Ending Disability Segregation in Universities

This book presents a compelling moral case for the inclusion of intellectually disabled people in higher education, and shows how it can be achieved in practice. In doing so, the authors offer a unique approach bridging disabilities studies and activism, contributing a manifesto that is a philosophically grounded, incisive and impassioned argument for inclusion as a moral imperative. At present, there is very little documentation of activist practices disrupting the traditional, ableist, segregation that most universities foster. This book’s approach is both normative and descriptive. Its chapters give a heart-felt defence of inclusion of people with intellectual disabilities in university. They also offer a detailed look at universities, specifically in British Columbia, Canada, but also drawing comparisons across the world, where segregation has stopped being the norm, and ‘authentic inclusion’ is a daily practice. The book coins the phrase ‘authentic inclusion’ to represent inclusion that is not segregated, or paternalistic, in its approach to disabled students. Authentic inclusion happens when students attend courses, take part in campus life, and follow career paths just like other students. Ending Disability Segregation in Universities is informed by the authors’ work with STEPSfoward BC, a non-profit organization advocating for the right of people with intellectual disabilities to learn in universities. Drawing on extensive interviews with students, professors, parents, inclusion workers and administrators, the book charts a workable path toward the end of segregated higher education.