Integrating disability and developmental theories for an equitable inclusive education: towards transformative educational praxes

Abstract

The US higher education institutions are legally bound to provide equal educational opportunities for diverse learners. This paper contends that despite the growing interest in implementing more inclusive pedagogy, those efforts still fall short of systematically addressing intersecting, oppressive, and anti-ableist practices in the classroom. I call for a theory that frames disability in the context of learning and development and overcomes dichotomized, reductionist and individualistic notions of disability and learning. Drawing on Critical Disability Studies, Vygotsky’s theory of defectology and the Transformative Activist Stance, this paper outlines a transformative pedagogy framework for inclusive, equitable, and anti-ableist education for all learners.