Inclusive education in Spain: promoting advocacy by legislation.

This article reviews the journey of special education in Spain by considering the legal frameworks. It examines the extent to which legislation has tapped into the feelings of society in general towards people with disabilities who wish to secure inclusion in both education and society. It tracks the evolution of legislation, originally based on a preoccupation with the segregation of those with disabilities, towards the more progressive and inclusive laws which obtain at the present time. In so doing the article considers the positives and negatives that have accompanied this process. Spain has a high percentage of students with special educational needs enrolled in its mainstream schools; insights into the legal mechanisms shed light on how these figures were reached. The article concludes by highlighting the importance of training in attitudinal approaches towards disability in order to make the journey more accessible. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]