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Sport Education is recognized as a pedagogical model that teachers can use to facilitate meaningful experiences for their students in physical education, however, significantly less is known about its application for students with disabilities. This dearth of scholarship provides a rationale for this article, which includes a discussion of how Sport Education can promote meaningful experiences under ideal implementation. Alternatively, when it is not implemented with intentionality, it can become a cautionary tale of physical education that is less meaningful for students with disabilities. Appropriate supports, accommodations, modifications, and the addition of a student-performed, equity officer role, will likely help students with disabilities have more meaningful experiences within the Sport Education model. Keywords: Sport education, meaningful physical education, disabilities, Physical education (PE) teachers are responsible for developing and implementing programs that provide meaningful experiences for all of their students, including those that have disabilities. Meaningful experiences in PE typically [...]

Limited opportunities are available for students with disabilities to participate in physical activity on college campuses, particularly for academic credit. Participation in physical activity improves overall health, increases life satisfaction, decreases depressive symptoms, and develops a positive self-identity. Using content analysis, the current study reviewed the online course catalogs of physical education classes offered in the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACS-COC). Results indicated there are fewer than 50 physical education courses were offered specifically for students with disabilities indicating that administrators and faculty need to be more thoughtful and deliberate to create more opportunities for students with disabilities to participate in physical activity in higher education. Keywords: Physical education, physical activity, inclusion, adapted physical education, A common issue among individuals with a disability is the lack of opportunities to participate in recreation and physical activity (Morgan et al., 2017). The lack of opportunities afforded to [...]

The COVID-19 pandemic posed great risks to some disabled students, not necessarily because of health-related conditions, but due to the pre-existing entrenched inequalities that might have led to widened disparities. Hence, our aim was to critically explore the implications of the COVID-19 pandemic for disabled students, focusing on equal access to quality education. Data were gathered with semi-structured interviews with seven disabled students and eighteen parents of disabled students from Cyprus. Based on the participants' narratives, it was found that during the school closure non-disabled students who were considered as eligible to learn were usually kept close; in contrast, some disabled students, who were considered as not eligible for equal opportunities in quality education, were eventually kept afar. Thus, the induced fear of the pandemic facilitated the legitimisation of exclusion, by rationalising isolation, on the basis of the 'best interest' of the assumed as impotent and sick children. Hence, in some cases, obligatory distance resulted to the perpetuation of the dominant power relations and the prevailing social hierarchy, in which less qualified disabled people are usually placed at the lowest level, often with limited chance to climb up compared to their non-disabled peers. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: Although group work is increasingly used in STEM courses and may lead to improved academic outcomes, there is evidence that some implementations of group work may lead to unintended barriers for certain students' learning. Despite the growing number of neurodivergent undergraduate students, there is limited research on neurodivergent students' experiences with group work in STEM courses. To address this knowledge gap, the current research investigated the experiences of 22 neurodivergent undergraduate students with group work in STEM courses at a range of institution types and in a variety of STEM disciplines. Participants shared experiences with in-class and out-of-class group work assignments for lecture and laboratory courses. Results: Through inductive thematic coding of semi-structured interview transcripts, we identified seven themes impacting participants' experiences. Three themes were individual level: personal characteristics that participants associated with their neurodivergence; strategies for academic success (with subthemes of organization/time management, adaptive communication, and self-advocacy); and beliefs on group work's value. Four themes were group level/classroom level: group dynamics; role in group (including leadership roles); the competitive culture within STEM; and recommendations for instructors. Through a social-relational perspective on disability, we proposed a model showcasing how group and classroom factors serve as supports or barriers to neurodivergent students' full participation in group work, as well as to their sense of belonging. Using the seven themes we articulated, we outlined a set of practices for designing group work assignments. In addition, we propose how pairing inclusive assignment design with instructor reflection and articulating anti-ableist values can support neurodivergent student belonging by disrupting discourses of normalcy in STEM. Conclusions: As one of the first studies exploring the impact that group work in STEM courses has on neurodivergent undergraduates, this work may inform reimaginations of group work practices to better address the needs of neurodivergent STEM students and support a more inclusive culture in STEM classrooms. In addition, our conceptual model may serve as the basis for future research regarding interactions between individual-level and group-level factors associated with neurodivergent students' learning through group work and other active learning practices. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research investigates the barriers and facilitators of access to higher education for disabled students in Kazakhstan, based on 23 biographical-narrative interviews with undergraduate students. Despite the broad regulatory framework, support institutions for disabled persons are not sufficiently enforced and are not internalised in regular practice in Kazakhstan. Students with disabilities are unaware of actual barriers, universities' support services and infrastructural capacity. They make a loosely informed choice of the first safe option, as the territorial proximity and opportunity to receive a state grant are the principal priorities. In the context of weakly institutionalised post-secondary transition, interpersonal relationships and self-determination are the key facilitators. Role models of significant others and assistance of relatives and peers act as a substitute for formal supportive institutions at each transition point. We assume that reducing territorial barriers and proactive informing can be the most efficient for improving accessibility. Points of interest: Disabled students in Kazakhstan are poorly informed about educational transition support services. Despite the possibility to apply to several universities, students usually opt for the only one safe option and say that they would not change universities if they had the opportunity. The opportunity to study near home and to receive a state grant are the key criteria for choosing a university. Barriers narrated in relation to countries with strong supportive infrastructure, such as deficiencies in adaptive learning or teacher training, almost do not appear in the narratives of our respondents. In Kazakhstan interpersonal relationships act as key facilitators that substitute for formal supportive institutions at each transition point. For countries with emerging supportive system, the policy should focus on disabled students and their families' awareness, distance learning options and university-level facilitation of post-secondary transition as even an ordinary intervention can be decisive. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Chronic illnesses are conditions that last one year or more and require ongoing medical attention, limit activities of daily living, or both (Raghupathi & Raghupathi, 2018). Over 40% of school-aged children have at least one chronic health condition (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 2021). Children with chronic illnesses may need accommodations to their learning environment and can be protected by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act. Some of the most common chronic illnesses impacting students include respiratory disorders, bleeding disorders, sickle cell anemia, and diabetes. The purpose of this article is to discuss common chronic health conditions and how physical educators and coaches can provide an environment in which children with chronic illnesses are safe and successful while participating in physical activity. Keywords: Chronic illness, physical education, sport, IDEA, Section 504, Over 40% of school-aged children have at least one chronic health condition, including chronic illness, obesity, and severe allergies (Centers for Disease Control and Prevention [CDC], 2021). These conditions can [...]

