Handbook of Research on Creating Spaces for African Epistemologies in the Inclusive Education Discourse: (Advances in Educational Technologies and Instructional Design)

Students with disabilities who are not able to perform to the best of their abilities often find themselves learning in inaccessible environments and subjected to increased stress levels due to the haphazard provisioning of education characterized by physical, communicative, and unsuitable teaching and learning approaches. Very often this is a result of various shortcomings including unfair assessment practices. Misconceptions and a lack of knowledge with regard to the implementation of inclusive education detract from the successful admission of students with disabilities and their retention and active participation. The Handbook of Research on Creating Spaces for African Epistemologies in the Inclusive Education Discourse explores the concept of inclusive education in an African context. It advocates for the monitoring and evaluation of inclusive education and proposes interventions where reasonable accommodation or lack of accessibility is a reason for students with disabilities to not benefit from this system. Covering topics such as barriers to learning, rural schools, and student support, this major reference work is an essential resource for administrators, advocates for students with disabilities, policymakers, researchers, pre-service teachers, educators, academicians, and students.

About the Author :
Mbulaheni Obert Maguvhe is a special educationist who professes in inclusive education. What makes him a researcher is not only his advanced education with training in rigorous research, but also his involvement in some book chapters, community engagement projects (most interestingly on the education of children in schools for the visually impaired), and many articles published in peer-reviewed journals of standing, such as the century-old Journal of Visual Impairment and Blindness. Professor Maguvhe writes on various topics, the common focus of which is the empowerment of learners with disabilities, particularly those with visual impairment (including the Deaf-blind). He has published numerous articles on community-based rehabilitation (CBR) and the empowerment of learners with visual impairment, augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) systems, the teaching of science to learners with visual impairment, inclusive education (IE), orientation and mobility for blind and partially sighted persons, curriculum adaptation for learners with visual impairment, adult education and training (AET), and the adaptation of examination materials for learners with sensory impairments. The spectrum of his research interests is broad, yet focused on the empowerment of learners with visual impairment through unhindered access to education and training. In his latest book, Professor Maguvhe devotes a chapter to university access for students with disabilities in addition to the areas mentioned above. These academic and practical initiatives make him a researcher of note, particularly in sub-Saharan Africa where most educated persons with visual impairment do not engage in research because of the considerable M.O. Maguvhe (2015) Inclusive education: a transformation and human rights agenda under spotlight in South Africa: African journal of disability vol 4(1, art./183, 7 pages. Mfundo Mandla Masuku is a Professor in Development Studies at the School of Built Environment and Development in the College of Humanities at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. He is supervising at both master’s and PhD levels and has been actively involved in curriculum development. He is very passionate about research, and he has published several papers in accredited journals in his area of expertise, which includes food security, human security, local economic development, governance, and the scholarship of teaching and learning. He has presented papers in both local and international conferences. He is currently the editor of scholarly books.