Disability Rights in Education: Together in School, Together in Life 2

BACKGROUND

Right to education is a fundamental right recognized by national and international legislative regulations. However, it is widely known that students with disabilities cannot fully enjoy their rights and access quality education. There are some obstacles to education such as teachers’ lack of information, parents’ negative attitudes, lack of accessible buildings and materials as well as students’ negative attitudes and behaviors against their peers with disabilities. It is necessary to inform all actors in the school environment about disability rights and make the concept of disability ordinary.

PROJECT GOALS

• The animation film, board game and activities prepared on the first year of the project will be implemented in the pilot schools, teacher trainings will be made, and teachers will be given supervision in the classroom.
• 6 teacher meetings and 4 school-based meetings will be organized to increase the exchange of knowledge and experience among teachers. 
• Comprehensive awareness exercises will be carried out in the 2 pilot schools on certain days and weeks such as 20 November Universal Children’s Day, 3 December International Day of Persons with Disabilities and 10-16 May Disability Week.
• A research study will be conducted with the participation of 300 parents and 100 teachers to strengthen parent-teacher communication about inclusive education.
• A project website will be established, and a resource pool will be created to share all the content and research produced in the project.

Project Results

• Animation film, board game and activities that were developed in the first year of the project were implemented in two pilot schools in Istanbul. A teachers’ guide was prepared in order to disseminate the content with other teachers.
• Comprehensive awareness activities were carried out in 2 pilot schools on special days such as 20 November World Children's Day, 3 December International Day of Persons with Disabilities and 10 - 16 May World Disability Awareness Week. In the festivals organised in schools, approximately 1.500 students attended workshops such as Meeting with Turkish Sign Language, Accessible Materials, Accessible School for All and Differences Together.
• Project website was established to share all the content produced in the project.
• ‘Disability Focused Inclusive Education Through the Lens of Parents’ study was conducted.

“I was asking myself how I could introduce her with no emphasis on the differences, but I did it. They now identify her by the hair color, height, etc. Her disability is just an ordinary feature.”  A Preschool Teacher and Project Participant

“Even I have noticed some of my students have qualities that I did not know about.”  A Preschool Teacher and Project Participant

“A student saw the work of his classmates created during an activity done for designing an inclusive playground on a day when this student had been absent, and he got excited. He then did the activity at home and brought his work to the class. But ‘it is help based; you have done it wrong!’ said the other students.”  A Preschool Teacher and Project Participant