Access To and Through Education Conference - 2021

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Access to Education for Children with Learning Disabilities: Inclusive Primary School Teachers’ Efficacy in Adapting Classroom Instructions for Children with Learning Disabilities.
(Access To and Through Education Conference, 2021) Madushani, K.A.T; Dantanarayana, N.D.
The purpose of the study is to investigate how primary school teachers’ efficacy in adapting classroom instructions for children with disabilities affect the access to inclusive education. Teachers’ efficacy refers to teachers’ own ability on his or her capabilities to achieve the outcomes of the students’ educational needs. An effective education participation of children with disabilities would rely on the efficacy of teachers to adapt classroom instructions. This quantitative study was carried out with sixty primary school teachers including 51 females and 09 males who teaching for children with learning disabilities were selected using purposive sampling method. The study setting was inclusive primary schools in the Thanamalwila educational zone in Sri Lanka. A Telephone-administered questionnaire was used to collect data and data were analysed using descriptive statistics and inferential statistics. According to the results, a majority of primary teachers had the certain level of efficacy to make equity, diversity and adapting classroom instruction in inclusion practices for children with learning disabilities. Teachers’ educational qualification was associated with teacher efficacy level in making equity, diversity and adapting classroom instruction in inclusion practices but other demographical factors such as age, training in special education, undergone teacher training programme related to disabilities and years of training students with disabilities is not associated with teachers’ efficacy in make equity, diversity and inclusion. Children with learning disabilities benefit from the efficacy of teachers to make equity, diversity and inclusion when teaching in inclusive classroom environments. Teacher training needs to address these crucial aspects. The findings of the studies are contributed to literature regarding ‘primary school teachers’ efficacy in equity, diversity and inclusion in teaching with learning disabilities in the Thanamalwila education zone’
Communication - related experiences of employees with cerebral palsy at work places in Sri Lanka.
(Access To and Through Education Conference, 2021) Herath, Kumudu; Hettiarachchi, Shyamani; Gunawardena, Niluka
Access beyond education to employment is arguably a challenge for adults with cerebral palsy in Sri Lanka. Among the varied skills presumed to be pre-requisite abilities for employment are an expected education level and communication skills. However, inclusive and equitable opportunities for individuals with disabilities in education and employment that value diversity within the school context and in the workforce, in translating existing policies to practice have not been forthcoming. This study was undertaken to explore the lived experiences of adults with cerebral palsy in employment in Sri Lanka, with particular reference to communication. A qualitative study using a phenomenological approach was undertaken to determine the communication experiences of employees with cerebral palsy. Six employees with cerebral palsy who have been employed in their current job for at least six months and who are above 18 years old were included. The data was gathered through individual semi-structured tele-interviews using an interview guide, which consisted of 10 open-ended questions. The qualitative data were analysed using a simple thematic analysis. Negative and stereotypical perceptions towards persons with disabilities affected recruitment, even when the adults with cerebral palsy had much more qualifications than others. Intelligibility of speech and self – confidence were the major concerns that the participants identified as communication-related challenges they faced at the work place. They also reported using strategies to adapt to the communication challenges directly. The communication – related opportunities depended on the education level and type of employment; both of which depends on access to education and beyond. The suggestions given by employees with cerebral palsy were to increase technical support, provide inclusive education opportunities, offer training and increase awareness of speech and language therapy services. Increased access to employment opportunities for adults with cerebral palsy could be facilitated by better access to education and therapy services as well as employer openness to diversity and inclusion.
Empowering First-Year Undergraduates with Disabilities in Sri Lankan State Universities during the Covid-19 Pandemic.
(Access To and Through Education Conference, 2021) Rathnayake, I.A.
The purpose of this study is to interrogate the crippling impact of the covid-19 pandemic upon the challenges faced by students with disabilities in Sri Lanka, when transitioning from secondary level education to their tertiary level education at state universities. Research on the education of the students with disabilities at state universities has focalised the impact of unaccommodating built environments and stigmatizing of disability, creating a dearth in the studies that interrogate the facilitation of the psycho-social and pedagogical requirements of the target group, when adopting to a new educational reality. Informed by the lived experiences of learning/teaching in a Sri Lankan state university, the researcher intends to address this lacuna to highlight the importance of a disability inclusive approach to policymaking in the higher education sector. The present study engages with eight narratives of first-year undergraduates with disabilities from the universities of Kelaniya, Colombo, Sri Jayewardenepura and Jaffna representing different gender, geographical and ethnic identities. Data gathered by interviewing the research participants will be analysed by drawing on the theories of intersectionality, disability and critical pedagogy. This study contends that the Covid-19 pandemic has constructed new hierarchies based on the access to technology, technical proficiency and English language awareness, while exacerbating the impact of segregated learning environments, inflexible pedagogical practices and institutional constraints such as fixed timetables and rigid curricular. Thus, it argues for the importance of improved communicational skills, enhanced participation in extra-curricular and core-curricular activities and the increased accessibility to assistive technologies has been crucial to empower the target group. It also aims to interpret the pandemic as a point-of-departure to re-evaluate the legacy of disability in higher education through a more inclusive perspective.
