Education and Disability in the Global South: New Perspectives from Africa and Asia

Education and Disability in the Global South brings together new and established researchers from a variety of disciplines to explore the complexities and dilemmas encountered in providing education to children and young people with disabilities in countries in South Asia and Africa. Applying a range of methodological, theoretical and conceptual frameworks across different levels of education systems, from pre-school to higher education, the contributors examine not just the barriers but also the opportunities within the educational systems, in order to make strong policy recommendations. Together, the chapters offer a comprehensive overview of a range of issues, including a nuanced appreciation of the tensions between the local and global in relation to key developments in the field, critiquing a globalized notion of inclusive education, as well as proposing new methodological advancements in taking the research agenda forward. Empirical insights are captured not just from the perspectives of educators but also through engaging with children and young people with disabilities, who are uniquely powerful in providing insights for future developments.

Table of Contents:
Foreword, Alfredo Artiles 1. Education of Children with Disabilities: Changing Landscape of New Opportunities and Challenges, Nidhi Singal, Shruti Taneja Johansson and Paul Lynch Part I: Framing the Debates 2. Looking to the Future : Including Children with Disabilities in the Sustainable Development Goals, Pauline Rose 3. Researching Disability and Education: Rigour, Respect and Responsibility, Nidhi Singal 4. What Get Measured Gets Done: Collecting Data to Support Inclusive Education for Children with Disabilities, Islay Mactaggart and Hannah Kuper Part II: Situated Perspectives Applying Conceptual Approaches 5. Advancing a Comparative Case Study Approach Towards Education and Disability Research: An Example from Bhutan, Matthew Schuelka 6. Diversifying theoretical commitments for a transnational inclusive education: Lessons from India, Srikala Naraian 7. Participation of Students with Disabilities' Participation in South African Higher Education: Contesting the Uncontested, Colleen Howell Schooling and Teachers 8. Re-Framing 'Spaces' for Educating Children with Autism: Perspectives from Urban India, Shruti Taneja Johansson 9. The Application of Inclusive Principles and Practice in Schools in South India: Successes and Challenges, Richard Rose and Jayashree Rajanahally 10. Enacting Inclusive Education: Empirical Insights from Namibia and South Africa, Anbanithi Muthukrishna 11. The Preparedness of Teachers to Deliver Inclusive Education: Evidence from Pan-African Field Research, Maria Kett, Marcela Deluca and Mark Crew Child, Family and Community 12. Exploring Ways to Support the Infrastructure for Early Childhood Development: A Study of Children with Visual Impairment in Malawi, Paul Lynch and Melissa Gladstone 13. Inclusive Education for Learners with Albinism: Malawi, Zambia and Botswana, Gareth Dart, Yonah H. Matemba and Jack Gunnell 14. Listening to Children with Disabilities: Voices from Uganda and Malawi, Mary Wickenden 15. Mothers as Educational Enablers: Examining the Journeys of Young Women with Disabilities in Pakistan, Tehmina Hammad 16. Conclusion, Paul Lynch, Shruti Taneja Johansson and Nidhi SingaL Index

About the Author :
Nidhi Singal is Reader in the Faculty of Education at the University of Cambridge, UK. Paul Lynch is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Disability, Inclusion and Special Needs at the School of Education, University of Birmingham, UK. Shruti Taneja Johansson is Senior Lecturer in the Department of Education and Special Education at the University of Gothenburg, Sweden.

Review :
This collection is an important contribution to disability studies in the Global South and to the literature on inclusive education. Bringing together disability scholars from the fields of education, psychology and epidemiology, this book poses powerful questions about the validity of using concepts and models devised in the resource rich and epistemologically dominant Global North to understand the construction of disability in the Global South. A must-read book for researchers, practitioners and students keen to expand their understanding of past and current developments in the provision of quality education for young people with disabilities. With a focus on South Asia and Africa, this inter-disciplinary collection of essays and case studies offers fascinating and critical insight into the changing landscape of research in the field of education and disability. Ranging from global to local, this inquiring collection not only explores key conceptual and methodological challenges, but also highlights real opportunities for change, bringing to the fore the perspectives of teachers and young people. In doing so, this book provides an important counterbalance to deficit approaches to research, policy and programming. A focus on, and perspective from the Global South is long overdue, and this volume is a timely introjection into the global conversations about education and disability. The authors harness diverse theoretical and methodological tools to tackle the complexity of educational contexts in which the local and the global are imbricated. Education and Disability in the Global South is a landmark publication which I expect will shift the field and create possibilities for new directions in theory and research. The book title promises new perspectives and succeeds: it shows how education of children with disabilities is part of the global education development. The fifteen chapters from diverse contexts clearly highlight the possibilities and encourage learning across contexts. The edited volume invites further empirical evidence, contributions, critical discussions and debates on education of children and youth with disabilities especially from the Southern contexts. My expectation (not hope!) is that this book will guide education development and advise those responsible for decisions, implementing quality education for all and monitoring progress globally as well as locally. This book explores the debating policies, the diverse range of stakeholders' cross-cultural perspectives and practices of inclusive education through various contextual and geographical groundings. It reflects a research-based practical set of tools, ideas of global diversity and inclusion and strategies for intervention that contribute to the advancement of knowledge. The volume is an invaluable reference for policy makers, practitioners, academics, researchers and students.