies and practices
Activity 2.2
1. What does the Jomtien Declaration say about Special Needs Education?
2. What is the most recent declaration and what does it entail as regard to special needs education?
3. What was the emphasis of Salamanca statement?
The right to education has been globally acknowledged as an overarching
right. Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights decrees education
as an inalienable human right upon which depends the realization of
other rights. However, persons with special needs and those with disabilities
have long been denied their rights to education. International, regional
and national laws and policies have to be set to ensure that persons with
disabilities and other special needs are enjoying their rights as other members
of the society. The major ones include:
1. The Universal Declaration of Human Rights (1948)
Article 26 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights states that: ‘Everyone
has the right to education, which shall be free and compulsory. All are
entitled to all the rights without discrimination of any kin such as race, colour,
sex, birth or any status”. This forms an important basis for education for all
children in the world regardless of the diversity of the needs of the person.
2. The World Conference on Education for All (EFA) also referred
to as the Jomtien Declaration (1990)
Another move for inclusion was during the World Conference on Education
for All in Jomtien, Thailand. The Jomtien Conference recommended among
other things that:
• All children have a right to education regardless of individual differences.
• All children should be taken to school
• Government should provide each child the most suitable education
However, this did not have a worldwide impact, as stakeholders didn’t
make deliberate attempts to implement the recommendations.
3. The Salamanca Statement on Inclusive Education (1994)
This statement was formulated by representatives of 92 world governments
and 25 international organizations who were delegates at the World
Conference on Special Needs Education in Salamanca, Spain. This was
a follow up of the Jomtien Declaration (1990) discussed above. The major
recommendations of the Salamanca Statement addressed the following:
• The right of every child to education that considers the child’s unique
abilities and learning needs.
• The child with special needs must have access to regular education
in a welcoming school in his or her neighbourhood. This will create an
inclusive society thus improving efficiency and cost effectiveness in
education system.
• All governments must give priority to policy, legal and budgetary
provision to improving their education system to include all children in
regular education as much as possible. This will be achieved by:
–– Exchanging programmes with other countries practicing inclusive
education
–– Establishing decentralized and participatory mechanisms for
planning education provisions for learners with SNE.
–– Encouraging community participation in education
–– Improving teacher education programme to address SNE in the
regular schools
4. Dakar Framework of Action (2000)
The World Conference on Education for All was held in Dakar, Senegal to
assess the progress since Jomtien (1990). It concluded that there was little
or slow progress in most countries especially in Africa towards achieving
the goal set ten years earlier. The following factors were suggested to be
the reasons for the lack of notable achievement of the EFA goals in African
countries:
• Low quality education
• Illiteracy among children and adults especially girls and those with
disabilities
• Low completion rates
• Irrelevant and expensive curriculum
• Low achievement(attainment) rates
• High cost education
• Limited resources for financing education
• Low community participation
The Dakar framework for action emphasises the need for action by National
Governments including Rwanda to rededicate themselves towards attaining
the EFA Goals.
5. The Convention of the Right of Persons with Disabilities (2008)
promotes the right of persons with disabilities to inclusive education (Article
24). It adopts a broad categorization of persons with disabilities and reaffirms
that all persons with all types of disabilities must enjoy all human rights andfundamental freedoms.
6. The Incheon Declaration (UNESCO, 2015)
is the most recent effort that reaffirmed previous efforts in guaranteeing
education for all and committed nations towards a 2030 target of inclusive and
equitable quality education and lifelong learning for all. Continuous efforts
by nations to ensure education for all have in recent years expressed in the
Millennium Development Goals (MDGs) of 2000. Goal 2 postulated that by
2015, member nations should guarantee Universal Primary Education (UPE)
for all boys and girls. Indeed, member nations were urged to ensure that those
in difficult circumstances and those belonging to ethnic minorities complete a
full course of primary schooling. But UPE was not achieved in the target year
(2015). This is the reason the aspirations were carried forward to Sustainable
Development Goals (SDGs). Goal 4 of the Sustainable Development Goals
recommits nations to work towards inclusive and equitable quality educationand promote life-long learning opportunities for all
7. The United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child (UNCRC) (1989)
The UNCRC protects and promotes the rights of all children including those
with disabilities, coming from ultra-poor households and marginalized girls.
Articles 2, 23, 28 and 29 are particularly relevant to the rights of children with
disabilities.
Article 2: Non-discrimination – “All rights apply equally to all children
without exception. It is the State’s obligation to protect children from any
form of discrimination and to take positive action to promote their rights”
Article 2 is the key Article for children with disabilities. It states clearly that
every Article applies equally and without exception, to all children, irrespective
of race, colour, sex, disability, birth or other status.
Children with disabilities have the same rights as other children. This
includes, for example, the right to education, to survival and development,
to know and be cared for by their families, to participate in leisure activities
and to have their opinions heard. However, children with disabilities routinely
face discrimination and many, such as girls with disabilities and children
from ultra-poor households face multiple forms of discrimination. In many
cases, they do not attend school because of discriminatory attitudes or a
lack of awareness as to how they should be included.
Articles 28 and 29: Education – “The child has a right to education, and the
State’s duty is to ensure that primary education is free and compulsory, to
encourage different forms of secondary education accessible to every child
and to make higher education available to all on the basis of capacity”
Article 28 reinforces that all children, including those with impairments and
difficulties in learning, have a right to education. However, there is no specific
mention of the importance of early intervention and pre-school education,
which can help to reduce the impact of impairments.
Article 23: Rights of Children with Disabilities “a child with disability has
the right to special care, education, and training to help him or her enjoy a
full and decent life in dignity and achieve the greatest degree of self-reliance
and social integration possible”.
Article 23 emphasises that, in order to implement the principle of nondiscrimination,
children with disabilities have the right to have their individual
needs met. The article suggests that children with disabilities may need“special care”. This implies that the only problems facing children with
disabilities are to do with their own impairments. No mention is made of
the barriers children face in society. Unfortunately, this article can easily be
misinterpreted. It could justify the segregation of children with disabilities
because they are seen as needing “special care”. It also implies that children
with disabilities can only have access to their rights ‘where resources allow’,
since ‘special care’ is usually expensive. The overall emphasis in Article 23
is on welfare rather than rights. It does not promote inclusive education or
inclusive social policy. However, the UN Standard Rules on the Equalization
of Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities make it clear that the rights of
people with disabilities are to be achieved through a policy of inclusion. It is
the combination of this principle and the rights provides by the UNCRC, that
determines the rights of children with disabilities.
Regionally, article 17(1) of the African Charter on Human and Peoples
Rights guarantees the right to education. Article 2 of the same decrees state
that the rights assured by the charter should be enjoyed without any form of
discrimination and article 18 (4), specifically targets persons with disabilities
and provides that persons with disabilities should be accorded special
measures of protection in reference to their physical and moral needs. It
further endeavours to guarantee the right to education. Article 3(a) of the
African Charter on the Rights and Welfare of the Child states that every child
has a right to education. Section 3(e) exhorts state parties to take special
measures in respect to female, gifted and disadvantaged children, to ensure
equal access to education.
The Constitution of the Republic of Rwanda of 2003 as amended in
2015 reaffirms the equality of all Rwandans in rights and duties and prohibits
any form of discrimination based especially on physical or mental disability.
Article 51 states that the State has duty to establish measures facilitating
education of persons with disabilities.
SELF Assessment 2.3
1. Explain why nations should have policies and laws that support
persons with disabilities?
2. Discuss on the Sustainable Development Goals, especially number
4 and how it supports education of children with disabilities?
3. What was the reasons behind the lack notable achievement of the EFA Goals in Africa?
END UNIT ASSESSMENT
1. Discuss advantages and disadvantages of integrative education?
2. Discuss the contributions of the following pioneers to the
development of Special Needs Education
• Phillippe Pinel
• Jacob Rodrigue Pereine
• Jean Marc Gaspard
• Alfred Binet
3. What are the recommendations from the EFA conference?4. Elaborate on the Salamanca statement?
UNIT: 3 LEGAL FRAMEWORKS AFFECTING INCLUSIVE EDUCATION
Key Unit Competence: Discuss and contextualize international,
regional and national frameworks regarding
inclusive and Special Needs education.
Introductory Activity
Human rights are the foundation of human existence and coexistence.
They are universal, indivisible and interdependent, and they lay at the heart
of everything the United Nations aspires to achieve in its global mission of
peace and development. Since the adoption of the universal declaration
of Human Rights by the United Nations Organization General Assembly
in 1948, governments have discussed, negotiated, and agreed upon
many hundreds of fundamental principles and legal provisions designed
to protect and promote an array of civil, cultural, economic, political and
social rights. In additional, they didn’t limit there, but they also designed
different declarations, conventions, charters, policies protecting the right
of people disability.
Questions:
Do you know any conventions, declaration, charters, and policies protecting
the right of people disability?
3.1. International declarations and conventions regarding
people with disability and SEN
Activity 3.1.
In O level, you have probably heard about international declarations or
conventions regarding rights of people with disability.
Mention any of the declarations or conventions you might know?
–– Universal Declaration of Human Rights –1948 ensures the right to free
and compulsory elementary education for all children. The declaration
emphasizes that all persons with disabilities have a right to educationno matter how severely disabled they are.
–– UN Convention on the Rights of the Child-1989 ensures the right for
all children to receive education without discrimination on any grounds.
The convention asserts that “all rights are indivisible and interrelated”
meaning that providing segregated education could violate the
children’s right to non-discrimination as much as it aims at fulfilling their
right to education.
–– World Declaration for Education for All-1990: First agreement on
target of ‘Education for All’. The Jomtien declaration addresses the
challenges of educational disparities and calls for attention to be paid
on vulnerable groups to discrimination and exclusion with a specific
mention of persons with disabilities.
–– Standard Rules on the Equalization of Opportunities for Persons
with Disability-1993: The UN Standard Rules on the Equalization of
Opportunities for Persons with Disabilities Rule 6 not only affirms the
equal rights of all children, youth and adults with disabilities to education
but also states that education should be provided in “an integrated
school setting” and in the “general school settings”.
–– UNESCO Salamanca Statement and Framework for Action-1994:
‘Schools should accommodate all children regardless of their physical,
intellectual, social, emotional, linguistic or other conditions. This should
include disabled and gifted children, street and working children, children
from remote or nomadic populations, children from linguistic, ethnic, religious
or cultural minorities and children from other disadvantaged or marginalised
areas or groups.’
–– Dakar Framework for Action-2000: Ensuring that all children have
access to and complete free and compulsory primary education by
2015. Focus on marginalized and girls.
–– The UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities-2006
as ratified in 2008 promotes the right of persons with disabilities to
inclusive education (Article 24). It adopts a broad categorization of
persons with disabilities and reaffirms that all persons with all types
of disabilities must enjoy all human rights and fundamental freedoms.
–– Sustainable Development Goals: Goal 4 ensures inclusive and equitable
quality education and promotes lifelong learning opportunities for all.
Specific targets are (i) by 2030, the world will eliminate all disparities
in education and ensure equal access to all levels of education and
vocational training for the vulnerable, including persons with disabilities,
indigenous peoples and children in vulnerable situations; (ii) build
and upgrade education facilities that are child, disability and gender
sensitive and provide safe, nonviolent, inclusive and effective learningenvironments for all.
–– Quality assurance guidance on disability and other special education
needs in EAC higher education observes art 120 (c) of the “Treaty
for the establishment of EAC” that all partner states cooperate in
the field of welfare with respect to adoption of a common approach
towards the disadvantaged and marginalized groups, including person
with disabilities, through rehabilitation and provision of education andtraining.
Self assesment 3.1
Contextualize the international declarations and convention on inclusive
education in Rwandan context as regards to their implementation in theRwandan society, particularly in schools
3.2. Regional declarations, decrees, charters regarding people with disability and SEN
Activity 3.2
–– What do you understand by regional declarations, decrees,
charters regarding people with disability and SEN?
–– Can you mention some on them you might know?
–– East African Community Persons with Disability Act 2015, the partner
State shall take appropriate and effective measures to ensure that the
goal of inclusive education for persons with disability is realized. For the
purposes of subsection (1) the Partner States shall ensure that:
a. Persons with disability access free, quality and compulsory
primary and secondary education;
b. Persons with disability are able to access general tertiary
education, vocational training, adult education, vocational training,
discrimination and on equal basis with others, including ensuring
the literacy of persons with disability above compulsory school age;
c. Reasonable accommodation of the individual’s requirement is
provided, and that persons with disability receive the support
required to facilitate their effective education;
d. Effective individualized support measures are provided in
environments that maximize academic and social development,
consistent with the goal of full inclusion;
e. Appropriate schooling choices are availed to persons with
disability who may prefer to learn in particular environment and,
f. Persons with disability learn life and social development skills
to facilitate their full and equal participation in education and as
members of society
–– The revised Kenya Constitution of 2010 prohibits discrimination in Article
27, Section 4, which states: The State shall not discriminate directly
or indirectly against any person on any ground, including race, sex,
pregnancy, marital status, health status, ethnic or social origin, colour,
age, disability, [emphasis added] religion, conscience, belief, culture,
dress, language or birth. (p. 24) this statement guarantees people with
disabilities the same rights and opportunities as their non-disabled peers,
including a free primary to education.
–– UNCRPD explains Persons with Disabilities include those who have
long-term physical, mental, intellectual or sensory impairments, which
in interaction with various barriers may hinder their full and effective
participation in society on an equal basis with others. This definition with
its focus on the impact of the way society is organized for the persons
with disabilities corresponds to a social model of disability and would
emphasize priorities of social attitudes, communication inclusion and
dismantling barriers to access.
–– UNCRPD expects that all Persons with Disabilities can access an
inclusive, quality and free primary education and secondary education
on an equal basis with others in the community in which they live. The
Constitution, in Article 40, stipulates that primary education is free and
compulsory in public schools and obliges the State to take measures
to facilitate the education of persons with disabilities. Similarly, Law
N° 01/2007 of 20 January 2007 relating to protection of Persons with
Disabilities in general, in its Article 11, states the right for Persons with
Disabilities to an appropriate education with respect to the nature of his
or her disability. Special conditions are allowed for those who cannot sit
exams under the same conditions as others.
–– Law N° 12/2001 of 28 April 2001 relating to rights and protection of the
child against violence, in Article 15, stipulates that the child with disabilities
shall benefit from special protection, access to medical care, education
and social welfare. This protection is the responsibility of both the parentsand the Ministry having the Social Affairs in its attributions
Self assesment 3.2
Identify some regional declarations, decrees, charters regarding peoplewith disability and SEN and then briefly make comments.
3.3. National policies and legislations regarding people with disability and SENActivity 3.3
Previously, we have learned different international and regional
declarations, conventions, charters, etc. regarding people with disability.
Now we are going to study some national policies and legislation regarding
people with disability. Can you identify one or two national policies or
legislation regarding people with disability?
–– The constitution of the Republic of Rwanda of 2003 as amended in
2015 (Art.51) states that the State has duty to establish measures
facilitating education of persons with disabilities.
–– Law n° 01/2007 of 20/01/2007 relating to protection of persons with
disabilities in general states that a person with disabilities has the right
to appropriate education in respect of the nature of his or her disability.
–– Economic Development and Poverty Reduction Strategy 2(EDPRS2):
Education personnel and teachers with skills in inclusive and special
needs education must be increased in number. Assistive devices and
appropriate learning resources must also be scaled up.
–– National Strategy for Transformation (NST) 1 priority Area 4: Enhancing
the demographic dividend through improved access to quality
education. In particular, pillar 62 stipulates that people with disabilities
are able to start school and progress through all levels of education.
This must be achieved by developing a system for identifying children
with special education needs, availing suitable special needs education
materials, building capacity of teachers and ensuring accessibility of
infrastructure.
–– MINEDUC draft Policy and Strategic Plan on Special Needs and
Inclusive Education (2018): The policy provides the overarching
framework for the development and delivery of educational services
for learners with a range of SEN in Rwandan education. It pledges
eradication of all intrinsically and/or extrinsically motivated barriers met
by learners with special educational needs at school.