Many physical education teachers and teachers of students with visual impairments have difficulty including children with visual impairment and additional disabilities. The lack of appropriate opportunities by teachers places this burden on parents to be more involved in their child's physical education programming. Parents can be key stakeholders in helping their children know the solutions to the barriers to involvement in physical activity and sports. As a result of parental involvement in their child's physical education, the child's motor competence may improve. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to determine the perceptions of parents with children with visual impairments and additional disabilities regarding their child's physical education. A survey was developed and validated by experts in the field. The analyses of this mixed methods survey included frequency analyses of the quantitative data and themes from the open-ended questions. Seventy-four parents/guardians with children with visual impairment including moderate to severe disabilities participated. Parental responses indicated that most children were provided physical education services; however, only 50% are satisfied with their child's physical education experiences. While most parents indicated they were actively involved with their child's programming, many barriers and support needs indicated a dire need for more training to support both parents and educators of youth with visual impairments and additional disabilities. Keywords: Parent perception, physical education, visual impairment, Nearly half a million youth in the United States have vision difficulty according to the 2019 American Community Survey including 276,322 males and 270,761 females under the age of 18 [...]

This article presents a cooperative learning unit that could be beneficial for students with and without disabilities in general physical education settings. A description of this unit, helpful resources, and recommendations are provided for planning and implementing this unit. Keywords: Cooperative learning, physical education, disabilities, In physical education (PE) programs around the world, students with disabilities are commonly educated in general settings alongside their peers without disabilities (Haegele et al., 2017). Many students with disabilities [...]

