Sagarika Pradhan
The narratives show that the medium itself is unsuitable for the students with diverse needs, and in the face of policy changes and an increasing stress on digital education as being more participatory, the reality presents a rather complex and contradictory picture.
 |
| Tactile tiles meant to help visually challenged in Delhi University |
As the COVID-19 pandemic brought the world to a standstill, educational institutions shifted to online mode of teaching and learning. This article looks at the experience of schooling among disabled students through multiple cases, noting difficulties ranging from inaccessibility to unsuitability of the medium itself. It argues for a diverse and multiple conceptualisation of disability, whilst looking at individual needs. Further, the article notes the experience of parents juggling with schooling and work, with a shift in responsibilities and expressing inadequacy of the digital medium for their child’s education. The important question then remains as to what happens when digital education is actually accessible to disabled students? The narratives show that the medium itself is unsuitable for the students with diverse needs, and in the face of policy changes and an increasing stress on digital education as being more participatory, the reality presents a rather complex and contradictory picture.
Questions
of accessibility and possession of digital means and required materials exposed
the embedded inequalities present in terms of caste, class, gender and regional
divides. Students with disability found themselves within this deprived
population, where an intersection of the above mentioned disadvantaged identities,
as well as the lack of appropriate tools and basic amenities for meeting their
specific educational needs, have presented insurmountable obstacles. A recent
survey called ‘Digital education in India: Will students
with disabilities miss the bus?’ conducted by a community-based
organisation Swabhiman, working in partnership with
Centre for Advocacy and Research (CFAR), revealed that students with
disabilities are having negative experience of online education. They
experience difficulties coping with lessons, accessing required technologies, along
with affordability issues, especially among those belonging to poor families
and regions. All of these may translate into 43 lakh students dropping out of
schools. Given this grim reality, it becomes essential to understand what the
experience of disabled students has been, and how they are coping while trying
to maintain their educational trajectories. Also, with a shift to online education,
a merge of the domestic-familial sphere with the formal institutional sphere of
education has occurred., This has led to a shift in the responsibility towards
parents and caretakers, especially with regard to students who need assistance
in these tasks due to developmental, intellectual, visual or hearing
disabilities, among others. Hence, with a shift in the mode and space of
education, the experience of parents here is intertwined with the experience of
students. This too needs attention.
Most importantly, it is imperative to understand and acknowledge
that there is no singular state of disability, as a diversity of ‘disabilities’
and experiences are present. Students with intellectual disability, ADHD, or
say hearing, speech, visual or locomotor disabilities, may have varied experiences
in social life and schooling, with differential needs and requirements that
have to be met. Does a blanket mode of digital education prove to be beneficial
and conducive for all? Is it democratic and participatory in nature when it
comes to students with disabilities, which the digital space is otherwise
celebrated for?
Naresh (name changed) is a
parent of 15 year old Suman (name changed), who falls within the severe category
of the Autism Spectrum with ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder) and
a speech disability, and attends a special education centre. Her typical day
follows a schedule, where going to school and following through her classes is
part of it. Given her disabilities, any disturbance in the structure of her
schedule, can lead to disarray, and a resultant spoilt mood causing her great
distress.
Naresh explains, ‘Suman is used to a routine and schooling
provided a sense to it. She takes multiple classes in school, which are as per her
needs and the level of her disability. She has classes ranging from vocational
training to occupational therapy, speech therapy, ADL (Activities of Daily
Living), among others. Since the lockdown, her classes have gone online, but it
has been a real challenge for us. The digital mode has been difficult for her
to adjust to, and given her needs, she becomes easily irritable without
physical medium of teaching, resulting in her behaviour being erratic at times.
Given her hyperactivity, classes such as occupational therapy, which use
specific instruments and equipments for students, are essential for her, but
this cannot be met through online classes. Teachers are doing their best to
come up with alternative methods and exercises, but these are not an effective
substitute. Even at home, there is no proper infrastructure for us to do anything;
her school was the only place where she got these facilities. We are doing as
much as we can, but she sure is not benefitting much’.
In the above narrative one notes how online education, rather than
being empowering, has not just been limiting, but unfavorable for Suman. For
students like Suman, schooling provides a sense to their everyday lives. It is
also a space for social and public engagement, with school being the foremost
sphere where she could mingle with her peers and other social actors, but this is
restricted now. Thus, schooling is not just about delivery of skills and
knowledge, but a space for social engagement and communication, which is
essential for students. Sahej (name
changed) is a fifth grade student studying in a mainstream school, who has
partial visual impairment that requires him to take additional assistance when
it comes to online education. In a classroom setting, the seating arrangement
takes care of his needs, as having a place in the front helps him to read and to
understand the writing on the board. But during online lessons, the distance
between the camera and the board his teacher uses, coupled with poor
connectivity issues, causes him immense trouble concentrating, and in addition
to this, long hours of digital engagement have a negative impact on his
eyesight, as he complains of his eyes hurting too much.