–– Education Sector Strategic Plan (2013/4-2017/8): states that all
schools must be adequately resourced and prepared to accommodate
all learners with special educational needs. It requires that all schools
be disability-friendly, barrier free and fully accessible. The education
sector also foresees that education for children with Special Educational
Needs will also demand coordinated efforts of different Ministries and
agencies beyond its mainstream services, including public and private
sectors in Health, Social and Local Governance.
–– Education Sector Strategic Plan (ESSP) 2018/2019-2023/2024:
Priority five and seven of the plan call for an increased participation
and achievement of children and young people with disabilities and
SEN at all levels of education. All pre-service teaching institutions
include component on inclusive education and in-service teachers
receive continuous professional development opportunities on inclusive
education.
–– Competence based Curriculum framework-2015 has placed inclusive
education among the crosscutting issues that needs to be addressedby all subject teachers
Self assesment 3.3
Identify different national legislation or policies regarding people with
disability or special educational need?END UNIT ASSESSMENT
1. Do your school’s practices fit into the national, regional and
international policy frameworks in regard to people with disabilities
and other special educational needs? If not,:
–– What is missing?
–– What are the challenges/barriers?–– What solutions can you suggest to remove barriers?
UNIT: 4 MAIN PRINCIPLES OF INCLUSIVE EDUCATION
Key Unit Competence: Appraise and assess the implementation
of the major principles guiding inclusive
and special needs education in general,
and particularly in schools. The generalprinciples of Inclusive Education
1.0. Introductory Activity
Considering your school assess how it is adhering to the generalprinciples of Inclusive Education, by responding to the following
questions:
1. How do you find the school environment, is it friendly, accessible?
2. What can you say about teachers’ competences and attitudetowards learners with Special Needs?
3. Is the curriculum flexible and adapted to meet the needs of learners with Special Needs?
4. What would you say about parents and community involvement?
5. Are the teaching/ learning materials available and adapted tomeet the needs of learners with Special
Needs and Disabilities?6. How do school leaders promote inclusive education?
4.1. Principles of Inclusive Education
Activity 4.1.
1. Explain briefly general principles that guide inclusive education?
2. Discuss with colleagues how your school is adhering to these general principles of Inclusive Education?
The fundamental principle of inclusive school is that all children should learn
together, wherever possible, regardless of any difficulties or differences they
may have. Inclusive schools must recognize and respond to the diverse
needs of their learners, accommodating both different styles and rates of
learning and ensuring quality education to all through appropriate curricula,
organizational arrangements, teaching strategies, resource use and
partnerships with their communities. The following are general principles
that guide Inclusive Education:
• Responding to learners’ needs
Learners have different ways of accessing information and making it
meaningful. Therefore, the education system is expected to respond
appropriately to learners’ learning differences:
– In planning their learning taking personal factors into account;
– In the provision of support to overcome barriers to learning that does
not stigmatize them or separate them from their peers;
– In assessment – choosing different ways of showing what they know,
understand and can do, being involved in discussions about assessment
information and how it can support future learning;
– In curriculum – having a say in relevant, meaningful, personalized
outcomes.
• Active participation of learners
All learners are entitled to be active participants in the life of the school and
community and feel valued for the individual contribution that they make.
Learners should be listened to for any additional support (e.g. assistive aids
or alternative learning approaches) needed to help them participate in the
full range of activities and experiences offered. Therefore, education system
should ensure that learners:
– Have a sense of belonging and feel secure in the school environment;
– Have opportunities for collaboration and co-operative learning, with
flexible peer groups to develop social and communication skills;
– Have their achievements recognized and celebrated;
– Take a full part in extracurricular and out-of-school activities;
– Take responsibility for their own learning and an active role in the learning
process, maintaining high expectations and increasing independence in learning; and
– Recognize their responsibilities to others in the school and community.
• Positive teacher’s attitudes
All teachers should have positive attitudes towards all learners and the will to
work collaboratively with colleagues to respond to their educational needs.
Therefore, teachers should:
– Take responsibility for all learners and show understanding of the
fundamental needs that they all have in common e.g. to feel safe, sense
of belonging to the school community, to enjoy their time in school and
achieve learning outcomes;
– Value and show commitment to meeting a broad range of outcomes
(including emotional health and well-being, social skills) and maintain
high expectations for all learners;
– Recognize when learners need support and arrange this sensitively
together with the learner, without using potentially limiting labels;
–– Have knowledge of a range of resources (including ICT tools) and the
skills to use them effectively in the classroom;
–– Have a positive attitude to innovation and be prepared to continue their
personal and professional development;
–– Collaborate with and support teachers to reflect on practice and build
‘team’ knowledge and skills in order to help learners (for example in the
development of individual support, classroom strategies or transition
plans); and
–– Communicate effectively with learners, parents and colleagues from all
service providers to benefit learners.
• Effective teacher skills
All teachers should develop appropriate pedagogical skills to enable them
meet individual learner’s needs. For example, teachers should be able to:
–– Assess learning outcomes by using a range of approaches which allow
learners to show what they know, understand and are able to do in a variety of ways;
–– Use feedback from the SEN assessment to identify barriers (physical,
attitudinal, organizational) to learning and plan strategies to support the learners;
–– Provide a range of learning opportunities in line with individual learner ability;
–– Ensure curriculum differentiation to suit the learners ‘differences and competences; and
–– Collaborate with peer educators to develop individual educational plan and monitor its implementation.
• Visionary school leadership
School leaders should value diversity among staff and learners, encourage
collegiality and support innovation. Throughout the whole school, inclusive
values should be evident in all school rules, regulations, development plans
and practices. Therefore, school leaders should:–– Establish a positive ethos and a learning culture by making their vision
and inclusive values and beliefs explicit in all aspects of school life;
–– Ensure that inclusion and learner well-being are central in school
improvement plans and evident in all practices;
–– Organize school in ways that avoid labelling or categorizing learners,
e.g. flexible, mixed groupings for different activities;
–– Encourage and empower staff to develop their capacity and competence
through different approaches in order to meet a diversity of learners ‘needs;
–– Support staff to reflect on their practices in relation with inclusiveness
in order to become autonomous lifelong learners;
–– Manage resources effectively and ensure that they reflect and respect
the diversity of learners within the school;
–– Use school funds efficiently to transform the school in an inclusive
environment accessible to all learners;
–– Develop effective monitoring of school improvement plan to ensure the
achievement of learning outcomes for all learners;
–– Manage multidisciplinary staff to take joint responsibility in facilitating
access to the curriculum and extracurricular activities for all learners;
–– Communicate effectively with the local community, interdisciplinary
support services and to ensure a holistic and multidisciplinary approach
to meeting broader needs and enhance learning;
–– Adapt universal design for learning (UDL) in all school planning
strategies.
• Coherent interdisciplinary services
Every school should have access to the support of interdisciplinary community
services. Children and young people will not be successful in their learning
if their basic health, social and emotional needs are not met. This may
require support for families and communities and will need services such
as health and social services to collaborate and ensure a holistic approach.
Interdisciplinary services should:–– Demonstrate good working relationships and effective communication
across and between different sectors/services and schools in thecommunity. They should enable information to be shared and
appropriate and timely support provided to address additional needs
(such as special educational needs assessment/diagnosis results,
therapies for medical needs, mental health support etc.);
–– Work closely with parents and learners to strengthen partnership
between the family, school and the interdisciplinary team; and
–– Work with schools to involve all stakeholders, including local special
schools/settings in their support networks and seek innovative ways to
share knowledge and expertise.
Self assesment 4.1
1. Children with Special Education Needs and Disabilities will require
interdisciplinary services to be successful in learning. Name at
least five of the services and who should provide those services?
2. In groups, discuss how you should actively engage a learner using
a wheelchair in Physical Education lesson?
4.2. Characteristics of inclusive classroom
Activity 4.2
1. Classroom environment is a second teacher for any student.
Using concrete examples, discuss the validity of this statement
It is every child’s right to be supported by their parents and by the community
to develop a positive understanding of themselves and others, regardless of
their differences, culture and abilities. Schools that aim to actively involve
all children by utilising various ways of teaching and promoting diversity
practice inclusive teaching. Applying an inclusion system in school promotes
the development of social interactions where every child feels a sense of belonging.
When implemented well, inclusive education provides better quality
education for the students. Here are some of the characteristics of inclusiveclassrooms:
• Classroom environment
As you might be aware, classroom environment is a second teacher for
any student. A large amount of the child’s time is spent sitting in a school
classroom. This place is where they will learn the various skills deemed
necessary and proper for them to achieve success in the global society. An
inclusive classroom should be; bright, vibrant, stimulating, plenty of visual
evidence related to current learning and learner achievement on display,and constantly changing.
• Seating arrangement
Teachers should be able to arrange classroom in way that facilitate optimal
learning for all. Grouping students gives them an opportunity to interact
with their fellow classmates as well as bond and learn from them as well.
There are numerous positive effects of using this approach like a sudden
boost of self-esteem, healthy intergroup relations, respect for academically
handicapped students, positive attitude towards school, and the ability towork as a team.
• Teacher/ Learner relationships
The relationships between a teacher and a learner should be friendly and
encouraging. Learners should be able to openly ask question and respond to
teacher who encourages them to think and work things out for themselves.
They discuss their work with the teacher and with each other.
• Discipline
The teacher is relaxed and respects learners as individuals. The teacher
maintains discipline through mutual respect and trust.
• Teaching methodology
Teacher uses a wide variety of different activities and methods to allow
learners to learn from experience. Lessons are planned with different
activities and outcomes to accommodate different levels of ability.
Self assesment 4.2
Taking into considerations all characteristics of inclusive classroom,
assess how inclusive is your classroom and discuss findings with your class mates
4.3. Qualities and practices of inclusive school
Activity 4.2
1. Imagine a picture of an inclusive school. What does an inclusive
school look like in the picture? Please describe some features
of inclusive school as you imagined? Now, please look at your
school. Compare the current status of your school and the school
that you have imagined. What are some aspects that correspond
between the two? What aspects differ between the two?
Children with disabilities face many barriers in accessing the education theyneed to become healthy, happy and productive citizens of the world.
Self assesment 4.3
1. Which of the following statements best describes the philosophy of Inclusive Education?
a. All learners regardless of individual differences are excluded in some educational activities
b. All learners regardless of individual differences participate in all educational activities
c. Considering their individual differences, all learners should be involved in all educational
activities as much as possible.d. All the above.
4.4. Barriers to Inclusive Education and how they can be overcome
Activity 4.2
1. How can we as teachers overcome negative attitudes among
stakeholders in education and in the community towards learners
with Special Needs Education?
Various factors may hinder the practice of Inclusive Education. Most of our
schools may not be able to effectively accommodate learners with various
diversities of learning needs. This is because of the many existing barriers
in our education system towards learners with special needs. The barriers
include:–– Negative attitudeLet us discuss these barriers briefly:
–– Teachers expectations from learners
–– Curriculum barriers
–– Rigid educational approaches
–– Insufficient human and materials resources
–– Lack of community involvement
• Negative attitude towards persons with disabilities and other Special
Educational Needs
In many African Communities, disabilities are explained to be results from
God’s punishment for some wrongs done to the ancestors or to some
persons’ problems. As such, the child experiencing any of these conditions
is seen as a curse or possessed by the spirits. Such superstitions have led
many parents who give birth to children who deviate from the” normal” to
hide the child, hence deny him access to education.
The effects of these attitudes may be reflected on parents, educators, policy
makers as follows:
Parents
• Parents prioritizing taking their other children without disabilities to
school and only considering the one with disabilities if finance re still available.
• Low expectations from the learners with SNE by parents leading to low
self-esteem in the learner.
• Some parents may tend to be overprotective towards the child with
SNE, thus preventing him/ her from taking part in daily life activities.
This may hamper the child’s possibilities to develop his/ her potentials.
• Some parents of learners without special needs may oppose having
those with SNE in the same class fearing that the education of their
children will be adversely affected.
Educators
• Some teachers may object having learners with SEN or disability in
their class or school fearing that the child will lower the mean score for
their class or school.
• Many teachers think that working with a child with disability or other
special needs calls for technical training.
• Special Needs Education has been mystified by the belief that it is very
special and only for special teachers trained in a special institution.
This has led to even the school inspectors and other education officers
avoiding to carry out inspection in special education programmes as
they may not understand the special world. Thus the regular teacher
may refer the learner with SEN or disability to the special school or
special unit, hence denying the learner the chance to learn in the
natural setting in the neighbourhood.
• The teacher may have low expectations from the learner with SEN or
disability and may not give him/ her challenging work. This may make
the learner give up trying, as his or her efforts are not appreciated.
• Some school administrators and policy makers in education feel that it
is improper to waste scarce resources on learners with special needs
while the “normal” ones do not have enough, hence unsupportive to
any inclusion initiative.
• The charity model to disability and special needs provision has
also led the community and other stakeholders to leave education
of learners with SEN or disability as a responsibility of church and
voluntary organizations. This makes the learners develop a sense of
dependence and does not equip them with a lifelong education to exist
independently in the world after school.
∎ Overcoming barriers related to negative attitudes
This can be done by:
• Creating awareness about the nature, causes, prevention and
intervention of conditions that create special needs.
• Encouraging other learners to accept the learners with special needs
as part of their lives as they are their relatives and neighbours.
• Promoting cultural activities such as drama, poems and songs to teach
the community about the issues of special needs education
• Teaching parents to nurture their families before, during and after
pregnancy by maintaining balanced diet and emotional well-being of
their family members.
• Using the mass media to educate the public about special needs issues
with an emphasis on the right of every child to education and where to get it.
∎ Teachers expectations from learners with Special Needs
Teacher expectations are presumptions that teachers make about the
academic achievement of the students. Thus, teacher expectation involves
a teacher’s prediction about how much academic progress a student will
make over a specified period of time. Such prediction can positively or
negatively influence the student’s academic performance. Low expectations
of teachers negatively affect self-esteem of learners with SEN or disability
and can lead to dropout and poor academic achievements.
Low expectations of teachers from learners with Special Needs can be
manifested in the following ways:• Teachers not giving enough time, exercises or home works to learners
with Special Needs
• Teachers spending less effort and time teaching learners with Special
Needs or disability
• Teachers showing negative expectations thought verbal comments
such us” useless” etc.
• This happens when teachers are tempted to provide learning
experiences which are too simple and do not require the pupils to
struggle to gain a deeper level of understanding. This causes failure in
stimulating cognitive growth
∎ Overcoming barriers related to low expectations of teachers
The above barriers can be overcome by:• Teachers raising the bar (expecting high performance) for every learner
with Special Needs through effective classroom interaction (use of
positive reinforcement)
• Training of teachers on the many potentials of learners with Special Needs
• The work given to pupils should be demanding while still being within their capacity.
∎ Curriculum barriers
Appropriate curriculum is vital for inclusive education to be meaningful for
learners with SNE in an inclusive setting. Curriculum is inappropriate in that
there is:• Inadequate educational facilities, equipment and services for children
with disabilities and other Special Educational Needs
• Inadequate trained personnel who use rigid teaching approaches which
may only benefit the average learner.
• Irrelevance and overloaded content and expensive curriculum
• Rigid assessment procedures based on mean score competition, which
does not consider learners with SNE
• Teachers’ inability to communicate in a media of instruction which the
learner understands (e.g.: Sign Language).
∎ Overcoming curriculum barriers to Inclusive Education
The above curriculum barriers may be overcome by:• Diversifying the curriculum to suit individual learner’s needs
• Adapting examination questions to suit the individual learner’s needs.
• Using alternative ways of measuring the learner’s competence.
∎ Rigid educational approaches
These can be seen in:• Poor quality teacher training in which there is lack of long term
professional development. In service training for teachers is rarely
required or planned for teachers in regular schools.
• The teacher uses methods that aim at the middle range or average learners.
• The competition that is enhanced in the examinations and selection
of learners for promotion to higher levels by mean score does notconsider learners with SEN or disabilities. These practices result in
many dropouts and repeaters among learners with SNE and disabilities.
