Mainstreaming Strategies and the Application Mechanisms in Higher Education Institutions
The Team
Said Awad
Head of Special Education, Faculty of Educational Sciences, Al-Quds University, Jerusalem
Hazem M. A. Shehada
Head of Community Development Institute, Islamic University of Gaza
Sahar S. O. Abu Shokhidem
Assistant Professor, An-Najah National University, West Bank
Bahaalddin M. A. Serhan
Disability Service and Inclusion Centre (DSIC), Islamic University of Gaza
Project Outline
This research project aims at studying the mainstreaming of people with disability in higher education institutions, and identifying strategies followed by higher education institutions for educational quality and mainstreaming facilities for different types of people with disability. Moreover, the research addresses the extent to which mainstreaming strategies are implemented/adopted in higher education institutions, in order to safeguard the right to education for people with disability, and more particularly, contribution to setting educational policies and strategies in the Palestinian universities. This in turn will enhance the inclusion and participation of this category in work and study environments regardless of gender or disability status.
The research uses descriptive methodology and qualitative analysis to achieve its outputs through implementing the following proposed activities:
- Literature review of international and local laws for mainstreaming strategies
- Comparative analysis of international and local laws for mainstreaming strategies with respect to international standards.
- Conducting seminars and workshops about mainstreaming strategies of people with disability.
- Two focus groups of 8 to 10 persons: one including decision makers at universities and one including people with disabilities.
This project requires raising awareness in higher education institutions through conducting suitable studies and associated workshops.
Project Objectives
This research project aims at:
- Identifying mainstreaming strategies for people with disability in higher education institutions.
- Assessing the extent to which mainstreaming strategies are adopted by higher education institutions to safeguard the right to education for people with disability.
Research questions:
- What are mainstreaming strategies for people with disabilities that are adopted by higher education institutions?
- To what extent are higher education institutions implementing mainstreaming strategies to safeguard the right to education for people with disabilities?
Answering these questions requires building a research background about mainstreaming strategies for people with disabilities and implementation mechanisms of these strategies in higher education institutions in order to create an inclusive environment.
The objectives of this project are derived from the international law for people with disability, the article that states equal opportunities and power for decision making for qualified people regardless of their gender or disability status. It contributes to raising awareness of decision makers in higher education institutions about their duties towards persons with disabilities in addition to ensuring the rights and duties of persons with disability toward community institutions. This requires developing the capacities and competencies of people with disability as well as decision makers, in a way that guarantees self-determination for people with disability through developing and strengthening their skills according to their needs and priorities.
