Curriculum Reform: A Key Driver to the Inclusion of Students with Disabilities in Higher Education

Abstract

People with disabilities (PwDs) have been prevented from accessing rights that are freely available to other members of the society in such areas as health, education, employment, community participation and other basic social and political rights. The concept of inclusive education has been promoted internationally for more than a decade however, multiple barriers remain to the full participation of students with disabilities (SwDs) in education. This is in spite of many countries being signatories to a number of United Nations (UN) conventions on the rights of persons with disabilities. Most literature has cited accessibility in its three forms that is curricular, structural and systematic as major hindrances to the inclusion of students with disabilities in higher education (HE).  The right to education for students with disabilities is often only considered within the context of primary education and not in terms of education for all. Discrimination against persons with disabilities has been long-term and widespread with a number of effects. Most curricula at higher education level do not cater for the needs of learners with disabilities hence the need for curriculum reforms so that learners with disabilities are fully and effectively included. As such, this paper is going to focus on challenges being faced by students with disabilities in accessing higher education curriculum and strategies that can facilitate their inclusion. Models of disability and their influence towards the inclusion of SwDs in higher education are also going to be analysed.

Keywords: keywords, curriculum, curriculum modification, curriculum adaptation, accommodations, universal design learning, students with disabilities.

DOI: 10.7176/JEP/10-6-09