∎ Overcoming barriers resulting from rigid educational approaches.• Regular in-service teacher development at the school level through
seminars, workshops, conferences, lectures, symposia and leaflets.
• Differentiated and flexible curriculum implementation and evaluation
procedures. Each learner’s progress is recognized and celebrated.
• Identification of children with SNE in regular schools and provides early
intervention services.
∎ Insufficient human and materials resources
It is important to note that unless learners with special needs are provided
with the appropriate resources, it will not be possible for them to benefit
in inclusive education. Inclusive Education does not mean fewer resources
for SNE, but efficiency and equity in the use of available resources among
those with special needs in the school.
It has been noted that currently, most regular schools lack:• Adequate trained teachers and other support staff with knowledge in
SNE.
• Required assistive devices and equipment to support learning for those
with special needs
• Staff with guidance and counselling skills to support learners in difficult
circumstances and their teachers.
∎ Overcoming barriers to inclusive education caused by insufficient
human and materials resources
Support from the educational administration to finance the adaptation and
modification of the learning environment for learners with special needs to be
accommodated in the class or school. The need for adapting class teachers’
teaching skills cannot be over emphasised.• Another way to do this is by distance learning teachers training
programmes and short courses.
• The government providing more finances to supply and maintain the
devices.
∎ Lack of community involvement
In the past PWDs all over the world were considered socially and physically
less capable, hence they were not easily accepted as useful members of the
community. Some communities still hold the belief that disabilities occur as a
result of curses, witchcraft, and even regard some disabilities as contagious.
Consequently, PWDs are isolated, neglected, rejected and their needs are
not adequately catered for by their families and communities. This greatly
affects their educational provision. The community was less involved in the
affairs of PWD for they counted them as being of no benefit to them. There
is however a gradual level of acceptance of the PWDs which represents amuch more enlightened view of the society than it was before.
∎ Overcoming barriers related to the lack of community involvement• Encourages the schools to sensitize the communities to help in
eliminating the negative attitudes. When the community’s attitude is
positive, they are involved in school’s inclusive activities.
• Giving information to community conceding causes, prevention and
intervention measures of special needs as well as available services
and support groups
• Sensitizing the members of the community to remove barriers from the
walking route such as ditches, holes, logs or other obstructions
• Encourage the learners’ classmates and siblings to walk with the
learner to and from school
• Asking the local artisan to make a crutch or walking stick for the learner.
Self assesment 4.4
1. In groups, discuss at least three barriers to inclusive education
and propose ways to overcome those barriers
2. How can you as a member of the community assist a learner withmobility difficulties to access the local school?
END UNIT ASSESSMENT
1. Explain briefly the principles guiding Inclusive Education?
2. Elaborate on the following characteristics of Inclusive classroom• Teacher/ learner relationship3. Discuss how insufficient teaching and learning materials affect
• Teaching methodology
inclusive Education of learners with Special Needs?
4. With your colleagues, discuss how you can change negative
attitude of teachers and parents towards Inclusive Education of learners with Special Needs?
5. Some parents believe that teaching learners with Special Needs together with learners without
disabilities affect education of the latter. How would you explain this?UNIT: 5 MAIN MODELS OF INCLUSION OF LEARNERS WITH DISABILITIES AND OTHER SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS
Key Unit Competence: Apply models and perspectives of inclusive
and other special needs education
1.0. Introductory Activity
Read the following text and answer the questions that follow
Anna is in P3 at GS Muvumbi. At the beginning of school year, Rose, a
teacher in P3 noticed that Anna has a special needs. He was not following
along other children, she had attention problem and she was constantly
absent minded and distracted. She couldn’t participate in classroom
nor doing her homework. She had communication difficulties and it was
challenging for both the teacher and her peers to interact with her. After 2
weeks, Rose (her teacher), decided to inform the head teacher in order to
find solutions to Anna’s problem.
The school decided to call Anna’s parents so that they discuss more how
to support Anna in his learning process and help her to participate in
classroom’s activities depending to her ability and learning pace.
The following day, Anna came to school accompanied with her mother
Sarah. Then the school multidisciplinary team decided to meet (head
teacher, director of studies, the teacher and Anna’s mother). The head
teacher, asked the mother to explain Anna’s problems. The mother gave
all details regarding Anna’s background. She explained that Anna was
born prematurely because her mother had pre-eclampsia at 6 months of
pregnancy. So they had to let Anna born prematurely and she spend 3
months in incubator. But it was until the age of 2 years that Sarah (Anna’s
mom), started to notice Anna’s difficulties in speaking and communicate.
She was having an attention deficit and was not able to perform some of
the activities that other children with the same age can do. However, she
was an outgoing little girl, friendly to his brother and sister and like to play.
After listening to Anna’s background history, the school multidisciplinary
team has decided to make a plan that would let Anna participate and learn
at her own pace and ability. The teacher has decided to change her
instructional approaches by creating activity stations and focus on smallgroup
instruction. For example, Anna was not yet able to decode, so the
teacher made sure she had reading buddies at the reading station.
Anna also had difficulty with fine motor skills, so the teacher made sure
she had large manipulative at the math station and a writing buddy at
the writing station. As she gradually understood Anna’s needs, Rose
implemented more accommodations. Anna had difficulty sitting on the
floor during writing activities, so the teacher gave her a small stool that
helped her stay seated and increased her focus.
At the end of 1st term, Anna has made a tremendous progress. Many of
the other children in the class enjoy working with Anna, and her inclusion
has provided opportunities for learners to understand and value individual
differences.
Questions:
1. Do you think GS Muvumbi is a child friendly environment? If yes
give 3 raisons based on the case study with examples.
2. What approaches that the teacher used in order to help Anna make
progress in her classroom? Link those approaches to 3 principles
of UDL and give some examples.
3. Referring to Anna’s case study, how can you explain the disability
creation process model?
5.1 Child Friendly School model
Activity 5.1
–– What do you understand by a child friendly school environment?
–– What could be the principles of child friendly school/environment
–– How does the society benefit from the child friendly school environment?
5.1.1 What is a child friendly school/ environment?
School is one of the most significant institutions in the life of every person
because this is where we take our first steps to the adult world from. A school
can make a huge influence on every person, and it can be both positive and
negative, depending on the circumstances. Generally, teachers are highly
responsible for creating a good atmosphere in class, where no single child
will feel left out and all of them will thrive for new knowledge. Being aware
of basic child psychology is important for teachers, because they are the
figures that kids look up to, and they should be good role models for them
According to UNICEF, a child-friendly educational institution is inclusive,
protective, and healthy for all children regardless of their social background,
ethnic origin, gender, and level of ability. It has all the necessary facilities that
make the child’s school experience more effective and comfortable. A childfriendly
school is respectful of all children, and the families and communitiesof the students are invested in school life as well as the students themselves.
5.1.2 Principles of child friendly school/ environment
• The school is child-seeking: It works to identify those children who
are excluded for some reasons and help them out with enrolling in
school and participating in the learning process. Children should be
treated as subjects with their own rights, regardless of their age. When
they are at school, they should be respected and their well-being has
to be ensured.
• School is child-centered: The adults, who work at school, should
be acting in the children’s best interests, help children develop their
full potential and be concerned about their health and safety. A childfriendly
school should also care about their students’ lives outside
school and things that happen in their family or community.
• The school is inclusive: This means that the school staff should never
under any circumstances discriminate, exclude, and stereotype children
based on their differences. Education should be free, compulsory, and
affordable for those who are unable to pay for school. The inclusive
institution should respect the diversity of its students and treat them
all equal, without discrimination towards female students, children who
work, students who belong to ethnic minorities, those kids who have
HIV/AIDS disease, physically challenged students, victims of violence
and exploitation, etc.
• The school is effective for gaining knowledge: A child-friendly
educational institution should provide high quality education, and
learning processes have to be appropriate for every child’s level of
development, learning style, and abilities. The learning methods have
to be cooperative, active, and democratic.
• The school is healthy and protects the students: This means that
the school workers are responsible for establishing a safe and healthy
environment that meets the sanitary norms. An institution needs to
ensure the health policies, for instance, no taking forbidden substances,
harassment, and bullying. The counseling for every child should be
provided. There should be health education classes, based on life
skills. The physical and emotional health of students and teachers has
to be taken care of. Children have to be protected from any kinds of
harm and abuse, and they need to remember their being at school as
a positive experience.
• The institution is gender-sensitive: Gender equality should be
promoted and encouraged, and any kinds of gender-based stereotypes
should be eliminated. All the facilities, textbooks, and processes should
be girl-friendly, and teachers need to stop normalizing violence among
boys, providing the safe and non-violent environment for all children.
Respecting the equality and rights of all people regardless of gender or
other biases should be strongly encouraged.
• The school is involved with the kids, their families, and communities:
This means that the school has to promote the participation of children
in all the school life aspects, as well as helping children to establish
healthy relationships with their parents and encouraging taking part in
the life of their local community.
5.1.3. Benefits of inclusive, learning-friendly schools/ environment
• Benefit for learners
Through an ILFE (Inclusive Learning Friendly Education), learners become
more self-confident and develop greater self-esteem. They are proud of their
achievements. They learn to understand and apply what they learn in school
to their everyday lives, such as in their play and in their home. They also
learn to interact actively with their classmates and teachers. They learn to
enjoy being with others who are different from themselves. All learners learn
together and value their relationships, no matter what their backgrounds or
abilities. Learners also become more creative, and this improves how well
they learn. Through an ILFE, learners improve their communication skills
and are better prepared for life.
• Everyone is sharing the happiness of success
Friends do not differ in anything. They go together to the swimming pool,
on excursions, parties, and birthdays. But I can quite freely say that in the
classes where there are no learners with disabilities, they behave differently.
Sometimes learners with disabilities are laughed at, pushed aside, and
stared at by others. Fortunately, there is an immediate reaction from the
learners from the classes where there are such learners, and they defend
their friends. Moreover, it is very important that all parents accept the children
with disabilities. At the beginning of the first grade when parents notice a
child with a disability, most of them keep their distance, with such remarks
as, “Why should my child sit next to a such learner?” or “He / She will disturb
my child during classes.” Fortunately, these reactions last for only a month
or two. When the parents realize that their children have accepted such
friends, they begin to help them as well. They help them get dressed, packtheir bags, and take them home
• Benefits for teachers
Teachers have more opportunities to learn new strategies of meeting
different kinds of learners’ educational needs. They gain new knowledge
on the different ways children learn and/or taught. Remember, however,
that “all learners succeeding” does not necessarily mean that all learners
successfully pass a written examination. It may also mean accepting diversity
in the different ways children learn as well as how they show their success
in learning.
• Benefits for parents
Through an ILFE, parents learn more about how their children are being
educated. They become personally involved in and feel a greater sense
of importance in helping their children to learn. As teachers ask them for
their opinions about children, parents feel valued and consider themselves
as equal partners in providing quality learning opportunities for children.
Parents can also learn how to deal better with their children at home by
using techniques that the teachers use in school.
• Benefits for communities
An ILFE can offer many benefits to the community, too. The community
develops a sense of inclusiveness and pride as more and diverse learners
go to school and learn. Community members become more involved in the
school life and this creates synergetic relationship which is also supportive
to achievements of learning outcomes. It is therefore expected that social
problems such as minor crimes or adolescent problems may be reduced as
result of close collaboration between school and the overall community.
SELF Assessment 5.1
1. Think of a school that you are familiar with, do critical assessment
in regards to whether it is a child friendly environment. In your
critical assessment, show gaps, and propose solutions to fill the gaps.
5.2 Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
Activity 5.2
–– Where does the term Universal Design for Learning come from?
–– What is the meaning of Universal Design for Learning?
–– Explain the principles of Universal Design for Learning (UDL)–– Explain strategies of using UDL in the classroom?
5.2.1 The origin of UDL (Universal Design for Learning)
The origin of the term Universal Design for Learning (UDL) is generally
attributed to David Rose, Anne Meyer, and colleagues at the Center for
Applied Special Technology (CAST). The principles of UDL were developed
following the 1997 reauthorization of the Individuals with Disabilities
Education Act (IDEA). At that time there was considerable national interest
in the issue of inclusion which placed the majority of students with disabilities
in general education classrooms. While students with disabilities had gained
physical access to the general education classroom, concerns were beingraised about how students would gain “access to the general curriculum.
5.2.2 Definition of Universal Design for Learning (UDL)
Universal design for learning (UDL) is a set of principles for designing
curriculum that provides all individuals with equal opportunities to learn.
UDL is designed to serve all learners, regardless of ability, disability, age,
gender, or cultural and linguistic background. UDL provides a blueprint for
designing goals, methods, materials, and assessments to reach all studentsincluding those with diverse needs
5.2.3 Principles of Universal Design for Learning
The philosophy of UDL is embodied in a series of principles that serve as
the core components of UDL:
• Multiple means of representation to give learners various ways of
acquiring information and knowledge
• Multiple means of expression to provide learners alternatives for
demonstrating what they know
• Multiple means of engagement to tap into learners ‘interests,
challenge them appropriately, and motivate them to learn.
5.2.4 Strategies for using UDL
Instructors may want to try the following strategies–– Use multiple strategies to present content. Enhance instruction
through the use of case studies, music, role play, cooperative
learning, hands-on activities, field trips, guest speakers, Web-based
communications, and educational software.–– Use a variety of materials. To present, illustrate, and reinforce new
content, use materials such as online resources, videos, podcasts,
Power Point presentations, manipulative, and e-books.–– Provide cognitive supports. Give students organizing clues;
forexample: “I have explained the four main points, and now I am going to
summarize them.” Present background information for new concepts
using pictures, artifacts, videos, and other materials that are not lecturebased.
Scaffold student learning (provide temporary support to reduce
the complexity of a task) by providing a course syllabus, outlines,summaries, study guides, and copies of PowerPoint slides.
–– Teach to a variety of learning styles. Build movement into learning.
Give instructions both orally and in writing to engage students auditory
and visually. Consider using large visual aids for slides, graphics, andcharts.
–– Provide flexible opportunities for assessment. Allow students to
demonstrate their learning in multiple ways that include visual and oralpresentation, rather than only written assessment.
SELF Assessment 5.2
Referring to the above example, provide recommendations with exampleson how you can apply UDL principles in your school?
5.3 Disability Creation Process Model
Activity 5.2
–– What do you understand by Disability Creation Process Model?
–– What do you think could be the specific dimensions of DisabilityCreation Process?
5.3.1 The meaning of Disability Creation Process (DCP)
Disability Creation Process (DCP) is a conceptual model which aims to
document and explain the causes and consequences of diseases, trauma,
and other effects on integrity and the development of the person. The DCP
is designed to be used by every actor in public, para-public, or private
sectors, as well as in non-profit organizations concerned with the adaptation,
rehabilitation, social participation and exercise of human rights of people
with disabilities and their families.
DCP shows that the accomplishment of life habits can be influenced by
reinforcing our abilities and compensating for our disabilities through
rehabilitation, but also by reducing environmental obstacles stemming.
Some obstacles could be, for example, a prejudice, the lack of assistance
or resources, the lack of accessibility at home and at school, a problem
in obtaining adapted printed information or moving around with the help ofaccessible signage.
5.3.2 Specific dimension of DCP
a. Personal Factors
The Personal Factors component encompassed two subcomponents,
Organic Systems and Capabilities. Impairment was a measurement or
qualifier associated with the Organic Systems, going from full impairment
to integrity, while disability or functional limitation was a measurementassociated with Capability, going from full disability to ability.
b. Environmental Factors
Environmental factors are characterized via social or physical dimensions
that determine a society’s organization and context in relation to the
individual. Because of this, the classification of environmental components
is applicable to all people regardless of their level of disability or ability. It can
also be used in different geographical or cultural contexts. Environmental
Factors may either be facilitators, that is, they support the accomplishment
of Life Habits in interaction with personal factors, or obstacles that hamper
such accomplishment and produce disabling situations. A facilitator for one
person or situation may constitute an obstacle for another these are contextdependent.
c. Life Habit
The person is modelled as a set of organic systems and capabilities
(collectively grouped under Personal Factors), and as a set of Life Habits,
while the Environment consists of physical and social factors. Life Habits
include the social activities that humans engage in over the course of their
lives, along with the social roles that people adopt. The focus on systems
means that the primary mode of operationalization is to identify the factorsthat affect the dynamics of the system and their interplay.