Although education is supposed to be an empowering process, some students experience the opposite. Disabled university students face multiple discriminating mechanisms during their studies, indicating that they are out of place. This study explores a participatory action research (PAR) study where 11 disabled students collaborated with university staff in planning and implementing measures to promote inclusion at a Norwegian university. The study aims to contribute knowledge of the processes empowering disabled students during co-production of inclusive higher education. Qualitative data were collected during the PAR study from January 2021 to March 2022 including audio recordings from workshops, reflection meetings and a group discussion, field notes from observing students in action as well as the students' reflections notes and notes from shared analysis and shared writing. A reflexive thematic analysis resulted in the generation of four processes that were believed to support student empowerment: being united with inclusive faculty allies, belonging in a student fellowship, identifying an injustice, and experiencing meaning and change. This study indicates ways to strengthen the universities' capacities to work towards inclusion, social change, and justice. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectives Research indicates a high prevalence of dental caries and significant unmet dental treatment needs among individuals with disabilities. This study aimed to evaluate the oral health status of disabled students in Tehran, Iran, considering factors such as age, gender, and type of disability. Methods The study involved 1,170 disabled students aged 6 to 20 years, each with one or more of the following disabilities: physical retardation (PR), hearing impairment (HI), visual impairment (VI), mental retardation (MR), and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). The mean decayed, missing, and filled teeth index was used as an oral health indicator (dmft for children aged 6- 12 years, and DMFT for children older than 9 years). Mann-Whitney and Kruskal-Wallis tests at significant level of 0.05 were conducted for comparisons. Results Mental retardation (MR) was the most prevalent disability (59.4%). The decayed component constituted the largest part of the mean dmft (82%) and DMFT (75%) indices in all age groups. Girls had significantly higher DMFT scores compared to boys (P < 0.001). Among the different disabilities, children with HI had the highest dmft score (mean ± SD = 2.17 ± 2.86), while those with MR had the highest DMFT score (mean ± SD = 3.76 ± 3.83). Additionally, the caries-free ratio was significantly higher among VI students in the 9-12 years (40.5%) and older than 13 years (38.8%) age groups. Conclusion The dmft/DMFT scores were elevated among disabled children, yet they remained lower than those of healthy children. Dental caries were more common in girls. Although children with VI had lower dmft/DMFT scores, those with HI had the highest dmft scores, and those with MR had the highest DMFT scores. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The aim of this study was to explore how the curriculum, as a tool for boundary maintenance and social control, may impact upon inclusion, given that the end-user of the curriculum is the teacher, who subjectively interprets and implements curriculum indicators and directions according to their perceptions. To this end, a qualitative study was conducted with interviews with 21 secondary education teachers, who discussed their interpretations of the curriculum and its impact upon inclusion, considering their role as the end-users of the curriculum and learning agents. The main findings were that exclusion in Cypriot schools may occur in two ways that are underpinned by the curriculum: firstly, disabled students are excluded because of being offered limited and less appropriate for their needs learning opportunities compared to non-disabled students. Secondly, the restrictions imposed by the curriculum do not encourage the development of critical thinking and inclusive attitude among students. Even though it was found that many teachers may succumb to the pressure and thereby decrease the opportunity for the inclusion of disabled children, some participants seem to resist the pressure, thus having the potential to become change agents, who try to distribute social justice and establish inclusion, despite curriculum restrictions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

