What is equality of opportunity?

Figure 1 illustrates how disability is one area of equality of opportunity. The reader may well be wondering at this point what all this has to do with teaching, learning and school activity. It is important to remember that children with disabilities are now only in schools at all because of attitude changes, militant parents and eventually the political will to develop equitable and socially constructive policies.

Nevertheless, working alongside disabled children in school is still a political act to some extent simply because of institutionalizing practices and prejudices that emphasize so-called normality, difference and disability. These are still daily and institutionally reinforced by the use of social and physical space, and through both mainstream and segregated schooling (Corker et al. 1999). The same study found that children themselves are less prone to make judgements of others based on labels that come from professional classifications. In a sense, for children the quality of the relationship and experience is more important than the label. A good educator can learn from children and be aware of the needs of children in their care, without treating them as if they were the label.

Discussion

How does the term equality of opportunity apply to the school and classrooms you work in? Do processes and procedures provide barriers to disabled students learning in your school?