This is the reason that Life Habits are associated with a distinct component
of the model disabling situations arise when life habits interact with poorly
designed or stigmatizing environments and bodily impairments. In this way,
the DCP model embraces both a social and an individual viewpoint. The
model explicitly incorporates the process of generating disabling situations,
and mediates this process as a function of a person’s life habits in this
specific context. This is one of the crucial characteristics that facilitates the
effective use of the DCP model for structuring service delivery programs thatare enabling.
d. Risk and Protection Factors
Another unique aspect of the DCP model is the explicit inclusion of a
component originally labelled Risk Factors, and recently extended to
include Factors of Protection. The extension was motivated by a broad
range of considerations, including the need to fine tune the model in its
application to intellectual or cognitive disabilities or mental health issues,
and to accommodate the changing physical realities of the body over time,
as well as the identification of social contexts that may engender risk or offerprotection.
SELF Assessment 2.3
1. In your own words explain the specific dimensions of disabilitycreation process
END UNIT ASSESSMENT
Aline is in primary two and has Downs’s syndrome. She can say a few
words but mainly uses gestures to communicate. Other children love
playing with her because she has a great sense of humor. She is very
lovely and animated and they can understand her. Her teacher thinks
that Aline is a clown and would prefer her not to be in class because
she interferes with other children. Because Aline cannot speak well, the
teacher never bothers to ask her any questions nor give her opportunity
to participate in class.
Questions1. Do you think Aline’s school is a child friendly school? Yes or No,
Please explain
2. Based on 3 principles of UDL, provide recommendations to the
teacher on how to include Aline in the classroom and help her to
learn depending on her ability and pace.
Alice was a teacher in primary six at GS Muyumbu. She lived at Rugende
in Rwamagana District. One day when she was from work she had a car
accident. Alice was transported at CHUK hospital, and the doctors have
decided to cut her legs. The news about Alice’s accident was spread so
quickly and the head teacher was the first person who received the bad
news. He went to see her at the hospital and he encouraged Alice to be
strong and stay positive because it is not the end of world. The head
teacher promises Alice to help her and support as much as he can.
After Alice’s recovery, the family and the head teacher went to SORAS to
claim for life insurance benefits. They wanted the life insurance to cover
for wheelchair costs. All that was done and when Alice was ready to leave
the hospital she was provided with a wheelchair.
Alice stayed home for 6 months, and she was still getting her monthly
salary. With all the support from different people (her family, her fiancé and
her coworkers), she made a quick recovery emotionally and physically.
At school, they managed to make some physical accessibility (built ramps,
and remove all other obstacles) in order to help Alice move freely around
in school when she comes back to teach. She now lives near the school
and she doesn’t have to go home every day because it will not be easy for
her. Her fiancé was not discouraged by Alice’s disability; they are planning
to get married next year.
Questions
1. Based on Alice’s case study, discuss the dimension of disabilitycreation process.
UNIT: 6 ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF SCHOOL’S PARENTS’ ORGANIZATION (PTAS) IN SUPPORTING AND RAISING AWARENESS IN INCLUSION OF LEARNERS WITH SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS AND DISABILITIES.
Key Unit Competence: Describe the roles & responsibilities andIntroductory Activityactive collaboration with parents in theeducation of learners with disabilities andother special needs in the schools.
Roles and responsibilities of parents in education of learners with
disabilities and SEN in Rwanda
Read the following text and answer the question that follow:
It is known that in education, there are three important partners: teachers,
students and parents. Parents play a big role in the learning and teaching
process because they do not just provide school fees. Parents inspire
children essentially, therefore, without their support or engagement,
children will feel left out or miss out on important values.
Parents’ engagement in academics benefits both children and parents.
Being actively involved in a child’s education journey gives them motivation.
Active engagement also gives parents a better understanding of the school
curriculum and activities, which makes them more comfortable with the
quality of education their child is receiving.
For children with disabilities, empowering parents is seen as a way to
help them build essential skills and excel, parents’ engagement in their
children’s activities helps children with disabilities achieve more regardless
of their background or parents’ education level. Learners generally achieve
better results and have better self-esteem, self-discipline and also show
higher aspirations and motivation towards school because of their parents’
involvement.
In Rwanda, parents support education through the Parents-Teachers’
Association (PTAs). The roles and responsibilities of PTAs include but are
not limited to the following:
• Volunteer in classroom activities
• Raise money for school supplies and children’s scholastic materials,
• Support the school’s efforts and initiatives
• Monitor children’s academic progress.
Questions:
1. Name the three important partners working together in education.
2. Describe how parents benefit from their involvement in education.
3. Parents’ involvement in education builds motivation in children.
Explain how children with disabilities do benefit from this parental
involvement in their education.
4. In Rwanda, parents support education through the Parents-
Teachers’ Association (PTAs). State some of the key roles and
responsibilities of PTAs.
6.1. Roles and responsibilities of family members in supporting inclusive
education
Activity 6.1.
Use books or other sources of information to answer the following
questions:
1. How do you understand the situation of children with disabilities in
their homes and families?
2. Describe the level of parents’ understanding and involvement in
supporting the education of children with SEN and disabilities
The situation of children with disabilities in their homes and families is
somehow critical. In Rwanda, few children with disabilities are able to go
to school. According to the 2012 census, there were 85,498 children with
disabilities (1.7 per cent of the total child population under the age of 17).
Among the critical factors limiting children with disabilities from attending
school, there is the negative attitudes within the communities they live.
Communities do not know enough about the rights of children with disabilities
and SEN, the existing laws on disability and their roles/responsibilities towards
children with disabilities and SEN. This increases stigma, discrimination and
shame for children with disabilities.
The level of parents’ understanding and involvement in the education of
children with disabilities and SEN is critically low. Some parents are ignorant
about the value of educating children with disabilities. Some do not play their
roles and responsibilities because they think that children with disabilities
have little value, that they cannot learn and that the disability is contagious
and can be transmitted to other children in a classroom. In some families,
parents still hide their children with disabilities in their homes or backyards.
There are cases in some communities where children with disabilities are
abandoned and left out, unsupported by family members and parents.
Though some parents are not willing to support their children’s education, their
roles remain vital. Parental involvement activities have been represented as
existing along a single continuum that extends from home-based activities
to school-based activities and finally to home-school collaboration. At one
end of the continuum, parents are at home activities, such as reviewing
children’s notes, ensuring school attendance, and monitoring homework.
In the middle, parents are traditional at school activities, such as attending
parent-teacher meetings and volunteering. At the other end, parents are
more collaborative at-school activities, such as planning classroom activities
with teachers and participating in developing educational materials. These
activities give parents more power and influence over how the school is run.
In Rwandan inclusive schools, parents’ organizations have particular roles to
play in preparing their children with disabilities and supporting and providing
guidance to the school. More importantly:
• Parents and households have regular, meaningful two-way
communication with the school;
• Parents have an integral role in assisting school learning;
• Parents are full partners in decision making about education outcomes
for their children;
• Parents are welcome in the school and their support for children’s
learning is sought. They are entitled to embracing the school efforts
and initiatives that are meant to promote children’s discipline.SELF Assessment 6.1
1. Describe the situation of children with disabilities in Rwandan
families and communities.
2. Explain why parents do not play their roles and responsibilities
in supporting the education of children with disabilities in some
homes, families and backyards.
3. Outline major roles played by parents in supporting the education
of learners with disabilities.
6.2. Roles and responsibilities of Parents-Teachers’
Organizations in Rwandan schools
Activity 6.2.
1. How could you describe the structure of Parents-Teachers’
Association and Local Education Activists in Rwandan schools
2. What are the major roles of the Parents-Teachers’ Association
and Local Education Activists in Rwandan schools
Parent-school partnerships in many Rwandan schools are not yet sufficiently
developed in order to ensure children meet the national goals established
in myriad educational policies and visions for future development. We know
that many barriers to effective collaboration stem from lack of understanding
around the impact parents and communities can have when they truly
engage with children in ways that support their learning and development.
To overcome the challenge, in all Rwandan schools, parents are grouped into
Organisations known as Parents-Teachers’ Associations (PTAs). The latter
are closely involved in the day-to-day running of the school and generally
contributing to the performance and management of the school.
The PTA works under two organs:
• The PTA governing committee: is composed of the Chairperson,
Vice-chairperson, Secretary (Head-teacher), treasurer, teacher
representative and councilors. The latter are involved in taking decisions
on all matters regarding the functioning of the school, through regular
consultations with the head teacher, and following resolutions taken by
the General Assembly meeting on a quarterly basis.
• The PTA General assembly: is composed of all parents of children
enrolled in the school and all teachers. The latter is in charge of electing
the board Governing Committee and approving rules and regulations
regarding the overall functioning of the school. It is also playing an
oversight role in assessing the extent to which the resolutions have
been implemented by the Governing Committee.
In Rwandan schools, the PTA members are looking at how the school is
managed and striving to enhance the quality of education, by raising the
school performance in children’s academics and discipline.
The education experts show that PTAs are contributing to having better
teachers, improving children’s learning outcomes and discipline and holding
school authorities to account for their bursaries on a timely and in right
manner.
The PTA is a very important body that bridges the gap between teachers and
parents. It facilitates good learning for all children in general and children
with disabilities in particular.
As members of school PTAs, parents can also have a direct impact on the
education of their children.
Their specific roles are to:
• Demonstrate positive and supportive attitudes towards children with
disabilities and SEN.
• Help to integrate children with disabilities in their families and make
sure that the children are provided with adequate services so that they
can learn. These include guidance and counselling, physiotherapy,
occupational therapy and health-related services.
• Help to integrate children with disabilities in the community.
• Express interest in and praise their children’s achievements.
• Be able to identify signs of disabilities or SEN and know how to prevent
and respond to these needs.
• Identify existing service providers that can help children with disabilities.
• Participate actively in school boards, support groups and parents’
associations aimed at advocating for inclusive education and supporting
families with children with disabilities and SEN.
• Work with other stakeholders by providing the necessary information and
support that enables children with disabilities and SEN to successfully
access and remain in school.
• Visit their children’s school regularly to meet with teachers and school
authorities and discuss their child’s progress.
SELF Assessment 6.1
1. Discuss the reasons why the Parent-school partnerships in many
Rwandan schools are not yet sufficiently developed.
2. Outline the benefits of introducing the PTAs in Rwandan inclusive schools.
6.3. Roles and responsibilities of parents of Learners with
Disabilities and other SENs
Activity 6.3.
1. What are the roles of parents of learners with disabilities in
rwandan schools?
2. Define the parent-school partnership.
Parents of Learners with Disabilities will support the development of IE
through playing the following roles:
• Working alongside stakeholders in order to provide the necessary
information and support that enables their children to successfully
access and remain in school
• Supporting their child to physically access school
• Visiting school regularly in order to meet with their child’s teachers and
school authorities so as to discuss how their child is progressing
• Informing the school and local authorities immediately of any event that
has the potential to affect their child’s attendance at school
• Helping school teachers with the production of didactic materials
• Supporting educators on extra-instructional practices required for
learners who are quite exceptional.
• Epstein’s Model for Parental Involvement
Six aspects showing the importance of the two-way communication model
(parent-school partnership):
• Parenting: Assist families with parenting skills, family support,
understanding child and adolescent development, and setting home
conditions to support learning. Assist schools in understanding
families’ backgrounds, cultures, and goals for children.
• Communicating: Communicate with families about school
programs and student progress. Create effective, reliable two-way
communication channels between school and home.
• Volunteering: Improve recruitment and training to involve families
as volunteers and as audiences at the school. Enable educators to
work with volunteers who support students and the school. Provide
meaningful work and flexible scheduling.
• Learning at home: Involve families with their children in academic
learning at home, including homework, goal setting, and other
curriculum-related activities.
• Decision-making: Include families as participants in school
decisions, governance, and advocacy activities through school
councils or improvement teams, committees, and other organizations.
• Collaborating with the community: Coordinate resources and
services for families, students, and the school with community groups,
including businesses, agencies, cultural and civic organizations, andcolleges or universities.
SELF Assessment 6.3
1. List two important activities which can mutually be run by parents
of learners with disabilities and teachers in a bid to support IE.
2. Name the six aspects showing the importance of the two-way
communication model proposed by Epstein.
6.4. Collaboration between parents of learners with
disabilities and SEN, schools and PTAs
Activity 6.2.
1. Using a compelling case, convince school head teachers, teachers
and PTAs that they should closely work with parents of children
with disabilities?
2. The fact that parents of learners with disabilities are not closely
working with head teachers, teachers and PTAs can impede
children’s education. Yes or No. Explain your answer. with peers.
Effective collaboration generates positive effects:
It is important to involve parents of learners with disabilities in the education.
Parents of learners with disabilities should work with schools and PTAs in
order to:
• Share common experiences about the education of children with
disabilities, difficulties and solutions;
• Initiate collective projects that will generate income to support the
education of children with disabilities in schools (eg. afford to pay
scholastic materials);
• Advocate for the rights of children with disabilities in education at
national, district and sector levels in order for the local authorities to
take action while programming and budgeting for IE;
• Suggest a range of support services that are needed to support
children’s learning in schools (eg. buy assistive devices and make
appropriate teaching- learning materials)
• Discuss on any possible referral mechanism that is to be put in place
for children with disabilities (eg. work with community health workers
to identify children with disabilities who need remedial services and
specialized services for rehabilitation services);
• Sensitize the school and local community in order to have a better
understanding of inclusive education, the nature of impairment and
special educational needs;
• Mobilize the local community to become involved in activities that
promote the education of learners with disabilities.
Consequences of ineffective collaboration
Failure to not collaborate with parents in their children’s education negatively
affects both parents and children’s performance. Consequences are many:
• Parents are the first educators of their children. Once they are not
involved, they do not influence their children’s learning and development.
• Parents do not have trust in the school and continue to loose
expectations on schools to educate their children.
• Parents do not share responsibilities with schools and the latter alone
cannot be responsible for the education of children
• Lack of positive relationships among schools and parents can have
negative effects on children’s learning outcomes
• When parents and educators do not know each other, learners tend to
have indiscipline.
SELF Assessment 6.3
1. Explain the reasons why you think it is important for parents of
learners with disabilities to work with PTAs.
2. What are the consequences of not involving parents in the
education of learners with disabilities and other SEN?
END UNIT ASSESSMENT
Section A:
1. Children with disabilities in Rwanda remain hidden in their families
and communities. What does this mean on enrolment statistics?
2. Advise parents on how they can effectively play their roles and
responsibilities in supporting the education of children with
disabilities in their homes and families.
Section B:
1. Mention and explain the roles of the two organs of the PTA in
Rwandan schools.
Section C:
1. Discuss the major roles of parents of learners with disabilities in
supporting IE.
Section D:
1. Suggest 3 main practical tips and ways you can use to strengthen
collaboration between parents of learners with disabilities, head
teachers, teachers and PTAs.UNIT: 7 ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF LOCAL COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN SUPPOTING AND RAISING AWARENESS IN INCLUSION OF LEARNERS WITH SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS AND DISABILITIES
Key Unit Competence: Student-teachers should be able toexplain the roles & responsibilities andactive collaboration of various membersof the local community in the education oflearners with disabilities and other SpecialEducational Needs in the school.
Introductory Activity
Roles and responsibilities of community members in the education of
learners with disabilities and other special needs in the school
Read the following text and answer the question that following:
The success of inclusive education relies on effective family-schoolcommunity
relationships. There is need to involve the community to help
schools in identification, assessment and placement of children with
disabilities. Besides, they are called on to provide children with additional
support services in case it is required. Community members can encourage
their children’s learning in and out of school and are also in a position
to support school goals and directions. Educational practitioners need to
strengthen the involvement of local communities as close partners.