For many years, the education system has been observing a growing interest and openness towards special education among entities running non-public schools, kindergartens and other educational institutions. First and foremost, this phenomenon was made possible by a change in thinking and opening access to mainstream schools for special education. Parents willingly take advantage of the offers of non-public entities, wanting to avoid the stigmatisation associated with special-needs schools. On the other hand, the authorities running private schools and kindergartens are sometimes concerned about the proper implementation of special education. This fear does not result from a lack of substantive preparation, but from the unclear and inconsistent manner in which the legal provisions are interpreted by local government units while settling the subsidy for special-needs education. The student's well-being is not always refl ected in rigid legal regulations, even though it is constantly emphasized that the good of the student is most important. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Revista Foco (Interdisciplinary Studies Journal) is the property of Revista Foco and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Education is a fundamental human right and a crucial tool for sustainable human capacity development, which can advance the economic growth of a country. Yet for many children in sub-Saharan Africa (SSA), quality education remains out of reach. This study aimed to identify the barriers and challenges to enacting Sustainable Development Goal 4: "Ensuring Inclusive, Equitable, and Quality Education and the Promotion of Lifelong Learning Opportunities for All". Through a content analysis of the relevant literature, we identified three themes: funding constraints, access and inclusion, and teacher education. Regarding funding, issues of resource allocation, technical capacity, and accountability were identified as primary factors requiring intervention strategies to become fully realized in SSA. When exploring access and inclusion, we found that incorporating students with disabilities, gender disparities, physical barriers, and inadequate curriculum are essential factors limiting quality education in SSA. Finally, teachers' conditions and training emerged as crucial challenges to reach quality pedagogy. Some SSA countries have improved their efforts for quality education, but these barriers and challenges continue to impact education for all children. A new perspective on mitigating these impediments can address several factors responsible for the exclusion of diverse groups from accessing quality education in the SSA region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

There is limited information regarding the level of sexual and reproductive health service utilization among disabled students in Ethiopia. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the magnitude of sexual and reproductive health services utilization and its associated factors among disabled students in selected Universities in Ethiopia. An institutional-based cross-sectional study design was conducted. A simple random sampling method was used to draw study participants. EpiData version 3.1 and SPSS version 25.0 were used for data entry and analysis respectively. Statistical significance was declared at a p-value of < 0.05. The overall utilization of sexual and reproductive health services was 36.22% among 557 disabled participants. Marital status (AOR = 5.50; 95% CI: 2.64, 11.46), discussing sexual and reproductive health issues (AOR = 3.84; 95% CI: 2.596, 5.689), knowledge about sexual and reproductive health (AOR = 2.23; 95% CI: 1.16, 4.28), and attitude towards sexual and reproductive health (AOR = 2.87; 95% CI: 1.94, 4.23) were statistically associated with utilization of sexual and reproductive health services. This study showed a low proportion of disabled students had utilized sexual and reproductive health services. The most utilized services were voluntary testing and counseling followed by family planning. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Copyright of Canadian Journal of Occupational Therapy is the property of Sage Publications Inc. and its content may not be copied or emailed to multiple sites or posted to a listserv without the copyright holder's express written permission. However, users may print, download, or email articles for individual use. This abstract may be abridged. No warranty is given about the accuracy of the copy. Users should refer to the original published version of the material for the full abstract. (Copyright applies to all Abstracts.)

Legislation and policy internationally are underpinned by the expectation that educators remove barriers to learning, emphasize inclusion, and improve access for all learners. Extensive investment has provided support to assist teachers to adopt inclusive education approaches. And yet, as evidenced in international literature, the lived experiences of many young people in physical education (PE) classes, and particularly those who are identified, or who self-identify, as in need of special support, indicate that PE is anything but inclusive and equitable, and may in many cases result in learning outcomes counter to what is desired. We contend that, while much of the rhetoric of PE speaks to inclusion, institutional systems, the traditional framing of PE as curriculum policy, ‘classroom’ practice’, professional development offerings, and how research publications and or guidelines present PE leads to diagnostically driven and deficit-focused adaptative PE offerings for students in need of support. Moreover, PE as it is often presented curtails opportunities for equitable outcomes and inclusive approaches, and instead has the potential to reinforce and perpetuate ableist agendas. Accordingly, we argue that the adoption of a Universal Design for Learning approach that aims for ‘education for all’ by designing flexible curriculum that is focused on learner-centred, barrier-free education, is a vital step toward a more equitable, engaging, meaningful, and relevant PE experience. The foundational principles using this approach are that difference is valued, celebrated, and accounted for in all aspects of education. Implementing such a change requires that normative assumptions and practices are challenged by re-evaluating definitions of (physical) educational success and considering how teachers/schools can transcend traditional curriculum programmes to better meet the needs of all learners. We conclude with a call for a transformative shift in PE programming and practices to ensure that every student has the opportunity to reap the benefits of PE.

