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Key concepts

Here are some of the key ideas about CBR and secondary and higher education:

Use your mouse or keyboard to expand each of the headings below.

Changing the system

Working to change the system to fit the student is very important. Secondary and higher education systems, however, can be very rigid and controlled at the national government level, making it more challenging for communities and CBR to have an influence. CBR cannot make the biggest and longest-lasting changes alone, it must build alliances, network and participate in lobbying to ensure benefits for individual students with disabilities.

The barrier of low expectations

A major barrier in further education for students with disabilities is that others may have low and limited expectations of their interests, abilities and ambitions. Perceptions and expectations about people with disabilities need to change. Today, people with disabilities around the world are reaching the top of a very wide range of professions and gaining the highest qualifications.

Learn about a student with Down’s syndrome’s whose classmates had high expectations for him and helped him to succeed.

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In Santiago, Chile, students without disabilities in some classes were very protective of their classmates with disabilities, watching out for them and helping them with everything. While this was a great show of support, too much help for these students actually prevented them from developing their potential. In another class, David, a student with Down’s syndrome, had classmates who were aware of his disability but did not overprotect him. When David started making progress in reading aloud, in spite of difficulties, his classmates began to demand more of him. So David loves attending school, and almost never misses a day. Three times a week, after completing the regular school day, he goes to a centre where he receives psychological support and participates in a workshop on social skills and vocational development.

Achievement and assessment

Achievement will have different meanings for each student, depending on his or her capabilities and potential. For example, for a student with an intellectual impairment, achievement may mean successfully developing skills for independent living, social skills, practical numeracy and literacy skills. For others, achievement may be related to academic tasks. Technical, vocational, artistic and creative skills should be valued as much as academic ability.

The rigidity and narrow focus of examination and assessment systems is often a significant barrier to the inclusion of people with disabilities in secondary and higher education. The real value of assessment is to help students to identify their strengths and measure their own progress. A creative and flexible approach can help them to be motivated to reach their maximum potential and develop their talents and skills. CBR personnel can help keep the focus on the best interests and real capabilities of students with disabilities.

Learning at different ages

Secondary education usually corresponds with adolescence, a stage characterized by physical and emotional changes. Experiences of adolescence vary between cultures and contexts. For students with disabilities, there can be additional or different challenges during adolescence, which can have a big effect on their learning. CBR personnel must be sensitive to and aware of these challenges, and put students in contact with role models and peers who also have disabilities and have managed these challenges.

Higher education also corresponds with the transition to adulthood. Students with disabilities may require support during this stage, but it is important to respect them as young adults and to encourage them to make decisions about their own learning.

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