The impact of unsupportive community attitudes, as well as a lack of
community-based services for children with disabilities, make it very
difficult for families to adequately raise their children. The parents and
caregivers of children with disabilities can be isolated from other families
within their community due to the associated stigma and discrimination.
To succeed inclusive education in Rwanda, the paper of norms and
standards for quality inclusive education, article 3.5 of the section 3 states
that ‘’Community Education Volunteers (CEVs) should actively participate
in community education, sensitization, mobilization, and conduct publicawareness campaigns in schools’’.
On another positive note, the Government of Rwanda, with the support
of the Civil Society, initiated a new structure meant to support the role
of community members known as “Local Education Activists’ (LEAs)
or “Imboni z’Uburezi Budaheza”. Parents of children with and without
disabilities, local authorities, Faith Based Organizations, Friends of the
Family “Inshuti z’Umuryango” gather to form a coalition. The latter is
aiming at supporting the school to mobilize surrounding communities to
send children with disabilities and actively play a role in their education.
In terms of roles and responsibilities, the LEAs are in charge of the
following tasks:
• Community mobilization on right to education of children with
disabilities,
• Identification of out-of-school children with disabilities at family level,
• Provision of extra instructional support services to children who are
exceptional,
• Home visits to families of children with disabilities in order to provide
continuous support to these families
• Collection of background information and monitoring children’s
academic progress.
• School to mobilize surrounding communities to send children with
disabilities and actively monitor their progress in learning.
Questions:
1. Name three major roles of community members in promoting
inclusive education.
2. The Government of Rwanda recognizes the role of community
education volunteers as close partners. Discuss how this
community involvement can impact on children’s learning?
3. State members of the LEAs’ structure.4. Brainstorm and discuss the different roles played by LEAs.
7.1. Current situation of community involvement in
promoting inclusive education
Activity 7.1.
Use books or other sources of information to answer the following
questions:
1. How do you understand the situation of community involvement in
promoting inclusive education in Rwandan schools?
2. Are you aware of some of the community initiatives that are
put in place to support the education of children with SEN and
disabilities in Rwanda? Yes or No. Explain your answer with
concrete examples.
7.1.1. Situation of community involvement in promoting
inclusive education
The role of the community in inclusive education is three fold: i) pedagogical,
ii) economic and iii) socio-political or developmental. Linking schools and
communities is widely recognized as good pedagogic practice. There is an
economic dimension to these links as well. A wide range of costs is involved in
the provision and uptake of education, and these costs are borne by various
parties. The community is entitled to supporting schools in financial issues.
A third sense in which schools are linked to homes and communities is the
socio-political or developmental dimension. In highly centralized political
systems, government control of schools is usually strong, with minimum
community involvement beyond contributing local resources.
It was found that once community members have the opportunity and mindset
to choose and participate in decisions that affect their lives, they gain the
ability to lead and to take the initiative to make policy decisions that distribute
benefits equitably and effectively through collective and collaborative efforts
and actions.
Though the role of community members is vital in promoting inclusive
education, some are not willing to get involved and engage in school activities
pretending that they are not welcome and therefore not respected by school
authorities. This situation most affects those who are not educated enough
or do not understand well school activities.In Rwanda, however, it is shown by studies that the community participation in
inclusive education brought more benefits than expected. School-community
links generally are based on a combination of pedagogic, economic and
socioeconomic dimensions. Many good inclusive schools have a strong link
to the communities they serve, influenced by one or more of these factors.
For inclusive, child-friendly schools, these are also important factors. But
there is a more fundamental sense in which child-friendly schools are linked
with communities – the child’s right to quality basic education.
Over the last two decades, the role of the community volunteers was vital in
promoting inclusive education in Rwandan schools. Community education
volunteers are catalysts of change in inclusive schools. As a matter of facts,
the community volunteers helped children who attended school to improve
in physical, emotional, and social abilities, making them better in terms
of achievement. Communities benefited from inclusive education as well
by gaining knowledge and understanding of disability. Communities with
inclusive education programs became more open minded, creating a more
favourable environment for children with disabilities.
The role of community education volunteers is dual. On one hand, it helps
CwDs and SEN to enrol, reduce drop outs and improve their academic
performance.
SELF Assessment 7.1
1. The role of the community in inclusive education is three fold: i)
pedagogical, ii) economic and iii) socio-political or developmental.
Explain with concrete examples.
2. Community education volunteers and LEAs are catalysts of
change in inclusive schools. Yes or No. Explain your choice with
vivid examples.
3. Discuss the benefits of involving community education volunteersand LEAs in the education of children with disabilities and SEN.
7.2. Relevant and related Organization within the Rwandan
communities
Activity 7.2
Use books or other sources of information to answer the following
questions:
1. What are key community stakeholders involved in the education
of children with disabilities in Rwanda?
2. How can they be coordinated for a smooth participation in
supporting inclusive education? Suggest practical tips.
7.2.1 Key community stakeholders involved in the education of
children with disabilities
The following are key community stakeholders supporting inclusive education
in Rwandan schools:
• Local authorities
Local authorities are those leaders elected at local decentralized levels
including District, Sector, Cell and Village officials. They have an important
role to play in leading efforts to promote and implement inclusive education
at local levels.
• Faith Based Organizations
Faith-based organizations (FBOs) play a dual role of spiritual development
and socio-economic improvement in the lives of believers. Whether the goal
is to meet immediate religious, behavioural or material needs, the purpose of
many FBOs is to assist individuals in advancing their lives for the better. It is
within this respect that FBOs are involved in the education of the marginalized
children, including those with disabilities and SEN.
• Community influencers
‘’Community influencers’’ refer to prominent individuals in a community
who are trusted by people and whose opinions are valued. Community
influencers have an important contribution to play in improving access to
inclusive education for children with disabilities and SEN.
Under this category, we have Friends of Families “Inshuti z’Umuryango”
represented by two people (a woman and a man) elected at village levels by
community members to advocate for children’s rights, fight against domestic
violence and protect children against any kind of harm or abuse. The structure
is put in place by the Ministry of Gender and Family Promotion (MIGEPROF)
and is technically supported by the National Children’s Commission.
• Civil society organizations
Civil society is a key stakeholder in advocating for, and implementing
inclusive education. Rwanda has made tremendous progress in expanding
overall access to education and the involvement of the local civil society has
been vital in achieving this goal.
Under this category, we find local organizations advocating for the rights
of children with disabilities and promoting their access to basic inclusive
education (Organizations of Persons with Disabilities); such as the National
Union of Disability Organizations in Rwanda (NUDOR), NUDOR members
and Action for Inclusive Education Development in Rwanda (AIEDR).
SELF Assessment 7.2
1. Name key stakeholders involved in supporting the education of
children with disabilities at community level.
2. Discuss the relationship that exists between the four levels:
local authorities, FBOs, community influencers and Civil SocietyOrganizations.
7.3 Role and responsibilities of key community stakeholders involved in the education
of children with disabilities
Activity 7.3
Use books or other sources of information to answer the following
questions:
1. Think of roles and responsibilities which can be played by: local
authorities, FBOs, community influencers and Civil Society
Organizations to support the education of children with disabilities
in Rwanda? Write it down on a paper.
2. Name some of the Organizations of Persons with Disabilities
(DPOs) you know and specify what kind of support they provideto children with disabilities.
• Roles and responsibilities of local authorities
Main roles and responsibilities are:
District
• Coordinate and monitor the implementation of policies related to
inclusive education in the district.
• Mobilize and distribute resources to support inclusive education in the district.
• Raise awareness on inclusive education in the district.
• Ensure that partnerships with relevant stakeholders are in place to
promote inclusive education in the district.
Sector, cell and village
• Sensitize the local community on issues related to inclusive education.
• Mobilize local community members to become involved in activities that
support and promote inclusive educational principles and practices.
• Support and involve families in the education of children with disabilities and SEN.
• Ensure that children with disabilities and SEN and their families are aware of their rights.
• Identify and find children with disabilities and SEN who may be hidden/kept in various families
• Roles and responsibilities of FBOs
Main roles and responsibilities are:
• Contribute to awareness raising on inclusive education and the
educational rights of children with disabilities among their congregations.
• Ensure that everyone is included in their different community services.
• Ensure children with disabilities and SEN are integrated in FBO
education programmes.
• Encourage children with disabilities and SEN to participate in religious
ministries, clubs, religious education programmes and events.
• Advocate for the inclusive education of children with disabilities and
SEN among national, regional and international stakeholders.
• Participate in the implementation of different policies related to inclusive education.
• Roles and responsibilities of community influencers
Main roles and responsibilities are:
• Identify children with disabilities and SEN using community-based
services like Inshuti z’umuryango.
• Refer cases of children with disabilities and SEN to relevant services.
• Sensitize/mobilize community members to promote and support inclusive education.
• Liaise with all community members to provide support services for
children with disabilities and SEN according to their professional
abilities (e.g., carpenters, technicians, artisans and religious leaders).
• Provide support to parents with children with disabilities, e.g., guidance
and counseling or inclusion in income generating activities.
• Advocate for the rights of children with disabilities among concerned
stakeholders such as the local government and CSOs.
• Roles and responsibilities of the Civil Society Organizations
Main roles and responsibilities are:
• Promote the rights of persons with disabilities and SEN, including rights to education.
• Promote economic and social integration of children with disabilities
and SEN by providing resources and equipment needed for learning.
• Support organizations of persons with disabilities and SEN in their missions.
• Build local capacity and empower communities with knowledge on inclusive education.
• Mobilize and enhance community participation in the production of
local resources needed in inclusive education.
• Raise awareness of the challenges to inclusive education and advocate for change.
SELF Assessment 7.3
Organize a role play in which you dramatize roles played in an effort to
enrol children with disabilities who are hidden by their families. Players will
represent the following:• local authorities
• FBOs
• Community influencers
• Civil Society Organizations.
7.4. Strategies to enhance collaboration between community members (local leaders, community
influencers, Faith Based Organizations, Organizations of Persons with Disabilities, etc.) in education of
learners with disabilities and other SEN
Activity 7.4
Use books or other sources of information to answer the following
questions:1. What ways do you think can be used to enhance partnerships7.4.1 Strategies to enhance partnerships and collaboration
and collaboration between local authorities, FBOs, community
influencers and Civil Society Organizations?
2. Which are the practical methods do you think can be used by each
and every community stakeholder to better support the education
of children with disabilities?
between community organizations
Strategies include:
• Partnering between local authorities, FBOs, Civil Society Organizations
and community influencers involved in supporting the education of
children with disabilities amd SEN
• Participating in the district, sector, cell and village steering committee
meetings for the development and support of IE in the respective target area;
• Mobilizing resources, including available local resources, to support
inclusive education;
• Strengthening links and coordination to jointly lead community based
awareness raising sessions;
• Initiating a common forum for exchange and efforts/ resource
sharing.
7.4.2. Practical methods which are appropriate for specific
community stakeholders
∎ Local government authorities
Local government officials could consider the following methods and
channels to fulfill their roles and responsibilities with regards to promoting
inclusive education:• Village council meetings (inteko z’abaturage): These meetings are
good channels to convey messages on inclusive education.• Monthly community work (Umuganda): Issues related to inclusive
education can be discussed during community work.• Home visits: An education activist can pass on inclusive education
messages by visiting families to make sure that the actual information
is conveyed to them. Families with children with disabilities and SEN
can be mobilized to demand inclusive education in this way.• Parents’ evenings (umugoroba w’ababyeyi): Messages related to
inclusive education can be easily transmitted to parents and caregivers
during these occasions.• Mass sports events (siporo rusange): These large gatherings also
can be a good channel of conveying messages related to inclusive
education.• Education meetings: These meetings can include inclusive education
awareness raising on their agenda.• Various talks: Public talks/speeches that attract large number of people
can be used to influence people’s attitudes towards children with
disabilities and SEN.• Open days: Open days at schools or government offices can be anoccasion to exchange ideas on how to promote inclusive education.
• Exhibitions: Exhibitions during conferences or other events can be used
to talk about inclusive education and share material on the subject,
helping to positively influence people’s attitudes towards children with
disabilities and SEN.• Media: Messages through the media in written, audio and visual formats
can help many people to adopt positive attitudes and values towards
children with disabilities and SEN.• Different forums: Forums such as workshops can be used to explain
government policy and implementation plans on inclusive education.• Traditional school (Itorero): Itorero is also a good channel for promoting
inclusive education principles and practices.
∎ Faith Based Organizations
FBOs could consider the following methods:
• Religious ministries assemblies : church or gospel gathering
• Communitybelivers’ meetings: for instance, catholic mothers’ meetings,
protestants mothers’ union, etc
∎ Community influencers
Community influencers could consider the following methods while mobilizing
community members to send children with disabilities to school.
• Community outreach programmes:
–– Community work « umuganda »
–– Community assemblies « Umugoroba w’ ababyeyi »
–– Friends of the Family « Inshuti z’umuryango »
–– Local Education Activists “Imboni z’uburezi”
• Community special events to celebrate the International Day of Persons
with Disabilities and International Day of the Child.
∎ Civil society organizations
The CSO could consider the following methods:
• Use video spots to sensitize all educational partners on children’s right
to inclusive education.
• Distribute pamphlets and other printed communication materials to
enhance community members’ knowledge of inclusive education.
• Use radio broadcasts to promote positive attitudes towards the
integration of children with disabilities and SEN in schools andcommunities.
• Raise awareness of the needs of children with disabilities and SEN
through dialogues during community meetings and collective work“Umuganda”.
SELF Assessment 7.4
1. State main strategies used to enhance partnerships and
collaboration between organizations supporting inclusive
education at community level.
2. Discuss in groups some methods that can allow local leaders,
FBOs, community influencers and CSOs to effectively conduct
awareness raising sessions on rights to education of children withdisabilities and SEN.
END UNIT ASSESSMENT
Section A:1. The role of the community in inclusive education is three fold: i)Section B:
pedagogical, ii) economic and iii) socio-political or developmental.
Explain with concrete examples.
2. Community education volunteers and LEAs are catalysts of
change in inclusive schools. Yes or No. Explain your choice with
vivid examples.1. Name key stakeholders involved in supporting the education ofSection C:
children with disabilities at community level.
2. Discuss the roles played by community influencers. Write it down
on a paper.Suggest the roles to be played by FBOs and CSOs in an effort to enrolSection D:
children with disabilities who are hidden by their families.1. Discuss in groups how you can stimulate and strengthen
partnerships and collaboration between organizations supporting
inclusive education at community level.
2. Propose a plan of how you can effectively address a group of local
leaders on rights of children with disabilities and SEN to educationby highlighting practical methods that can convince attendees.
UNIT: 8 THE ROLE AND RESPONSIBILITIES OF ALL RANGES OF SCHOOL COMMUNITY MEMBERS IN THE EDUCATION OF LEARNERS WITH DISABILITIES AND OTHER SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS IN THE SCHOOL
Key Unit Competence: be able to describe the roles &
responsibilities and active collaboration of
all ranges of school community members
in the education of learners with disabilities
and other special needs in the school.
Introductory Activity
The role and responsibilities of all ranges of school community
members in the education of learners with disabilities and other
Special Educational Needs in the school
Read the following text and answer the question that follow:
Nowadays, inclusive education paves a way to building a new, more just
and non-discriminatory society. Towards this end, it is quite crucial that all
policy makers, school PTAs, head teachers, teachers, parents and students
ensure inclusive practices in all aspects of educational environments.
However, there are some concerns that the policy of inclusive education
is difficult to implement because head teachers and teachers are not
sufficiently well prepared and supported to work in inclusive ways. Inclusion
requires school head teachers and teachers to accept the responsibility
for creating schools in which all children can learn and feel they are in
an inclusive setting. In this task, head teachers need to adopt inclusive
culture and set inclusive policies and regulations to make inclusive
practices happen. Teachers are also to play the central role in promoting
participation and reducing under-achievement, particularly with children
who might be perceived as having difficulties in learning. To successfully
implement inclusive practices in education, there is need to reconsider the
roles, responsibilities and identities of head teachers, teachers and the
entire learning community.