Students with visual and hearing impairment may also face problems
as they rely on physical touch as sensory engagement to understand and
communicate, where digital education is ineffective. Students with dyslexia
also find it difficult as one to one communication and attention from the
teacher has been difficult given the shift to online classes.
Many students within
the Autism Spectrum also face other related developmental issues like
struggling with fine motor skills, which require regular therapy and innovative
ways to help them perform their daily tasks. Since the classes are now online,
they struggle to follow through these activities, and without physical
assistance of the teacher it becomes difficult to concentrate. Some of the
manageable tasks are taken up by parents in consultation and guidance from the teacher,
but given the work from the home directive, many have to juggle between their
work and child’s classes. Thus, with schools shut, the parents of students who
need assistance are stepping in to take the responsibilities earlier being
managed by formal educational institutions, but it becomes difficult at times
to juggle these, especially when students require extra attention and engaged
interaction in the process.
School as a separate institutional and spatial entity has its own
actors, responsibilities and associative meanings. These have become dysfunctional in the face of
the pandemic, and, hence, the functioning of educational practices itself has
altered meanings and experiences. For students with disability, especially
those with certain intellectual and developmental disabilities, the
organisation and ordering of daily activities in particular spaces is
important, but with the shift of space and mode of teaching, they are
experiencing not just difficulty following through, but additional stress and
mood related issues are also being experienced.
It is important to understand that when it comes to schooling, a
conventional ‘one-size-fits all’ educational practice is not what students with
disabilities benefit from. A uniform and limited conception of disability
proves to be detrimental, where multiplicity and varied requirements need to be
acknowledged. Recognition of this would help understand how and why online
education may not be suitable for all. A recent report in the Washington Post notes how schools in the
US that shifted to an online mode of education have acknowledged that this mode
of learning is not favorable for all students with disabilities. Even parents
narrate how closing of schools has disrupted the ‘routine’ and particular needs
of their children, which only the ‘special services’ at schools could cater to,
and they are not trained to do that effectively at home. Organisations like
UNESCO and Global Action on Disability (GLAD) Network have taken cognizance of
the difficulties and ‘inequalities’ faced by disabled students during this
pandemic, recognising that students with disabilities may not benefit much from
‘distance education.’ Thus, specific needs of students require attention. They
recommend measures to include all students with disability in the learning
process and catering to their individual needs. It is urgent to address the
significant rise in dropout rates, and assist both families and educators. While discussions at the level of public and policy
forums on these issues are on, it is essential that these are realized in
practice.
Thus, a fundamental point that emerges is that even when digital
means are accessible, which is difficult given the digital divide, the very medium
of instruction may not be suitable for many students with disabilities. However,
an altogether suspension of schooling during this period may not be the perfect
alternative as well. Extensive research needs to be taken up to understand the
situation and how it is affecting students with multiple disabilities. The
pandemic has thrown a new challenge for all, and any conclusive measure that is
taken needs to be backed with evidence that notes the voices of multiple actors
involved in the schooling process. This is all the more important as the
National Education Policy 2020 focuses on digital education in schooling as the
way forward to ‘include’ everyone in the learning process. The online classes during this pandemic
present a contradictory and complex reality. With multiple
disabilities present, a uniform top-down measure will prove to be detrimental. Uniform
instructions would not just hamper the development of these students, but is
also reflective of the ignorance and narrow conception that persists while looking
at disabilities and the diverse needs of students. Decision making itself needs
to be more participatory in nature, where the needs and views of the students
and their families are taken into account.
Sagarika Pradhan is an MPhil Scholar at the Centre for the
Study of Social Systems, Jawaharlal Nehru University. Over the years, she has
worked with Tamana, an NGO and Special Needs Education Centre based in Delhi.
REFERENCES
...............................
‘National Education
Policy-School Education’. 2020. New Delhi: Ministry of Education, Government of
India.
https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-india-53471749 Accessed on 5th
August, 2020.
https://gladnetwork.net/search/resources/general-statement-glad-inclusive-education-working-group-response-covid-19-crisis Accessed on 13th
September, 2020.
https://en.unesco.org/news/including-learners-disabilities-covid-19-education-responses Accessed 13th
September, 2020.
https://www.ndtv.com/education/covid-19-students-disabilities-struggling-e-learning-ngos-call-for-accessible-approach Accessed on 13th
September, 2020.
https://gemreportunesco.wordpress.com/2020/03/30/how-is-the-coronavirus-affecting-learners-with-disabilities/ Accessed 22nd
September, 2020.
https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/for-parents-trying-to-replicate-school-for-children-with-disabilities-a-confounding-task/2020/03/19/8a1e2876-6940-11ea-9923-57073adce27c_story.html Accessed on 22nd
September, 2020.