The Inclusive Education Study Team at Palestinian Universities in collaboration with University of Birmingham organized a research workshop on assessing inclusive education policies and practices for students with disabilities in Palestinian higher education institutions, as part of project “Disability under siege”. The workshop was held under supervision of Dr. Nazmi Al-Masri, head of the project team, Ms. Nesma Al-Ghoula, coordinator of Centre for Disability and Integration Services at the Islamic University. The activities of the workshop were held in Irada Centre for Training and Rehabilitation of Persons with Disabilities, in cooperation with the Centre for Disability and Integration Services of Deanship of Community Service and Continuing Education at the university.
This research workshop is part of a joint project with University of Birmingham entitled: “Disability under siege”, administrated by Dr. Al-Masri from the Faculty of Arts at the Islamic University. This research study involved: researcher Dr. Alaeddin Al-Adini, and researcher Ms. Nesma Al-Ghoula.
More than 20 students participated in the workshop, with the presence of a number of persons with visual, audio and motor disabilities studying in various academic disciplines at Palestinian universities in Gaza.
Dr. Al-Masri explained that the workshop is part of the project “Disability under siege” in partnership with University of Birmingham in Britain, American University in Lebanon, Birzeit University in Palestine (West Bank) and the Islamic University (Gaza Strip) funded by Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC).
Dr. Al-Masri pointed out that the workshop aims to identify the most important policies and practices (available, unavailable and proposed) to facilitate access to inclusive education for students with disabilities at Palestinian universities. He added that: “To achieve this goal, participants were divided into three focal groups of 6 – 7 persons, each group includes a particular type of disability (audio, visual or Motor), and each discussed the three main domains set to determine the objectives of the workshop.
The project involves a series of interviews and workshops that identify the most important (available, unavailable and proposed) policies and practices to facilitate access to inclusive education for students with disabilities at Palestinian universities.
A similar online workshop for students with disabilities will be held at universities of Jerusalem and the West Bank this week, where research interviews have also been conducted with a group of decision makers who administrate centres and units that provide academic services and support these students’ rights to university education within the university inclusive education environment.