Therefore, on one hand, there is a need to educate teachers and head
teachers, by building their professional skills, knowledge, attitudes and
beliefs for effective implementation of inclusive education practices. On
the other hand, to succeed inclusive education, children with and without
disabilities also have a role to play and need to be sensitized about
their roles and responsibilities in supporting inclusive education. More
importantly, children need to be educated on how to adopt positive
language and respect towards children with disabilities, promote mutual
support in learning and performing other tasks in a peer led approach.
This builds a way to fighting against stigma and discrimination among
children in an inclusive school.
Questions:
1. What roles do head teachers have to play to succeed inclusive education?
2. Teachers need to be educated on roles and responsibilities they have to play in supporting IE. Discuss.
3. Children with and without disabilities are key players in supporting
inclusive education. Discuss about the major roles children may have to play.
8.1. Current situation of roles played by head teachers,
teachers and children in supporting inclusive education
Activity 8.1.
Use books or other sources of information to answer the following
questions:1. Discuss in pairs how you understand the situation of inclusive
education in Rwanda focusing on roles played by head teachers
and teachers.2. What kind of activities do children with and without disability have
to perform in order to smoothly promote inclusion?3. What are the challenges faced by head teachers, teachers, support
staff and children with and without disabilities while playing their
roles in supporting inclusive education?
Inclusive education is a teamwork and creating inclusive educational
institutions involves the school administration, teachers, support staff andstudents. They are called on to actively play their roles.
8.1.1. Head teachers’ involvement in implementing inclusive education
In an inclusive school, head teachers play a pivotal role. To effectively lead
inclusive schools, head teachers need to foster on the following:• Setting inclusive vision, planning, and decision-making processes,
• Creating collaborative structures and processes,
• Using data to make decisions about curriculum and instruction, and
• Understanding and utilizing policy to create a conducive learning
environment where everyone’s needs are accommodated.
Effective inclusive schools share characteristics of innovativeness,
commitment to diversity, and a strong emphasis on school improvement.
Head teachers share common personal attributes such as sharing decisionmaking
power with their staff, leading their school by example, extending
the core values around inclusiveness and quality initiatives throughout the
school, and actively promoting learning communities.
To achieve inclusive schooling imply that head teachers should be highly
accomplished leaders to ensure their schools are both excellent and equitable
for all students. Head teachers identify and approve changes that support
inclusive education. They also eliminate existing practices that undermine
inclusive education and ensure inclusive programmes are institutionalized
and sustained.
While the roles of teachers and head teachers are said to be vital in
implementing inclusive education, it is noted that a myriad of challenges
such as, inadequate support from head teachers, insufficient knowledge and
negative attitudes still hinder the implementation of inclusive education in
Rwanda. Other challenges include:• Unclear inclusive vision and missionTherefore, head teachers have to ensure the effectiveness of inclusive
• Insufficient professional supports and services
• Inadequate collaborative mechanisms
• Weak policy implementationeducation policies in their schools.
8.1.2. Teachers’ involvement in implementing inclusive education
In inclusive schools, to translate teaching/ learning theories into meaningful
classroom practices, teachers need planning and implementation of
classroom tasks on the basis of teaching and learning that allow to nurture
pupils’ talents and giftedness. Teachers need to develop skills and values
for appropriate management of inclusive education. In the situation of
classroom teachers, they need to analyze/assess pupils ‘needs and prepare
classroom plan approaches to learning that enhance inclusive education.
In this case, teachers need to be conversant with competences and roles
relevant to inclusive education, classroom organization and planning for
learner –centered teaching.
However, it is recognized that teachers face challenges related to:• Inadequate skills and knowledge, meaning that teachers do not have
sufficient skills and knowledge to teach learners with and without
disabilities in the same classroom because majority of the teachers are not trained;
• Lack of appropriate teaching facilities and other supportive means/ devices;
• Limited knowledge to provide individual, specialized pedagogical support;
• Negative attitude for some teachers to address diversity, failing to cope
with children learning at a slower pace;
• Lack of role models who can provide pedagogical advisory services
on practical tips required to handle needs of children who are quite exceptional.
8.1.3. Children’s involvement in implementing inclusive education
Participation or “involvement” of children with and without disabilities is
quite essential in promoting inclusive education. Participation in school
includes unstructured activities (e.g friendship, play), organized activities
(e.g. sports, clubs, arts), classroom based activities (e.g. group work, peer
tutoring) and engagement in social roles (eg. club leader or class monitor).
Without the support of peers, children with disabilities are at significant risk
for limited participation in school or likely to face stigma and discrimination.
Such restrictions have significant lifetime consequences for achievement,
quality of life and wellbeing. Subsequently, several issues occur. Attendance
for children with disabilities is reduced compared to peers. Students with
disabilities participate less in structured and unstructured activities, and
experience reduced interaction and participation.
Participation of children with and without disabilities goes beyond school
activities. Participation includes school events, trips, game teams, clubs,
relationships and friendships with peers. School participation can be
understood in terms of how much, how often and what activities the child
does (attendance), as well as their everyday experience (involvement).
Sensitization of children with and without disabilities is paramount in inclusive
education in order to overcome challenges facing the inclusion of children
with disabilities and SEN.
Some challenges include but are not limited to the following:• Children with disabilities have difficulties to exercise their rights, as a
result of being undermined by peers and teachers.
• Though some roles including being a leader or a member of a club are
sometimes possible, children with disabilities have tendency to occupy
less “desirable” roles within the school.
• Roles considered desirable by children, especially those including
being good at something (e.g. best in class) or “best friend” roles are
seldom held by children with disabilities.
• Children with disabilities are also engaged in less “doing roles” (such
as athlete, leader, helper and peer-tutor) and more are likely to be
classified into passive roles including “challenged learner” who is
unable to perform. This inconsideration often leads to negative selfperceptions.
In an actual sense, children’s knowledge, understanding and everyday
experience of roles can influence children’s participation. Therefore, it
is strongly advised to create harmony, cohesion and interaction between
children with and without disabilities so as to allow a favoring and conducivelearning environment for all.
SELF Assessment 8.1
1. State important tasks of a head teacher in an inclusive school.
2. Discuss challenges faced by teachers while implementing inclusive
education in classroom.
3. Suggest practical solutions to the challenges faced by learners
with disabilities in an inclusive school, focusing on the support to be provided by peers.
8.2. Roles and responsibilities played by the school
community in implementing inclusive education
Activity 8.2.
Use books or other sources of information to answer the following
questions:
1. Discuss roles which can be played by:• Head teachersWrite your answers on sheet and present them in plenary.
• Teachers
• Support staff
• Children with and without disabilities
Below are the roles of different members of a school in the promotion of
inclusive education.
• School administration–– Make schools more responsive to learners with disabilities and
SEN.
–– Promote positive attitudes towards disability and SEN throughout
the school community.
–– Involve teachers and other staff in resolving teaching-learning
problems.
–– Make sure that learners get assistive devices and support services
such as Braille, wheelchairs, hearing aids, etc.–– Organize continuous professional development for teachers.–– Train support staff on inclusive education.
–– Involve all school members to plan and implement programmes.
–– Sensitize other learners to work with and support their peers with
disabilities and SEN.
–– Encourage other teachers to be positive when working with
learners with disabilities and SEN.
–– Ensure that school buildings, classrooms, pathways, playgrounds
and toilets are accessible to all learners.
–– Ensure that teaching methods and resources are adapted to
learners with disabilities and SEN.
–– Mobilize community resources, e.g., local artisans who can work
with/for learners with disabilities and SEN in the community.• Teachers
–– Identify learners with disabilities and SEN and take part in the
assessment of learners’ needs and strengths, as well as the
development of individual education plans when necessary.
–– Ensure cooperative and collaborative learning in classroom
activities.
–– Ensure that their daily pedagogical practice is aligned with the
principles of IE and the needs of CwDs
–– Work with the local authorities, local and school community,
parents and community education volunteers to support the
integration of CwDs in school at all stages of the process:
identification, assessment, placement, teaching, monitoring,
evaluating, reporting
–– Advocate and ensure that learners get assistive devices and
support services such as Braille, wheelchairs, hearing aids, etc.
–– Sensitize other learners to work with and support their peers with
disabilities and SEN.
–– Encourage other teachers to be positive when working with
learners with disabilities and SEN.
–– Help in mobilizing community resources and use them
appropriately.
–– Remove all barriers in the learning environment that may hinder
the wellbeing of learners with disabilities and SEN.
–– Help learners with disabilities and SEN to understand and accepttheir school community.their condition of living and how they can play a significant role in
• Support staff
–– Be aware of the principles of inclusive education.
–– Demonstrate positive and supportive attitudes towards learners
with disabilities and SEN.
–– Sensitize other workers to accept and support learners with
disabilities and SEN.
–– Participate in community mobilization of resources, e.g., local
artisans who can work with/for learners with disabilities and SEN.
–– Remove all barriers in the school environment that may hinder
the wellbeing of learners with disabilities and SEN.
• Learners with disabilities and SEN
–– Be aware of children’s rights and report if these rights are violated
or if children experience abuse.
–– Be flexible and get integrated into school life.
–– Participate in all aspects of work, community, home and school
activities.
–– Where appropriate, be consulted at all stages of their integration
into schooling and all future issues affecting their schooling and
welfare
–– Participate in decision making through membership of the school
council
–– Report on all forms of abuse and discrimination
–– In partnership with other children, create and join clubs through
which he/she can advocate for children’s rights to education
• Learners without disabilities
–– Be aware of children’s rights and report if these rights are violated
or if children experience abuse, especially children with disabilities
and SEN.
–– Be positive and supportive towards learners with disabilities and SEN.
–– Play with and include learners with disabilities and SEN in
activities at school.
–– Respect and look after assistive devices that belong to, or are
used by children with disabilities and SEN.
–– Participate in decision making on all issues affecting schooling and welfare
–– Participate fully in the life of the school through membership of
the school council alongside CwDs
–– Engage in activities that will develop their self-confidence and
empower them to build relationships with CwDs
–– Participate in all aspects of work, community, home and school
life alongside CwDs
–– Report on all forms of discrimination and abuse
–– In partnership with CwDs, create and join clubs through which he/
she can advocate for children’s rights to education
–– Inform the school authorities of any event that may affect theschooling of CwDs
SELF Assessment 8.2
1. Head teachers can shape the reality of inclusive education and
make schools more responsive to learners with disabilities and
SEN. Explain.
2. Children with and without disabilities are key players in the
promotion of inclusive education. Discuss in groups and present
your thoughts to the rest of the class.
8.3. Roles and responsibilities of students clubs in raising
awareness on Inclusive education
Activity 8.3.
Use books or other sources of information to answer the following
questions:1. What are the benefits of inclusive education clubs in schools?8.3.1 Inclusive education clubs play important roles in schools
2. Who are members of the inclusive education club?
3. Discuss how you think an inclusive education club can work. Writeit down on a paper
The success of inclusive education depends on how the school responds to
both academic and social/ emotional needs of children with disabilities. Their
effective inclusion requires a school climate that is psychologically inclusive,
offering a space where all students better understand one another, feel safe
and supported, have positive relationships, and are more respectful and
accepting each other.
In this regard, inclusive education clubs are key in changing discriminatory
attitudes. Schools should create the environment that allows for a child’s
first relationship, enables the development of social relationships and
interactions. Students with diverse abilities and backgrounds come to play,
socialize and learn to support each other. They build together a stigma free
school community where everyone feels at home.
8.3.2 What roles do inclusive education clubs play?
Inclusive education clubs play important roles. Children with and without
disabilities meet to:• Conduct awareness raising session on disability inclusion in education;
• Build inclusive culture in the school community by teaching appropriate
terminologies and adopting positive behavior towards effective disability
inclusion
• Advocate for children’s rights in general and rights of children with
disabilities to education in particular
• Make sure that children with disabilities and those with SEN are enrolled
and provided with social-emotional and academic support
• Entertain the school community by organizing inclusive activities and
games such sport, debates, drama, sketches, songs, poems, etc.
• Fight against discriminatory attitudes
• Strengthen the spirit of mutual support (between children with and
without disabilities
• Monitor on regular basis how disability inclusion is being shaped among
children with and without disabilities
Inclusive education clubs help children to build respectful and supportive
relationships and promote positive values through a peer-to-peer interactive
approach. Through these interactions, each child becomes a greaterresource for everyone and the culture of inclusion rapidly emerges.
8.3.3. Inclusive education club core benefitsInclusive education club core benefits
For students with and without disabilities, benefits are:
• Enhanced friendship and collaboration
• Increased social interaction and relationships
• Improved academic peer-to-peer support
• Increased student’s participation
• Children are more aware of their rights, strengths, talents and needs
For the entire learning community, benefits are:
• Increased awareness on children’s rights to education
• Increased acceptance of individual differences
• Increased understanding and accommodation of diversity
• Early children’s talents detection
• Integrated learning (combination of academic, social and functionalskills)
SELF Assessment 8.2
1. Discuss the benefits of inclusive education clubs for students withand without disabilities.
END UNIT ASSESSMENT
Section A:1. Mention three major challenges faced by inclusive classroom
teachers and provide them with concrete solutions.
Section B:1. Children with and without disabilities are key players in the
promotion of inclusive education. Debate the topic in two groups
(oppose and support the statement).
Section C:1. Discuss the benefits of inclusive education clubs for the entireschool community.
UNIT: 9 ROLE OF MEDIA IN PROMOTING THE EDUCATION OF LEARNERS WITH DISABILITIES AND SPECIAL EDUCATIONAL NEEDS
Key Unit Competence Use media to communicate inclusive education
Introductory Activity
Read the following story and answer the questions:
Twenty-five years ago, in 1994, a genocide against the Tutsi happened
and more than 1.000.000 Tutsi were killed. The mass media played a big
role in disseminating hate propaganda and prepared its listeners for the
coming violence. The broadcaster provided a popular platform for ideas
already circulating in Kangura, an extremist magazine founded in 1990.
Broadcasters used increasingly dehumanizing language to speak about
the Tutsi and this mobilized Hutu against the Tutsi. Once the genocide
was happening, government leaders used different Radio stations to
promote violence and give specific directions for carrying out the killings.
25 years ago, Rwandans are still facing different challenges as a result
of the Genocide. Some of these challenges include an increased number
people with disabilities, orphans, widows etc.
1. Based on this history of Rwanda on Genocide, identify different
types of media used to sensitize Hutus extremists to perpetrate
Genocide against the Tutsi?
2. How do you explain the influence of media on Genocide against
the Tutsi in 1994? Link that to our lesson and explain how the
media can positively or negatively influence the perception of
people with disabilities in the society especially the education of
learners with disability or SEN.
9.1. Media channels and types of media
Activity 9.1.
Identify different types of media suitable for communicating inclusiveeducation.
9.1.1. What is Media?
The term media is derived from Medium, which means carrier or mode. Media
denotes an item specifically designed to reach a large audience or viewers.
The term was first used with the advent of newspapers and magazines.
However, with the passage of time, the term broadened by the
inventions of radio, TV, cinemas and Internet. In the world of today, media
has become almost as necessary as food and clothing. It is true that media
is playing an outstanding role in strengthening the society. Its duty is to
inform, educate and entertain the people. It helps us to know
current situation around the world. The media has a strong social and
cultural impact upon society. Because of its inherent ability to reach large
number of public, it is widely used to convey message to build public opinionand awareness.
9.1.2. Types of media
1. Print media
a. Newspapers:
Newspapers is a major source of information for a large number of readers. It
may be national or local, daily or weekly newspaper. It allows presentation of
detailed messages which can be read at readers’ conveyance. Newspapers
prompt delivery of detailed coverage of news and other information with
interesting features for readers. It is a high involvement media as readers
are required to devote some effort in reading the message. It is available
to masses at a very low cost. Newspapers can be classified into three
categories: National Newspapers, Daily Newspapers (local/ regional) and
Special audience newspapers
b. Magazines
A magazine is a specialized advertising media that serves educational
informational, entertainment and other specialized needs of consumers,
businesses and industries. A magazine allows presentation of a detailed ad
message along with photos, illustrations, colours, etc. It is a high involvement
media as readers pay a premium price for it and magazines are not dumped
after reading. They can be classified into local/regional/national or weekly/
quarterly/magazines.
