Artificial intelligence showed me that inclusion for children with disabilities did not emerge on one specific date, but is the result of long-term development in the areas of human rights and education.
It is estimated that there are approximately 240 million children with disabilities in the world. UNICEF states this on its website https://www.unicef.org/education/inclusive-education.
Accepting a child with a disability into school education is the first step so that in the future they have better conditions for inclusion in society. My personal experience was in the 1990s. Since I have cerebral palsy, it was a challenge for my family to see how not only my health condition would develop, but also my education. And this was already from primary school. I was included among healthy children. In the class from the first grade of primary school, I was the only child with a disability in the class.
In the recent years of this century, in countries all over the world, people talk not only about inclusion, but especially about having as many school assistants and professional specialists for children with disabilities in schools as possible. During my own schooling, I had no school assistant. Teachers and lecturers tried to approach the curriculum with me as with a healthy child. When some teaching material was difficult for me, they not only tried to help me, but I also received support from a few classmates who did not mock me because of my disability. It is true that my physical disability is among the milder forms, but if I compare it with what is happening now, at least in Slovak schools, people were more willing to help each other in the nineties.
Other websites list various steps or strategies so that children can be educated as best as possible and are not segregated from their non-disabled peers. I agree. It is not only about parents making every effort to include a child with a disability; there must be collaboration among all stakeholders. In November 2021, I conducted research titled Assistant Teacher in Primary Schools for Children with Disabilities in the Slovak Republic. The main question of this research was whether teacher assistants had sufficient conditions for working with children with disabilities during lessons. The results of my research showed that teacher assistants do not have adequate conditions in schools for working with a child with a disability. You can read more about this research at this link https://www.prohuman.sk/socialna-praca/asistenti-ucitela-na-zs-pre-deti-so-zdravotnym-postihnutim-v-sr .
Despite all the possible strategies and opportunities, there are cases in the Slovak Republic where a child with a disability is excluded due to teachers and other barriers.
And so, for a child with a disability to be accepted into school education, it is necessary that not only teacher assistants are educated but especially teachers, who are a key part of the education system. In Slovakia, for example, there is Inklucentrum: https://inklucentrum.sk/ where teachers and professional school staff can learn, either through webinars or through professional brochures.