EDU10712- Assessment 1 Scenario: Adam.

Student: Josephine Gleeson

1) ear !e"el: 7 #sta$e %). &urriculum area: 'usic
2) Accordin$ to the Disa(ilit) Discrimination Act 1**2+ e"er)(od) should (e treated as e,ual
re$ardless o- their disa(ilit) #1**2). .he comments o- a /more senior/ sta-- mem(er on the topic o-
includin$ a student 0ith a disa(ilit) in the school are indicati"e o- a more conser"ati"e and
separatist time in education. .he e"er-chan$in$ "alues o- our societ) are increasin$l) supporti"e o-
the inclusion o- students 0ith di"erse a(ilities in re$ular schools.
1istoricall)+ societ) has adopted a se$re$ated approach to the education o- people 0ith disa(ilities.
.hese people #0hether (lind+ senile or intellectuall) disa(led) 0ere treated similarl) to criminals
and de"iants #2ol-ens(er$er 1*72). .he e"olution o- our treatment o- people 0ith di"erse a(ilities
has resulted in a polic) o- inclusion.
/3t is unla0-ul -or an educational authorit) to discriminate a$ainst a person on the $round o-
the person/s disa(ilit) () re-usin$...to accept the person/s application -or admission as a student4 or
() den)in$ the student access+ or limitin$ the student/s access+ to an) (ene-it pro"ided () the
educational authorit)/ #1**2).
.he opinion e5pressed () the senior mem(er o- sta-- is not surprisin$ considerin$ the rapid chan$e
o- the popular "ie0 0ith re$ards to the education o- students 0ith disa(ilities. 2hile this teacher
has li6el) not (een e5posed to in-depth trainin$ and education on the polic) o- inclusion+ accordin$
to 7oreman it is not essential -or teachers to hold a "ie0 a$ainst or -or inclusion+ (ut instead -ocus
on pro"idin$ a ,ualit) education to all students enrolled. 1e posits that inclusi"e schoolin$ is
essential and treatin$ all students as e,ual learners -ollo0s -rom this #2011).
.he model -or a success-ull) inclusi"e classroom includes acceptance and tolerance on the part o-
the teacher. .his teacher must (e a(le to esta(lish a 0or6in$ relationship 0ith parents+ principal and
support ser"ices to ena(le a rich educational e5perience -or all students.
Althou$h the comments o--ered () the senior mem(er o- sta-- do not re-lect the polic) o- the 8S2
Department o- Education+ trainin$ is essential in pro"idin$ teachers 0ith the tools to mana$e a
di"erse classroom. 2ithout ade,uate trainin$ and in-ormation+ teachers could -eel o"er0helmed ()
the special needs o- a ran$e o- students in their classrooms. .he attitudes o- these teachers 0ill onl)
(e shaped () impro"ed or$anisation and resources+ ena(lin$ them to con-identl) $uide a di"erse
ran$e o- students #'c9ae+ 1**:).
;) .he most common strate$) in 8S2 schools to assist teachers and students in the education o-
those 0ith di"erse a(ilities is the de"elopment o- learnin$ and support teams. .hese teams o-ten
re,uire additional trainin$+ personnel+ curriculum ad<ustment+ speci-ic technolo$)+ possi(le mo(ilit)
assistance #modi-ication o- (uildin$s etc.) and in-class support to name a -e0.
3t is the purpose o- the 8S2 DE& Disa(ilit) Action =lan 2011-201> to (etter en$a$e people 0ith a
disa(ilit) 0hether or not a school is pro"ided predominantl) -or people 0ith a disa(ilit). 3t also sets
out to /impro"e a0areness amon$ sta-- a(out issues and o(li$ations re$ardin$ access to ,ualit)
education and trainin$ -or students 0ith a disa(ilit)./
.he resources and support ser"ices a"aila(le to e--ecti"el) include a student such as Adam in the
classroom are set out in the Disa(ilit) Action =lan. .hese include $reater access to resources
includin$4 a ran$e o- assisti"e technolo$ies+ 0e(site accessi(ilit) -or those 0ith di"erse a(ilities and
ph)sical access o- $o"ernment (uildin$s. ?ecause Adam is a student in a re$ional area+ he and the
school re,uire $reater support due to lac6 o- pro5imit) to a ran$e o- ser"ices. .he Disa(ilit) Action
=lan pro"ides -or ser"ices 0ith comple5 di--iculties in rural and remote areas o- 8S2 and -or
ad<ustments to the curriculum #in partnership 0ith the 8S2 ?oard o- Studies) to create an inclusi"e
en"ironment -or students 0ith a disa(ilit).
%) 3n the 0ee6s leadin$ up to Adam/s inclusion in m) classroom 3 0ould ta6e a num(er o- speci-ic
measures to ensure a smooth transition. .hese measures 0ould hope-ull) include a !earnin$ and
Support teacher #or .eacher/s Aide) and the initiation o- a Support Unit 0ithin the school. 3 0ould
also re,uest pro-essional de"elopment o- all sta-- in re$ards to the re,uirements o- students 0ith
di"erse a(ilities. 3- it is necessar)+ ph)sical modi-ications o- the classroom and $reater school areas
0ould need to (e underta6en to allo0 Adam a seamless and com-orta(le transition into his ne0
school. Students 0ho ha"e moderate or se"ere intellectual disa(ilit) attract $o"ernment -undin$ on
a pro-rata (asis to assist in the de"elopment o- in-rastructure 0ithin their school.
3t ma) also pro"e positi"e to o--er a course in di"ersit) and the importance o- e,uit) and acceptance
to Adam/s peers (e-ore he arri"es at his ne0 school. 2ithout o--erin$ speci-ics+ students 0ould
(ene-it -rom understandin$ the $reat ran$e o- di"erse a(ilities amon$st humans and their lac6 o-
impediment to leadin$ a success-ul and use-ul li-e.
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&@''@82EA!.1 G@AE98'E8. @7 AUS.9A!3A #1**2) Disability Discrimination Act
#accessed online at http:BB000.austlii.edu.auBauBle$isBcthBconsolCactBdda1**2:%B 'onda) 2%
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7@9E'A8+ =. #2011) Inclusion In Action, ;
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edition D.hompson+ 'el(ourneE.
'&9AE+ D. #1**:) The McRae Report- commissioned () the 8S2 'inister -or Education and
.rainin$.
8E2 S@U.1 2A!ES DE=A9.'E8. @7 EDU&A.3@8 A8D &@''U83.3ES #2011-201>)
Disability Action Plan 2011-2015 #accessed online at
http:BB000.det.ns0.edu.auBpoliciesB$eneralCmanB$eneralBspecCedBimplementationC%C=D200>02%;.
shtml 'onda) 2%
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SA3D+ .. Inclusion: A Time to han!e Daccessed online at 000.learnin$lin6s.or$.au 'onda) 2%
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2@!7E8S?E9GE9+ 2. #1*72) The Principles o" #ormali$ation in %uman &er'icesD8ational
3nstitute o- 'ental 9etardation+ .orontoE.