Types of Magazines
Consumer magazines: Magazines bought by general public for information
and entertainment. It can be used to reach a specific target audience. It may
be a general interest magazine, glamour magazine, film magazine, special
interest magazine, women lifestyle magazine.
Business Publications: Business magazines include publications such as
trade journals for business industries or occupations. It may be published
weekly monthly or quarterly. Generally, readership includes business
managers and executives, businessmen, business students etc.
2. Broadcasting media
a. Television Advertising: TV is a principle source of information and
entertainment for people exposed to mass media. It is believed to
be the most authoritative, influential, exciting medium for reaching
very large audience. It combines visual images, sounds, motion and
colour to achieve viewer’s empathy. It allows development of creative
and imaginative messages in a unique way. It is considered intrusive
in nature as audience have no control over the nature and pace of
advertisements.
b. Radio is premier mass medium for users and advertisers. It has
a wide spread reach. It delivers the messages to a large number
of people across the length and breadth of a country. Commercial
broadcasting is undertaken in major cities even in rural areas.
It is one of the most personal medium and offers selectivity, cost
efficiency and flexibility advantage over other media. Efficiency of a
radio depends upon the precision of script, accompanying soundsand level distortion.
3. Support Media
a. Outdoor advertising: It is usually used as a supportive medium by
advertisers. It includes bill boards, boarding, signs posters, etc.
b. Transit advertising: Use billboards, neon signs and electronic
messages. It targets users of various modes of transportation. The
advertising rate depends on the amount of traffic which passes every
day.
c. Cinema and video adverting: Cinema is a popular source of
entertainment comprising of audience from all classes and socioeconomic
groups of society. Films are watched by a significant
number of people every day. It involves use of cinema halls and video
tapes to deliver the message. Commercials are shown before films
and previews carrying messages. Similar to TV, it is also combines
sight, sound, colour and movement to deliver a creative message.
d. Internet: Internet is a worldwide medium that provides means of
exchanging information through a series of interconnected computers.
It is a rapidly growing medium of advertising. It is a future medium
which offers limitless advertising opportunities. It involves use of
World Wide Web to showcase a website or-e-commerce portal to the
world. Advertising trough internet involves email marketing, social
media marketing, online and mobile marketing.
SELF Assessment 9.1
Based on different types of media learned, classify different media
channels used in Rwanda that can help in communicating and promoting
inclusive education in the community/ schools?
9.2 Role of media in promoting the education of learners
with SEN and disabilities
Television programs, internet websites, feature-length films, newspapers,
music tapes and CDs, magazines, billboards, radio programs are tools
/technologies which are used to transmit a message to a large external
audience. John Dewey stated that education could not be limited within
teacher and taught without social environment. So mass media is one
such potent force in the social environment of education. Through
modern electronic techniques and technologies, mass media prove
that education is, really comprehensive not confined within four walls of the
classroom.
Following are roles of media:
a. Providing Information: These media help in disseminating
information for the mass. People acquire different knowledge very quickly.
b. Providing vocational information: Media help in providing
vocational and professional information to a larger group of the
community.
c. Spreading awareness and civic responsibility: People can be
aware of different problems of the society and their role in changing
society through mass media.
d. Educational programs: Mass Media help in forming suitable habit
for different programs and they utilize their leisure time in a productive
way. It also influences the behavior of the people through different
programs.
e. Role as a non-formal agency: Now in an advanced society media
are not treated as informal agencies of education. They are called
non-formal agencies due to its wide coverage of educational items
in a systematic way. It is viewed that these media can substitute theclassroom teaching in future.
SELF Assessment 9.2
1. What is the importance of using mass media in communicating
inclusive education?
2. Positive and negative influence of media in the education of
learners with SEN and disabilities.
Activity 9.3.
1. How do you think media can influence positively or negatively the
education of learners with disability or SEN
It is inevitable to work with the media because the media is effective in
change and shaping the views of society. Society depends on the mass
media for information. The society depends on the media before adopting
a side on issues. People adopt positions because the majority of society is
for the view. They support a view because the class to which they belong is
for that view.
The other fact is that the mass media reaches out to many people at one go.
This is especially in the case of the radio and television. Mostly, the media,
when used effectively, is free or very cheap. It is free when it comes to news
stories. People have argued this way, “I heard this on radio, so please, do
not argue with me!” This is how influential the media is.
How the media portray disability or special needs issues can help increase
awareness throughout society about the realities faced by people with
disabilities and special needs reduce stereotypes, prejudices and harmful
practices, and promote awareness of their capabilities and contributions.
How and how often disability is presented and the language used can
nurture positive perceptions, foster respect for the rights and dignity of
persons with disabilities and SEN and promote inclusive societies.
For examples by using radio, print media, TV shows, magazines, etc, the
community can be informed on:
• Raising awareness of the challenges facing people with disabilities
or special need and issues surrounding disability, and factors that
contribute to the problem that lead to stigmatization of people with disabilities,
• Bring discussion of disability into the public arena to challenge the idea
of it as a taboo subject,
• Call on for better resources to address the exclusion of people with
disability from general social, economic and political life and overcome
lack of access to most areas of development, including health,
education, food, shelter, employment and land, etc
For a long time, media researchers focused almost entirely on the harmful
effects of media, including the effects of media violence on aggression, the
media’s role in increasing racial and gender stereotypes, and it’s potential
to shape people’s perception of the world as a dangerous place. However,
more recently, different studies have started to look at the flip side: the
positive effects media can have when it’s more uplifting and inspiring. In the
last few years, studies have illustrated how, just as some films, TV shows,
and other media can foster positive behavior and attitudes.
Briefly, the impact of media on the education of learners with disability or
SEN, can be positive or negative depending on how (strategies, methods,
types of media), where (favorable place), what (message to communicate)
to whom (the audience).
Following are tips for effectively using the media for positive influence to the
community:
• Identify the most popular media that can be used to reach as many
people as possible in a specific community or all over the country.
• Contact media owners and agree on frequencies and cost of publishing
a piece of information on inclusive education in the media.
• Write messages, stories or articles on inclusive education that will be
used by the media.
• Monitor the publication, assess and evaluate the accessibility and the
use of information by the audience.
SELF Assessment 9.3
How media can influence positively or negatively the education of learnerswith disability or SEN?
END UNIT ASSESSMENT
1. In your own words, explain the term media
2. Referring to the types of media learned, classify different official
media used in Rwanda
3. Explain the role of media in education
4. Explain how media can influence positively or negatively theeducation of learners with disability or SEN
UNIT: 10 INTRODUCTION TO BRAILLE AND TACTILE MATERIALS
Key Unit Competence: Use Braille and tactile materials as
alternative communication for
Introductory Activity
Read the following passage and answer the questions
Umutoni, now 25 years was born with oculocutaneous albinism. As with all
disabilities. This has a complex definition. For Umutoni, it means she has
no pigment in her eyes, skin, or hair. She is extremely sensitive to light,
she has nystagmus and she is legally blind. She has also had some other
physical problems along the way, but has developed into an outstanding
young lady working as a Chief Executive Officer of a well-known company
working in East Africa.
The road to victory has not been easy and sometimes Umutoni did not
choose the easy route. Even as a small child many people saw the special
qualities in her and encouraged and guided her. Others have been unable
to see beyond her shortcomings. The key to her success has been her
strength of character to focus on her abilities, not her disabilities. Her
favorite saying is” I may not have eyesight but I have vision”. Her vision is
now to improve on Braille system invented by Louis Braille decades ago.
Her academic life has definitely had its ups and downs. She enrolled in
special school for learners with Visual Impairment for her primary education.
The school has all the materials needed for her education. There were
appropriate braille materials for her, like perkins machine and computers
with appropriate software. Books were in braille and teachers were
conversant with braille and taught her in braille. The school environment
was also friendly and adapted to meet her needs. However, her social
life was not as good as her academic life which affected her level of selfesteem.
She later decided to join an inclusive school for her secondary
education. The supportive schools have helped her develop into the kind
Questions:
1. Umutoni succeed in life despite her disability. What could be the
reasons of her success?
2. What is the vision of Umutoni? Who invented braille?
10.1. History of Braille and tactile materials
Activity 10.1.
1. How do people with Visual Impairment learn and how do they
write and read?
2. Do you know any people who contributed to the development of Braille?
10.1.1 What is braille?
Braille is a system of embossed dots which are formulated using combinations
of six dots. They are arranged in two vertical rows of three dots each. Different
arrangement of the dots forms the alphabet and other characters which you
will learn later in this unit.
They form a group of six dots numbered as follow:
One group of the six dots as shown above is called Braille cell.
Persons with Visual Impairment read these dots through touch. Those
who read through touch are referred to as touch readers. They use their
fingers to find the position and arrangement of the dots and know what is
communicated. Braille writing is very different from print writing. Each letter
of the alphabet and all other print characters and symbols have their Braille
equivalent depending on the arrangement of the dots. This is done by usingthe six dots of the braille cell.
The position of the dot in a cell can make a lot of difference in meaning. Youwill learn how to write the alphabet in Braille later.
10.1.2 Historical Background of Braille
Before braille was developed as a system of reading and writing for
people who are blind, there were other efforts to enable them to read and
communicate with each other or with sighted individuals. These include the
work of people such as:
• Valentine Haûy
• Charles Barbier
• Louis Braille
Let us now examine some of these important contributions towards Braille
reading and writing
• Valentine Haûy ( 1745-1822)
In 1784 Valentine Haûy founded the first school for the blind in Paris and
realized that the development of some methods of reading and writing was a
precondition for providing any systematic and meaningful education to persons
who were blind. Haûy concentrated on using regular print in embossed form.
This form of embossed print went through many modifications and therefore
could not survive long. All embossed letters had for the blind one basic
shortcoming, it was talking to the fingers the language of the eye.
• Charles Barbier (1767- 1841)
Charles Barbier was an army officer in the French army and also an engineer.
He needed to send messages without being discovered at night. This could
only be done by touch and it is only this basis that he came up with “tangible
dots”. It was his idea to use embossed dots as the medium most suitable
for such touch reading. His system was used by soldiers to communicate at
night in the battlefield. Charles Barbier’s system consisted of twelves dots,
six vertical dots in two rows. The greatest disadvantage of this system was
its difficulty for touch reading since the dots could not be well covered by thefingertips.
• Louis Braille (1809- 1852)
Louis Braille who was also French man became blind when he was young.
He was acquainted with Barbier’s system of dots while he was still quite
young. He used it experimentally with his pupils when he became a teacher.
He conceived the idea of using the upper half of the Barbier cell and designed
an alphabet with the six dots cell that had two rows of three dots. The new
code now called Braille was accepted in 1854 two years after Louis Braille’s
death. It is the Braille we use today.
10.1.3 Braille Writing Equipment
This section introduces you to various Braille writing equipment. The following
are some of the major Braille writing equipment:
• Slate and Stylus
• Brailler
• Jot a dot
• Braille embosser
• Thermoform machine
Let us look at each of these equipment
• Slate and stylus
The slate is a rectangular frame that has impressions of Braille cells on it. It
has a frame that is hinged on it as shown in the figure below. Braille paper
is inserted and held tightly by the frame. The stylus is used to prick dots on
a special paper known as Braille paper. Writing using a stylus is done from
right to left. However, reading is done after turning over the brailler paper
and then we read from left to right.
The Stylus is made of a wooden or plastic holder. Its lower end has a metal
pin which punches dots in a braille paper fastened to the slate. By pressing
the sharp stylus on the paper in the appropriate position one is able to come
up with the same kind of Braille characters as those produced by a brailler.
These dots are written from the back of the paper and are read from the
front of the same paper. This means that the dots are made in reverse whenwriting so that when you turn the paper over the order of the dots is reversed.
In order to write Braille using the slate and Stylus, you need a lot of practice
as letters must be written one way and read the other way.
• Brailler
Braillers are machines used for writing Braille by pressing keys which
produce the raised dots (embossed dots). There are a variety of braillers.
The following are some of the Braille writing machines:
• Perkins Brailler
• Marburg Brailler
• Erika Brailler
Let us examine each brailler.
• Perkins Brailler
Perkins Brailler is the most commonly used Braille writing machine in schools
in Rwanda. It is very reliable and simple to operate. The embossing head
produces firm dots that are easy to read. The Braille paper is held tightly andkept in position throughout.
The important parts of Perkins brailler are:
• Keyboard
• Embossing heard
• Paper release lever
• Carriage
Let us now examine the functions of these parts.
Keyboard
The Keyboard of a Brailler has 9 keys. These are:
• Line spacer which is used from moving from one line to the other
upwards
• Space bar at the centre of the dot key for moving along the line
• Backspacer key for moving paper backwards
• Six keys for embossing the six dots used in writing Braille.
Embossing Head
This is the part of a Brailler that embosses the six dots to a Braille paper.
Paper Release Lever
There are two paper Release Levers which hold tight the braille paper in
readiness for writing and releases them to allow one to remove the paper.There are two of them, one on the left and one on the right.
Grooved Roller
The grooved roller rolls paper forward and backwards. The grooves hold the
paper tights gripping it as it moves. The grooves are made such that they
cannot crash the dots.
Carriage
This is the lever located between the handle and the keys. It moves the
embossing head from right to left. It is moved with the help of a lever which
is cup shaped. It is operated by one, two or three fingers. The carriage sides
when the lever is pressed a little and can be pushed to the direction the
writer wants it to move.
Marburg
Marburg is less expensive than the Perkins Brailler. It has similar
characteristics and operates in more or less the same ways as the Perkins.
However, it is less durable as compared to Perkins. It is on this basis thatMarburg is currently getting replaced by the Perkins.
• Erika Brailler
This is a small Braille writing machine. It uses small pieces of Braille paper
size. The body is back in colour and attached to a metal base that is painted
bright red. The keys are wooden with ivory lay. This is a mini brailler which
is meant for note taking. However, it is not durable and also is not readily
available. It is being replaced by most recent Braille note taking machineknown as Jot a dot which you shall study next.
• Jot a Dot
Jot a Dot is an electronic mini Braille writing machine also referred to as
“Pocket Brailler” developed in Australia. This is a portable brailling device
and the most recent form of note taking machine for persons who are blind, it
uses light paper as opposed to the other braillers which must use the heavyBraille Paper.
• Braille Embosser
The embosser is the most recent development in Braille writing and mass
production of brailled materials. A special software for example the Duxbury
Braille Translator (DBT) that can covert print to Braille and vice versa is
installed in a computer. However, the writer uses the ordinary keyboard. By
a command, the embosser can produce copies of Braille scripts in more or
less the same principles as a printer.
• Thermoform Machine
Before the braille embosser, thermoform was the major machine used for
mass production of braille material. Thermoform is not a writing equipment
but it is a machine for mass production of braille copies. It works with the
same principles as the duplicating machine. It is however slow because the
production is one page at a time.
It is easy to operate and uses a special paper known as braillon. This paper
is expensive and not locally available. The braillon is placed on top of the
master copy and by heating and suction, the embossed dots are copied onthe braillon.
10.1.4. How do we maintain the Braille writing equipment?
You do this by:
• Covering the machine with a dust cover every time that it is not in use
• Storing in safe dry place and avoid dampness for the preservation of
metal parts
• Cleaning and lubricating the parts regularly
• Tightening of loose screws and nuts
• Replacing of faulty parts when needed
SELF Assessment 10.1
1. Name the various Braille writing equipment2. Explain the function of the five major parts of the Perkins Brailler
10.2 Rules of Braille transcriptions
Activity 10.2
Discuss the importance of having braille transcribing rules?
For Braille writing to be successful transcribed, the different rules were set
for guiding users, teachers and transcribers.1. Learners are urged to work through each lesson in this unit in
the order given, and to perfect themselves in each lesson before
proceeding to the next.
