In this video, Nidhi Singal, a professor of disability and inclusive education, discusses the results of a research project that explored the experiences of teachers with disabilities working in mainstream schools in different parts of the world. 25 teachers with a variety of disabilities, including physical, visual, and hearing impairments, were interviewed for the study. The teachers discussed the challenges they faced in their classrooms, such as lack of accessibility and support, as well as the ways in which they were able to overcome these challenges and become powerful agents of change for their students. Some key findings from the study include:
- The lack of visibility of teachers with disabilities in national education policies. Many of the countries studied did not have any policies addressing the recruitment of teachers with disabilities.
- The lack of support for teachers with disabilities during teacher training. 20 out of the 25 participants reported receiving no specific support during their pre-service teacher training.
- The lack of accessible teaching and learning resources. Teachers often had to modify existing resources or create their own materials to meet the needs of their students.
- The importance of teacher well-being. Many teachers with disabilities reported experiencing high levels of stress and burnout due to the challenges they faced in their classrooms.
The researchers made several recommendations for improving the experiences of teachers with disabilities, including:
- Making inclusion a priority across the entire education system, not just in individual classrooms.
- Providing teachers with disabilities with the support and resources they need to succeed.
- Raising awareness of the challenges faced by teachers with disabilities.
- Conducting further research on the experiences of teachers with disabilities.
