Vision for an Inclusive Education

A ‘vision’ can help people with disability and their families get what others often take for granted: a good life.

A vision document capturing long-term hopes and dreams can be a powerful tool for sharing long-term goals and clarifying the place school can play in achieving that vision.

A vision of an inclusive life is essential if a family wants a child with a disability to live a life embedded within, and contributing to their community, rather than being a ‘visitor’ on the outskirts.  An inclusive education provides a natural foundation to an inclusive life.

  1. Creating a vision
  2. Thinking typical and ordinary
  3. Introducing your child positively
  4. Aiming high

Creating a vision

Video

Developing a Vision for Inclusion

Community Resource Unit Ltd.

This shares the stories of Millie, Benji and Will and how they have developed and used a Vision Statement.

A quote by parent advocate Jeremy Ward that reads "to craft the good life we need to do the hard work on clarifying and sustaining our vision of what we want, not what others tell us are the limits of what is possible. If we try to choose in a vacuum, not knowing what it is we really want, others will choose for us'. It also has a bright and colourful picture of two kids playing in a box with balloons tied to it with the text 'adventure is out there'.

Video

Inclusive Education: Having a Vision for Inclusion

Community Resource Unit Ltd.

This video explores how to create and use a positive vision for a life of inclusion and what strategies can help deepen the inclusion of children with disability in their local schools.

Article

Sowing the seeds for the good life

Ingrid Michalowsky

"It is opportunities such as these... that tap into people's existing day to day lives that best help us to achieve our goals for our son."

Click here to read the article (PDF)Opens PDF in a new window

Worksheets

Creating a vision statement

Resourcing Inclusive Communities

The cover of the workbook, creating a vision statement

Clarifying your vision for school

Community Resource Unit Ltd.

The clarifying your vision for school worksheet. A coloured page with the cru logo and 6 boxes to be filled in on a variety of topics relating to the educational and personal needs of the child

Fact Sheet

Getting Ready - Planning for school inclusion

Community Resource Unit Ltd.

“It is never too early or too late to choose inclusive education.”

Download the Fact Sheet here (PDF)

Video

What is a vision and how can we use it?

Imagine More

This video shares an example of a vision plan by unpacking the developmental process and how it has been tried, tested and implemented it with the broader community.

Book

Dreaming Big, Standing Strong: Queensland Stories of Inclusive Education

The vibrant and colourful cover of a booklet with the title 'dreaming big and standing strong. Queensland stories of inclusive education'. It has the logo of CRU with it's tagline, Expanding Ideas, Creating Change.

Community Resource Unit Ltd.

Holding a strong vision for inclusion can be tough when there are so many voices planting doubts about what is possible or still recommending a special, separate path for students with disability.

In this collection of stories we hear from graduate students, parents, and educators about the positive benefits inclusive education brings, as well as the barriers that still stand in the way. Advocacy tips, including the importance of nurturing a positive vision, are outlined.

Often it is said “seeing is believing”, so we encourage families and others to read these encouraging and illuminating Queensland stories and see the beautiful images of inclusion in action.

Click here to read the book (PDF) Opens in new window

Thinking typical and ordinary

Video

Jack's Ordinary Life of Inclusion

Community Resource Unit Ltd.

Fact Sheet

Dealing with transitions - starting school and starting high school

Community Resource Unit Ltd.

"Don’t expect that the school will know how to include. Let them find their feet but also share your vision, knowledge and ideas."

Download the Fact Sheet here (PDF)Opens PDF in a new window

Video

Clarity of Vision: A compass for the journey

Family Advocacy

Wendy Stroeve speaks about the benefit of having a clear vision driven by determined action.

Introducing your child positively

Video

Leading with Gifts: Introducing your Child Positively

Community Resource Unit Ltd.

Aiming high

Quote by Norman Kunc: “I quickly realised that it was the lack of opportunity and not the lack of ability that posed the greatest threat to my quality of life...”

Article

Ability & Opportunity in the Rearview Mirror

Emma Van der Klift and Norman Kunc

"The significant obstacles confronting us are the lack of opportunities, not the limitations of ability.  And in that context, we also need to think about the kind of support we offer in order to ensure that people leave school with a sense of confidence, competence and optimism..." Below link opens in a new window.

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Article

Outing The Prejudice: Making The Least Dangerous Assumption

Zach Rossetti and Carol Tashie

"'Least dangerous assumption' states that in the absence of absolute evidence, it is essential to make the assumption that, if proven to be false, would be least dangerous to the individual...

the absence of evidence can never be absolute evidence of absence, and as such, it is always safest and most respectful to make the 'least dangerous assumption."

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Article

a poster that has the question 'which is the least dangerous assumption'. Column 1 - we assumed he could learn so we gave him every opportunity. And it turns out he couldn't, versus (in column 2) - we assumed he could not learn, so we did not give him the opportunity. But it turns out he could learn. source: Anne Donnellan, 1984. Reference URL inclusionevolution.comThe least dangerous assumption

Courtney

"The problem is not the child... The problem is how we instruct that child, and the environmental inadequacies the child faces.

The least dangerous assumption is to presume competence of all children. Assume they can learn.

Assuming they cannot learn leads to segregated settings, missed educational interventions, and ultimately dependence in adulthood."

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Video

One of the Boys

Community Resource Unit Ltd.

Article

Five Reasons why Presuming Competence is ALWAYS a Good Idea

Cheryl Jorgensen

"This notion of presuming competence tends to be a deeply held belief and those who hold it don’t need I.Q. or other test scores to back them up. For them, and for me, it’s the “least dangerous assumption” I can make about any student or any person. As I’ve thought more deeply about this idea over the last 30 years – and yes, there have been students who’ve challenged my beliefs – I’ve identified five reasons why presuming competence will always guide my work."

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Video

The Importance of Presuming Competence

Shelley Moore

Shelley encourages us to reflect on our own assumptions about disability and to take the very important first step towards inclusion by presuming competence in all students.

 

This project is proudly supported by the Queensland Government through the Department of Education.

The Department of Education website outlines its commitment to Inclusive education through its inclusive education policy.

CRU logo and tagline expanding ideas, creating change