Understanding and Responding to the Experience of Disability

Understanding and Responding to the Experiences of Disability informs readers about current understandings of disability and ways of recognizing the needs that arise from the lived experience of impairment in schools. While most schools have clear procedures in place with respect to identifying children with Special Educational Needs, the same is not true for disability. Moreover research suggests that many schools have restricted understanding of this distinction, often equating disability to children with SEN and children with health conditions, thereby failing to recognize the pivotal role of impact.

Jill Porter is Director of Research in the Department of Education at the University of Bath, UK.

1. Why the Need for Disability Data 2. Understanding Disability 3. Collecting Disability Data 4. What Data Tell Us about The Support Parents Value 5. What Data Tell us about Children's Experiences 6. Using Disability Data in Schools 7. From Understanding to Responding