2. It is most important that each example given should actually be
written several times for practice.
3. The best and quickest way to learn to write is by constant practice,
and by a firm resolve to send only faultless work to the instructor.
4. When transcribing given exercises start a new braille line for each
print line shown.
5. The braille page number should be put at the top right hand of the
paper.
6. The Practices should be given to your teacher for marking.
7. A sighted person reads braille by sight rather than by touch. However,good braille feels right rather than looks right.
8. Establish the habit of always using the spacebar immediately afterSELF Assessment 10.2
brailling a word or punctuation.
9. Keep your eyes on the print copy and not on your fingers.
10. Position the print copy so it can be read without strain. Mark the line
you are brailling in such a way as to ensure that you do not miss a
line or lose your place.
11. Ensure the completed work for marking is well protected so the dots
are not flattened in transit.
12. Dot 5 is used as a mathematical hyphen when it is necessary to
divide a mathematical expression at the end of a braille line.
13. A number sign must be written before any number to differentiate it
from letters of alphabet.
14. All punctuation marks must be written immediately after the words
they follow without any spacing
15. Dot 6 is used to mark capitalization and when 2 dots 6 follow one
another before a word it is an indication of capitalization of all the
following letters
16. The use 3 and 6 dots at the end of any braille line, it indicates thecontinuation of word to the following line.
List down at least 5 rules of transcribing braille
10.3. Braille alphabet, figures and punctuations marzks grade one
Introduction
In this section you will be introduced to all the letters of the alphabet, figures
and punctuations marks used in Braille writing.
Activity 10.3
–– Write in Braille form alphabet from A to Z then W–– Explain why letter W is not included in this format
10.3.1. Letters from a-j
d. Braille for Mathematics
Activity 10.4
Write down 1 to 10:
–– In Braille numbers 1 to 0
–– Write in Braille form the five mathematical signs.
Numbers from1 to 0
Braille numbers are written by putting a number sign in front of the first 10letters of the alphabet.
Note: The addition, subtraction, multiplication, division and equal sign are
two cells each.
SELF Assessment 10.4
Write the following numbers in print
10.4. Punctuations marks
Activity 10.5
Discuss with your colleagues the punctuation marks that you know.
END UNIT ASSESSMENT
1. Explain briefly the history of braille?
2. What is Jot a Dot?
3. Which other brailler do you compare with Erika?
4. Describe how slate and stylus are used in writing Braille
5. Explain why the use of this equipment cab ne difficult for beginners
6. List any four basic ways of caring and maintaining a braille writing
machine
7. Write down any 3 rules of Braille transcriptions that you know.
8. Where should the page number be written on braille paper?
9. Why should a sighted person read braille using her/ his eyes?
10. Write down the dots for the following letters: b F i L R P u m x W
11. Give the dots for the following mathematical signs: + - x = /
12. List down any 4 punctuation marks that you know.
13. Write the following in Braille
14. Kill, cage, TTC, pocket, monkey, umbrella, zebra, velvet, task, Sarah.15. Write the following in print:
UNIT: 11 INTRODUCTION TO RWANDAN SIGN LANGUAGE AND DEAF EDUCATION
Key Unit Competence: Use Rwandan Sign Language as alternative
communication used by learners withhearing difficulties.
Introductory Activity
Use of Rwandan Sign Language as alternative communication used by
learners with hearing difficulties.
Read the following text and answer the questions that follow:
Sign language (also known as signed language) is a language that
uses the visual-manual modality to convey meaning. Sign language is
expressed through manual articulations in combination with non-manual
elements. Sign language is a full-fledged natural language with its own
grammar and lexicon. Sign language is not universal and not mutually
intelligible with each other, although there are also striking similarities
among sign languages.
Linguists consider both spoken and signed communication to be types
of natural language, meaning that both emerged through an abstract,
protracted aging process and evolved over time without meticulous
planning. Sign language should not be confused with body language, a
type of non-verbal communication.
Wherever communities of deaf people exist, sign languages have
developed as handy means of communication and they form the core of
local deaf cultures. Although signing is used primarily by the deaf and hard
of hearing, it is also used by hearing individuals, such as those unable to
physically speak, those who have trouble with spoken language due to
a condition (augmentative and alternative communication), or those with
deaf family members.
It is unclear how many Sign Languages currently exist worldwide. Each
country generally has its own native sign language, and some have
more than one. Some Sign Languages have obtained some form of legalrecognition, while others have no status at all.
Questions:
1. Describe Sign Language as a medium of communication.
2. Linguists consider both spoken and signed communication to be
types of natural language. What does this mean to you?
3. Wherever communities of deaf people exist, sign languages have
developed as handy means of communication and they form the
core of local deaf cultures. Discuss.
4. The way to educate deaf student is the same way to use wheneducating students with hearing impairments. Discuss.
11.1. History of Sign Language in Africa and in Rwanda
(Andrew Foster)
Activity 11.1.
Use books or other sources of information to answer the following
questions:1. What do you understand by Sign Language?
2. What is deaf education?.
3. What do you think is the best way to teach Deaf student?
a. Brief history of Sign Languages in Africa, in Rwanda and Deaf
Education
Sign Language is a system of communication using visual gestures and
signs, as used by deaf people. Sign languages arise almost anywhere there
are deaf people. By definition, deaf people cannot hear, but most have
an intact capacity for language, and language will out one way or another.
While there are a few documented instances where sign languages have
been invented, their emergence is generally spontaneous. When there is a
critical mass of deaf people, as often occurs at school, the emergence of a
fully developed sign language can be extremely rapid.
Sign languages are relatively young. The earliest systematic description of a
sign language occurs in the late eighteenth century, when L’Abbé de l’Épéefounded the first school for the deaf that used sign language. L’Épée took
signs that already existed in Paris and added what he called ‘methodical
signs’ for use as both metalinguistic devices and ways of tying the signing
to French grammar. The founder of the first school for the deaf in the
United States, Edward Miner Gallaudet, visited L’Épée’s school and hired
its star pupil, Laurent Clerc, to come and teach at his school in Hartford,
Connecticut. Children from Martha’s Vineyard, where a descendant of British
Sign Language was used, attended the school and had some influence over
the development of American Sign Language.
The History of Sign Languages in Africa is associated to Dr. Andrew J.
Foster. Andrew Foster was intelligent, talented and dedicated to bringing
deaf education to so many, he was the first African American to graduate
from Gallaudet with a Bachelor of Arts Degree. Foster has been referred to
as the father of Sign Languages in Africa because he established 32 schools
for the deaf in 13 different African countries.
Andrew Foster and his brother contracted spinal meningitis at 11 years
old and became deaf. At that time, African Americans were only formally
educated through the sixth grade. He attended several different schools
for the deaf until finally receiving his high school diploma at the age of
26. Because he was African American, Foster tried repeatedly to get into
Gallaudet but was denied admittance due to his race. Never one to give
up on something he set his mind to; he was finally accepted into Gallaudet
with a full scholarship in 1951. Foster continued with his education after
graduating from Gallaudet, earning two master degrees before focusing on
his true life’s calling “missionary work”
With the help and encouragement of then Gallaudet President, Leonard
Elstad, Foster established what is now known as the Christian Mission for
the Deaf in Detroit (1956). He then went on speaking tours across the globe
and to 25 different African countries in an effort to raise funds for schools for
the deaf in Africa. When Foster first arrived in Africa in 1957, there were 12
schools for the deaf in Northern Africa and in Apartheid South Africa. He set
up his first school in Western Africa in Ghana of that same year and by 1972,
he had established another 29 schools for the deaf all over Africa.
Dr. Andrew Foster taught students, trained teachers, educated the public
about the needs of deaf Africans, and advised government officials about
the need for more schools for the deaf. Gallaudet also educated many of
Foster’s former African students. In 2004, Gallaudet University named an
auditorium after him in honor of his role as the “Father of Deaf Education” inAfrica.
In Rwanda, the history of special education can be traced back in the year
1962 when Father Joseph Fraipont Ndagijimana opened the first centre for
medical, education and reintegration of persons with Disabilities in Gatagara.
The school received children with varying disabilities including those with
hearing impairments. The Rwandan National Union of the Deaf (RNUD)
was then established in 1989 and leads to advocate for the recognition
of Rwandan Sign Language as an official language. They are currently
developing a Rwandan Sign Language dictionary.
Deaf education is the education of students with any degree of hearing loss
or deafness which addresses their differences and individual needs. This
process involves individually-planned, systematically-monitored teaching
methods, adaptive materials, accessible settings and other interventions
designed to help students achieve a higher level of self-sufficiency and
success in the school and community than they would achieve with a typical
classroom education. A number of countries focus on training teachers to
teach deaf students with a variety of approaches and have organizations to
aid deaf students.
Deaf history greatly affects how deaf people live their lives today. And not
only do deaf people have a history, they have a culture. Deaf culture is
culture like any other. Deaf people share a language, rules for behavior,
values, and traditions. The way the Deaf culture is living today is a direct
result of the Deaf history that preceded it. The Deaf culture is a culture thatis centered on sign language and relationships among one another.
b. Deaf community and deaf culture
In Rwanda, like in many other African countries, children with hearing
impairments encounter challenges as regard to education. Social culture
barriers are hindering their participation to education and therefore have no
chance to live a meaingful life.
According to the World Federation of the Deaf: “Language and culture are
inseparable, and sign language(s) are a critical component of deaf culture
and the deaf identity. Sign language is vital to every deaf person’s cognitive,
social, emotional, and linguistic growth. Without early sign language
exposure, deaf children are deprived of a strong language foundation.”
With a grant from the Disability Rights Advocacy Fund (DRAF), the Rwandan
National Union of the Deaf (RNUD) leads a coalition with Media for Deaf
Rwanda and the Human Rights First Rwanda Association to advocate for
the recognition of Rwandan Sign Language as an official language. They are
also developing a Rwandan Sign Language dictionary.
• What is the Deaf Community?
Some people with profound hearing loss embrace their deafness as part
of their cultural identity, and sometimes captalize the “d” in Deaf. Some
members of the community do not consider themselves disabled and feel
that they don’t need to be “fixed” by doctors through medical interventions
such as cochlear implants. Instead, they see themselves as a part of a unique
linguistic group with a distinct culture. Deaf people prefer to be called deaf,
and dislike the term “hearing-impaired,” according to several deaf groups and
agencies such as the National Association of the Deaf, The term “hearing
impaired” is vague and tends to lump diverse groups such as the hard of
hearing, late-deafened, and deaf into one category. The Deaf also dislike the
“impaired” label, since deaf people do not consider themselves deficient or
disabled in any way. The nature of sign language has created some unique
cultural norms. For example, when deaf people sign to each other, they
stand further apart than hearing people would during a conversation. It is
difficult to go around deaf people signing to each other in narrow places like
hallways, so it is not usually a big deal if a person walks quickly between
two signing people. The person needs to go through fast enough so that the
Deaf people don’t miss any signs. Interrupting the conversation by saying
“excuse me” before going through two signing people may be considered
rude in the deaf community.
Hearing people tend to let their eyes rove during conversations. In deaf
culture, constant eye contact is essential for communication. Deaf people
feel that breaking eye contact is rude.
Many members of the community consider sign as their first language and
prefer to communicate with hearing people via a sign language interpreter.
Interpreters are highly-trained professionals who can assist either in person
or through a video relay service (VRS) or remote interpreting services (VRI).
VRS services help hearing and deaf people to communicate by phone
through a sign language interpreter who is seen on a computer screen or on
a videophone. VRI interpreters can serve from another location via a video
camera. The hearing person, and the deaf person can be broadcast live onto
a screen to watch each other communicate.
• Attention-Getting Behaviors
Deaf people have developed various ways of getting people’s attention in
their silent world, such as:
• A gentle touch - usually a tap on a shoulder
• Handwaves
• Vibration, such as a foot stomping or a knock on a table
• Turning a light-switch on and off
• Adapting to Activities of Everyday Living
Because Deaf people communicate visually with their hands, they adapt to
daily life in unique ways. For example, a Deaf driver may wait until traffic
stops to sign to a passenger or will sign to him briefly with one hand. They
may chose to sign with one hand during meals or when they are holding
something. At a performance, Deaf people may show their appreciation by
raising their hands and twisting them in the air instead of clapping. The deaf
community is extremely close-knit and ending a visit can be difficult. A «Deaf
goodbye» is notorious for being long, with people saying bye numerous
times and then continuing to talk.
SELF Assessment 11.1
1. Who is the father of Sign Language in Africa?
2. Deaf people have their own culture. Explain?
3. Briefly explain the contribution of Andrew J. Foster to thedevelopment of Sign languages in Africa?
11.2. Rules of Rwandan Sign Language
Activity 11.2
1. How would you behave if you are to communicate with a Deaf
person?
A Deaf person is someone who has difficulties in hearing. The following are
rules to consider when teaching or communicating with a Deaf person :• Maintain eye contact when talking to the person or learner with hearing
difficulties.
• Always face the source of light for visibility.
• Do not talk while the face is turned away.
• Keep your face at the same level with the learner.
• Don’t be more than 2 meters away from the learner.
• Do not cover your mouth while speaking.
• Speak naturally without exaggerating lip movement .
• Remember that sign language grammar is different from spoken
language grammar.
SELF Assessment 11.2
1. List five rules to consider when you are communicating with deaf
person?
11.3. Basic Rwandan Sign Language
Activity 11.3
1. Imagine you are with a deaf person and you want to say good bye.
What sign would you use?
2. Suppose you get an accident and become deaf, how would you
tell your parent that you want to eat?
3. Deaf people use body parts to communicate. What is the mostlyused body part?
11.3.1 Sign Language Alphabet and the basics of Sign Language
Learning to sign the alphabet (known as the manual alphabet) is usually
the first place to begin. Each of the 26 letters in the English alphabet are
represented with a unique sign relatively easy to understand and some even
mimic the shape of the letter they represent as shown here below. Practice
these and commit them to memory and you will have a good foundation for
signing.Rwandan finger spelling alphabet.
• Five basic ways for signing
1. Handshape
2. Movement
3. Palm direction
4. Location
5. Facial expression
• The ways to learn sign language:–– Take a sign language class• Position to take when signing
–– Learn online by watching videos
–– Join a sign language group, deaf club
–– Hire a private, qualified sign language tutor
–– Watch and mimic interpreters
When communicate with Deaf person you must take position in front of him/
her, face to face. It is good to stand and when using arms, they must be atthe position of your chest.
While doing fingerspell the palm of your hand must be facing the audience.
This instruction is mandatory to avoid the confusion from numbers.
E.g.: If you fingerspell letter F your palm must be facing the follower, otherwise
if it is facing the user it will mean number 3.
There are several letter that can become member when you change the
position of your palm.
e.g. :• Table of basic Sign Language and their meanings
11.3.2. Structure of Sentences in Sign language.
In Sign Language, you can choose to assemble the words in your sentence in
different orders, depending on the content of your dialogue. Some sentences
should be signed in a natural English order because rearranging them would
causes confusion. However, most of the time, you can get your point across
in a variety of ways without worrying about the word order. Unlike English
grammar rules, which dictate that the subject must go before the verb, Sign
allows you to put the subject before or after the verb when dealing with
simple sentences; it doesn’t matter which word comes first.You can sign
either in subject-verb or verb-subject order. Here are some examples:
English: He sellsSign: HE SELLS
English: I eat.
Sign: ME EAT
Self Assessment 11.3
1. Is the sign language used only by the deaf people?
2. Fingerspelling the following words:
• Chidren,
• Sister,
• To write
3. Sign the following words:
• Name
• Book
• To learn4. Fingerspelling any 5 letters of your choice.
END UNIT ASSESSMENT
1. Write down any 2 characteristics of the Deaf community.
2. What are the signs of these words : -Love, who, Jesus, Big, Family
3. Sign the following sentences then Change them into Sign
Language :• I eat.4. Who is the father of Sign Language?
• He sells.
5. Write down 4 rules to consider when using Rwandan Sign
Language?
6. Is Sign language only used by the Deaf people ?
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