Embracing an inclusive mindset within museums is necessary to further accessibility and transform the role of museums in a changing society to more effectively foster diversity. A brief overview of the history of laws related to people with disabilities and the role of centralized museum associations sets accessibility as a concept within cultural…

Purpose: This article examines how the Republic of Ireland conceptualizes disability, specifically acquired brain injury (ABI); how it meets the needs of people with ABI; and its similarities and difference with the U.S. system of ABI professional care, policy, and services. The article provides ideas for improvements and innovations toward ABI…

Teacher preparation programs are exploring opportunities to better prepare pre-service teachers for the realities of managing inclusion classrooms. The ability to manage a classroom while meeting the learning needs of all students is critical to the success of a teacher. Research suggests that a teacher's positive attitudes toward inclusion and…

When one compares educational systems of western cultures with those of eastern cultures, many distinct differences exist. These differences become more apparent when the education of students with disabilities is part of the discussion. Can East meet West when it comes to serving students with disabilities? Elllsworth and Zhang (2007) found when…

Japan faces an educational challenge even after the start of a new special education system (Tokubetsushienkyouiku). This article addresses the legal framework of the special education system in Japan and analyzes the issues needed to be addressed to reinforce the inclusion of children with disabilities in public regular school settings. The…

This article presents the findings of a short-term quantitative/qualitative study concerning the attitudes of Vietnamese educators towards individuals with disabilities and its possible implications relative to the development of inclusion and special education in Vietnam. The current conditions regarding the education of students with and without…

Introduction: Students who are enrolled in professional education programs such as occupational therapy may have inherent attitudes towards the future clients they work with. These attitudes may be influenced by the level of their professional education as well as cultural values of their country of origin. Purpose: The purpose of the study was to…

Violent incidents occur frequently in schools and suicide ranks second to accidents as the leading cause of death among adolescents. The purpose of this presentation is to summarize the findings of six studies that used a stimulus-drawing task for access to fantasies, thoughts, and feelings. The studies were based on the theory that the task can…

This article discusses transition planning for students with special needs from diverse cultural backgrounds. First, an overview of individualist versus collectivist values is presented. Then, a comparison is made between individualist and collectivist values and how they may impact transition planning with respect to family involvement,…

Historical and contemporary special education in Japan and the United States are compared. Differences in societal acceptance of the handicapped, integration into regular education, educational finance, parental roles, governmental control, and staff training are highlighted. The authors' personal experiences demonstrating the influence of culture…

Cultural and acculturation patterns should be taken into consideration in the assessment of and development of education programs for culturally and linguistically diverse exceptional (CLDE) children. In order to promote a clearer understanding of the complex process of acculturation, a section is devoted to defining and expanding upon terms…

This paper reviews the cultural and historical context of mainstreaming students with disabilities in the United States and contrasts this with a proposed model for Canadian integration. Mainstreaming and integration are seen as reflecting different social dynamics and cultural traditions, and the administrative and research implications of the…

The authors of this study discuss past research, litigation, and legislation pertaining to the topic of parental involvement in special education. In particular, the study examined parental perceptions of their roles as communicators and decision makers in the special education process in terms of ethnicity and child's educational level. Very few…

This comparative study explored community influences on leadership and educational reform in representative school districts located in low socioeconomic class, culturally diverse communities. The study compared outcomes of one state's efforts to educate disabled preschool children (ages 3-5) in school districts in low socioeconomic settings with…

The "ISSS Annual Conference Proceedings" is a peer-reviewed professional publication published once a year following the annual conference. (Individual papers contain references.) [For the 2009 proceedings, see ED504973.]