Inclusive research advances the right of people with lived experience with intellectual and developmental disabilities to be involved in all phases of the research process. From an implementation science perspective, a critical component to inclusive research is addressing how research-based practices are adopted, implemented, and sustained in…

Assistive technology (AT) supports engagement for individuals with disabilities by improving independence in daily living tasks, work and productive activities, learning activities, and societal participation. However, for many individuals, access to AT is limited due to high costs, device availability, and inability to be customized. The Maker…

Sometimes, innovation means recognizing and acknowledging when an approach needs to be refined and expanded in order to reflect new understandings about ourselves and society.

This article urges a reconsideration of professional responsibility in arts education, moving beyond an emphasis on narrow technical expertise and strict disciplinary boundaries in order to respond to the needs of complex late modern society. We reconsider 'professionalism' in arts education as a site of struggle that requires 'systems…

Universal Design applied to college instruction has evolved and rapidly spread on an international scale. Diffusion of Innovation theory is described and used to identify patterns of change in this trend. Implications and strategies are discussed for promoting this inclusive approach to teaching in higher education.

Dr. Sharon Maroney's career has focused on children and youth with significant behavior and emotional challenges. Her career has spanned experiences from sibling, special education teacher, and university professor. She has had the good fortune to study with some the most well-known names in the field. Dr. Maroney shared her reflections with…

A hallmark of business and professional communication is an emphasis on pragmatic but theoretically grounded work. Thus, business and professional communication scholars are ideally suited to turn the theories found in disability studies into practice. In this article, I do just that by creating a theory--orienting access--that draws on concepts…

The professions of speech-language pathology and audiology provide valuable services for persons with communication, hearing, and feeding/swallowing disabilities. However, from a global perspective, mainstream practice discourses represent values from colonial perspectives (called Northern here). As such, they remain largely inaccessible to most…

There is an increasing interest in design and creative thinking processes in the Sciences, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) and health education disciplines. Many new degree programs are integrating design thinking into their syllabi, with the intention of bringing creative problem-solving methods to these disciplines. In reality,…

Transforming schools to ensure every student has the opportunity to learn requires innovation at the teacher education level. The goal of inclusion is complex, and so it is critically important to prepare teachers to lead organizational change that will increase engagement and achievement of children with diverse learning abilities.

In this paper, I use an ecologies approach to present reflections on the history of disability and deaf theatre in Australia, in light of the distinctive local policy, industry, and production frameworks that have supported or failed to support its development in particular directions. After tracing and categorising developments in the field to…

Reading comprehension is an area of weakness for many students, including those with disabilities. Innovative technology methods may play a role in improving teacher readiness to use evidence-based comprehension practices for all students. In this experimental study, researchers examined a classroom simulation (TLE TeachLivE™) to improve…

This article presents a critical policy overview of inclusive education and global citizenship education (GCED) and offers two innovative childhood education practices that support inclusion of children with disabilities through dimensions of physical and conceptual access, both noted implementation barriers to inclusive education across the…

Around the world, dedicated professionals are implementing innovative programs to improve access to quality education for children living in poverty and otherwise marginalized communities. This article provides an overview of the work being conducted by BRAC, an international development organization based in Bangladesh that is working to…

As instruction shifts to a learner-centric, individualized approach with a focus on small group activities, heavy furniture that small hands cannot move on their own have become less desirable. The most popular pieces are lightweight, portable, and colorful. The Smith System furniture company encourages schools to select chairs and desks in their…