The Journey towards Inclusive and Equitable Education for Students with Disabilities in India

Abstract

This article is a descriptive review of several policy documents initiated by the government of India regarding inclusive and equitable education for students with disabilities to bring them into the mainstream education system. India has one of the most progressive disability policy frameworks for educating students with disabilities among developing countries. Over the last three decades, the government of India is taking various initiatives and policy programme to promote inclusive and equitable education for students with disabilities. The most recent policy in India, the National Education Policy 2020, focuses on inclusive and equitable education for students with disabilities. Some other major initiatives focused on inclusive education for students with disabilities at different levels of education like Sarva Shiksha Abhiyan (SSA), Inclusive Education of Children and Youth with Disabilities (IECYD), Rastriya Bal Swaasthya Karyakaram (RBSK), Inclusive Education of the Disabled at Secondary Stage (IEDSS) and Teacher Preparation in Special Education (TEPSE), Higher Education for Persons with Special Needs (HEPSN), etc. Despite all these policies, students with disabilities are facing various challenges in regular school. Therefore, India has to go a long way to achieve the goal of inclusive and equitable education for all, including students with disabilities.