Understanding Disability and Culture while Enhancing Advocacy

Abstract

In Canada's increasingly multicultural society, a common understanding of the basic rights of individuals with disabilities in educational and workplace settings is essential for educators to provide appropriate programs and inclusive opportunities. This paper will describe a three-year project that the Faculty of Education at Brock University has begun with six other international post-secondary institutions in an attempt to cross cultural barriers in the field of advocacy for persons with disabilities. Over the course of two years, 40 Canadian students and 30 European students will be involved in an international course and internship experience. This is intended to be an experientially-based, intensive immersion experience in disabilities instruction. It is expected that the participants will begin to view disability from a human rights perspective and to return home with the cultural knowledge and understanding of disability needed to promote a more inclusive society.

Preparing Special Education Higher Education Faculty

“…Gay (2013) discussed the challenge of addressing the range of views that faculty teacher educators often possess about the role of cultural diversity in education. Furthermore, many examples found useful in teacher development are also appropriate for development and/or enhancement of a culturally responsive IHE, including (a) critiquing course materials and resources on a periodic basis; (b) incorporating inclusive practice into IHE coursework and experiences; (c) facilitating cultural reciprocity (Harry, Kalyanpur, & Day, 1999; Kalyanpur & Harry, 2012; Wagner, 2001), in which educators self-reflect and share, exchange information, experiences, and perspectives in a safe and non-threatening environment; (d) providing orientation to new faculty highlighting local/regional multicultural issues; or (e) implementing a mentoring program that pairs faculty with diverse students who meet on a periodic basis (e.g., once per month, every 3 weeks), in which support and advisement are provided in non-evaluative ways (Gallagher, DiGiorgio, Bennett, & Antle, 2008; Gay, 2013; Prater & Devereaux, 2009).…”