Special-ed conference comes to campus

Ware

T oday, a growing number of educational systems are facing how and why to classify and instruct students with disabilities. It is this issue that is bringing scholars and researchers to the University from Monday, June 14, to Thursday, June 17, for an international conference on ideology and the politics of inclusion. A $50,000 grant from the Spencer Foundation is funding the conference, which is hosted by the Warner School.

Conference organizer Linda Ware, assistant professor at the Warner School, said the Spencer funding recognizes the fact that these discussions are critical for shaping the future of educational research to encourage more open inquiry.

"The conference will expand the field of inquiry to invite new knowledge sources in partnership with individuals who live the disability experience, often with little consideration of their voices, their struggle, and their success," said Ware prior to the conference. "The research by our presenters is done ... with the explicit goal to better inform educational practice and to improve the lives of children and adults with disabilities."

Among the distinguished speakers are researchers from universities in Australia, Canada, England, New Zealand, Norway, Scotland, and the United States. Following the conference, Ware will edit a book on the presentations titled Ideology and The Politics of Inclusion.

The conference is geared to professors, researchers, and graduate students of education who are interested in special education, disability issues, social work, cultural studies, medicine, and related interdisciplinary work on disability. During the evenings, there are informal panel discussions of the day's papers. Those are open to the public, but registration is required.

As conference participants gather, the annual meeting of the International Research Colloquium on Inclusive Education also is being held here. That group, which is meeting in North America for the first time, considers the meaning and implications of including children with disabilities in regular classroom settings.

For information on the conference, call Ware at x5-3010 or e-mail her at warel@troi.cc.rochester.edu.