Social participation of children and youth with disabilities in Canada, France and Germany

Abstract

This article proposes a reflection on the issue of the terminology of inclusive education that has been dominating the national and international debates. Reviewing some of the relevant literature and drawing from observations in the education system, the author poses the question if the terms of inclusion and inclusive education represent the most operational terminology when it comes to education of children with disabilities and the different contexts in which their education and schooling occurs. Using examples from four different research studies in France, Germany and Canada, the author demonstrates that inclusion, under the lens of social participation, needs to be reconsidered by listening to people with disabilities, and also by accommodating the need for designated spaces that are offering a reprieve and safety from an ableist society.