DESIGN GUIDELINES FOR INCLUSION OF CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES IN SCHOOL ENVIRONMENTS

Abstract

The current mandate of free and compulsory education for all children aged 6-14 years in India is based on the principle of inclusive education. Behind this constructive move is the recognition of education as a fundamental right under Article 21A of the Indian Constitution, the Right of Children to Free and Compulsory Education Act, 2009 (RTE) and the ‘no rejection policy’ of Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA). It can be safely assumed that achieving the Education for All (EFA) will be impossible without improving access to and quality of education for children with disabilities. One of the barriers in achieving inclusive education is Physical and environmental barriers of schools. (Singh J. , 2016) Various types of barriers continue to impede their participation in education. Inaccessible transportation to school, as well as inaccessible facilities in schools such as drinking water units, meal areas, and toilets, inappropriate classroom furniture, slippery flooring, and inadequate illumination and ventilation can pose barriers to the education of children with disabilities. Furthermore, teaching and learning practices and materials that do not cater to the needs of children with disabilities, and the prevalence of negative attitudes among parents, communities and teachers, adds to the challenge not just of access, but also of retention and learning of children with disabilities. (Singh D. Y., 2015) As mentioned by various research studies, it is noticed that there is a clear gap in between implementations to remove physical barriers and requirement. Bringing special children into mainstream requires adjustments that schools need to make in advance. (Blackmore & Victoria. Department of Education and Early Childhood Development., 2011) Guidelines For Inclusive Education For Children with Special Needs (CWSN) by MHRD and NCERT Index for Inclusion publications mentions removal of Architectural Barriers by providing ramps and accessible classroom but is not supported by any survey or field studies. (Ainscow, et al., 2003) One of the many challenges for inclusion of children with disabilities is that there are no standard practices or established methodology to guide. (Singal, 2005) This study adopts a methodology drawn from analysis of relevant guidance from Indian and international publications and aims to Developing Guidelines for inclusion of children with disabilities in school environment in Indian context. (Srivastava & Noronha, 2016) A thorough literature review is conducted to understand key principles of inclusive design by various national and international organizations working on inclusivity and derive specific principles for school environment. Since the scope of the study is kept to children with vision, hearing and locomotor disabilities, their spatial needs are studied in reaction to school design as well as to inclusive principles. Best practices or case studies are studied to gain knowledge about Design practices in inclusive schools. An exclusive list of needs for Children with disabilities is derived through these case studies and literature review. These needs form the base of questionnaire surveys, interviews and the analytical framework. for field visits. Through a certain derived selection criterion, mainstream schools with comparable Children with Disabilities population are identified in the country. Field studies are selected to get a comprehensive idea of current situation of inclusivity in India in particular schools. Various methods like, Observation, Participatory and assessment tools are used to identify, understand and document the children needs, issues and Barriers in built environment. These field visits are analysed in qualitative and quantitative database along with issues identified. Comprehensive understanding between the issues and inclusion principles is interpreted to draw certain key inclusive principles on which a school to be designed. iv | P a g e The conclusion follows a Design guideline for inclusion of Children with disabilities in a school on basis of considered principles. Further study may include Evolved Framework which gives guidance to the school for taking up School building design assessment and evaluate. Assessment can help in prioritizing the immediate needs and issues of design of already existing schools. and advise a phase wise development plan for mainstream school towards inclusivity