On International Day of People with Disability on Friday 3 December 2021, Nelson Park School students will celebrate all the things they can do.
Nelson Park School is a specialist school and one of the first in Victoria to transition to Disability Inclusion, a Victorian Government initiative providing more support for students with disability.
Nelson Park School principal Libby Gatgens said the school would use the day to celebrate students' achievements.
'Leading up to the day, our students will be working with our media teacher to make a Nelson Park TV episode highlighting our students very much achieving in all aspects of their school life,' she said.
'Students from across the school will reflect on what they want to share and celebrate using the statement "I can …".'
The school will share the episode with their school community to promote and celebrate its students.
They will also use the day to increase school community awareness, understanding and acceptance of people with disabilities.
The theme for International Day of People with Disability this year is: 'Leadership and participation of persons with disabilities toward an inclusive, accessible and sustainable post-COVID-19 world'.
Libby said her school community's response to the pandemic reinforced how amazing her staff, students and parents and carers were.
'I was reminded time and time again of how committed, passionate and inventive the Nelson Park School staff is, how resilient and positive our students are and the great trust that our families put in us every day,' she said.
How to get involved
The International Day of People with Disability web page has information and resources teachers can use to get involved in the day, such as:
- curriculum-aligned lesson ideas
- worksheets to help educate students about disability and the contribution people with disabilities make
- ideas to help your school celebrate the day.
Disability Inclusion reforms
Disability Inclusion is the new approach to supporting students with disabilities in Victorian government schools and is being rolled out across Victoria between 2021 – 2025.
Disability Inclusion increases support for students with disability through a new tiered funding model and a strengths-based process called the Disability Inclusion Profile.
The profile helps schools and families identify a student's strengths and needs and the educational adjustments schools can make to support them.
Disability Inclusion also introduces new initiatives to build knowledge and skills in inclusive education across the school system.
Libby said while her school was in the early stages of implementing the reforms, the school community was 'very excited' about them.
'The introduction of the reforms has made us reflect on our own processes across the school, particularly in relation to the adjustments that we make for our students and how we document these,' she said.
Find out more
For the latest inclusive education professional development opportunities for teachers, refer to the following articles in this edition:
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