Despite the significant increase in the empirical research on inclusion of students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in Lebanon, no scoping reviews (ScRs) have yet been carried out on this topic. The purpose of this study is to explore research foci and findings in published empirical research literature on inclusion of students with SEND in Lebanon using Arksey and O'Malley's (2005) ScR framework. This ScR examined 59 studies obtained from research databases (ERIC, ProQuest, ScienceDirect, EBSCO Essentials, EBSCO Open Dissertations, and Shamaa), Lebanese institutional databases, Google Scholar, and ResearchGate. This study shows that there are 10 research foci in published empirical research literature on inclusion of students with SEND in Lebanon: 'interventions for students with SEND', 'evaluation of inclusive education (IE)', 'attitudes towards IE', 'profile of inclusive teacher', 'barriers to IE', 'facilitators to IE', 'profile of student with SEND', 'inclusive school selection', 'mechanisms for measuring school inclusiveness', and 'mechanisms for sustaining school inclusiveness'. The most represented research focus is 'interventions for supporting students with SEND' with 22 studies, yet the least represented research foci are 'mechanisms for measuring and sustaining school inclusiveness' with one study for each. Limitations of the ScR are presented. Recommendations for policymakers and practitioners are provided, and directions for future research are proposed. Keywords: inclusion, inclusive education, special educational needs, disabilities, scoping review, Lebanon, Introduction Educational inclusion has become the internationally agreed upon approach for educating students with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) almost all around the world since the beginning of the [...]

Students with disabilities continue to be underrepresented in the STEM workforce. While it is estimated that 26 percent of US adults identify as having one or more disabilities, only 10 percent of employed scientists and engineers identify as belonging to this group. This lack of representation points to larger sociocultural and systemic barriers that limit the participation of people with disabilities in science, engineering, and related fields. In K-12 education, students with disabilities are more likely to leave high school with lower career aspirations, are less likely to have access to college preparatory programs, and are often discouraged from enrolling in engineering and science courses. Those students who matriculate into college often experience a variety of barriers such as lack of support for requesting and obtaining accommodations and inaccessible campus infrastructure. While collaborations between special educators and vocational rehabilitation counselors have proven effective for supporting transition planning and preparation, they are still fairly ill-structured and are rarely expanded to include disciplines specific to the career interests of youth and students with disabilities. Efforts for increasing STEM careers tend to be siloed, and as a result, their impacts are limited. Promoting the participation of youth and students with disabilities in STEM necessitates interdisciplinary collaborative approaches. This manuscript presents the Transition Engineered Collaborative (TEC), an interdisciplinary ecosystem that leverages the Collaborate for Change (C2) framework to bring together the efforts of special education, vocational rehabilitation counseling, and STEM education to collaboratively create inclusive and equitable pathways for students and youth with disabilities wishing to pursue STEM careers. Keywords: students with disabilities, postsecondary employment, inclusion and equity in science, technology, engineering, and math, People with disabilities have been referred to as 'the original lifehackers' due to the innovative ways they alter everyday products, systems, and spaces to access a world not build for [...]

Adopting the Cognitive Load Theory (CLT) as a framework, the objective of this article is to share information and strategies for assisting students with learning disabilities to be successful in integrated physical education (IPE) settings. The Cognitive Load Theory (CLT) premise is to foster learning by ensuring optimal cognitive loads within the instructional approach (Sweller, 1988). This manuscript presents three Cognitive Load principles: worked example effect, split-attention effect, and human movement effect along with specific implementation examples of these principles within APE settings. Keywords: Cognitive load theory, strategies, extraneous load, intrinsic load, germane load, working memory, long-term memory, learning disabilities, physical education, Scenario Antonio has learning disabilities and attends Mr. Batista's eighth grade physical education class on a regular basis. Mr. Batista plans his lessons so that Antonio may participate in activities [...]

Disabled people are part of every school community. Masking and ableism prohibit disabled and neurodivergent folks from showing up as their true, authentic, and whole selves. Educational systems have created [...]