Formulation of Policies that Promote Disability Inclusion in the University of Kelaniya: Attitudinal Barriers and Possible Remedies.
(Access To and Through Education Conference, 2021) Ranthilini, P.V.S.S.
It is important that inclusion of students with disabilities (SWDs) is ensured in higher educational institutes; disability inclusion policies are crucial in this regard. However, the University of Kelaniya (UOK) lacks a policy of inclusion. Even the policy and other related documents that exist seem to be rather limited as they are not extended to curriculum formation, teaching and assessment designing. In this context, this research intends to identify the attitudinal barriers that hinder the formation of policies that promote the inclusion of SWDs in UOK and to suggest remedial measures for them. Semi-structured interviews are conducted with six participants chosen according to stratified purposeful sampling which involves identifying several key groups and interviewing representatives from them to engage with a reasonable cross-section of the community subjected to study; the participants include policy formulators, policy implementors, policy recipients of UOK and a specialist in the field. Interviews are conducted physically and virtually. Interview questions are built around the following themes: interviewee’s definition of ‘disability’, interviewee’s understanding of inclusion policies, attitudinal barriers towards policy formulation the interviewee identifies and remedial measures for them. Thematic analysis and textual analysis are used to analyze the data. The theoretical framework incorporates the Minority group model of disability by Hahn (1982), the non-decision-making theory by McCalla-Chen (2002), the stigma theory by Link and Phelan (2000) and the Universal design approach. Attitudes relating to paternalism, charity approach to disability, ableism and stigma seem to pose challenges to the formulation of inclusion-related policies. An attitudinal shift may remedy this situation and raising awareness and educating the university community are instrumental in this regard. It can be recommended that teach-yourself leaflets, awareness-raising workshops, educational seminars and stigma reduction programs can be used to address these attitudinal barriers. Such measures may facilitate the attitudinal shift required, gradually enabling an efficient and effective process of inclusion policy formulation.
Knowledge and Perception of Speech Therapists and Parents on Telepractice for The Intervention of Paediatric Speech and Language Disorders in Sri Lanka.
(Access To and Through Education Conference, 2021) Adikaram, W.K.D.S.Y; Silva, M.D.K. de
The usefulness of telepractice is highly reflected during the COVID-19 pandemic for speech therapy services in Sri Lanka due to restricted mobility. This study aimed to explore the knowledge and perception of speech therapists and parents of children with paediatric speech and language disorders who involve in telepractice in Sri Lanka. The study participants were thirty (n= 30) speech language therapists and sixty- two (n= 62) parents who use telepractice service. Data were collected through a self – administrated online survey and telephone interviews were conducted to obtain qualitative data from both speech therapists and parents separately. Quantitative and qualitative data were analysed using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis respectively. Telepractice was considered as an effective procedure similar to face–to–face service by 60% and 84% of speech therapists and parents respectively. Most of the speech therapists’ knowledge on telepractice was based on their experience. Both parents and speech therapists reported that they have a high level of confidence, satisfaction, and positive attitudes toward the use of telepractice. Both groups identified a range of advantages such as improvement in the child’s progression, and ability to overcome logistical challenges after conducting several sessions through telepractice. In addition, parent involvement in the speech therapy sessions were found high with telepractice. Eighty-three percent and 90% of parents preferred to carryout activities at home and obtain frequent feedback from speech therapists respectively. The study showed that the majority of participants positively identified the usefulness of telepractice to deliver speech therapy service. Providing appropriate training of delivery strategies for speech therapists and education of parents on the use of technology may further enhance the access to telepractice services for children with speech and language disorders during the COVID-19.
Oral Feeding Difficulties Among Children with Cerebral Palsy, Aged Between Birth to 5 Years: Special Challenges Faced by Primary Caregivers During The COVID-19 Pandemic.
(Access To and Through Education Conference, 2021) Serasinghe, C.S.D.; Hettiarachchi, Shyamani
The world has been confronted with the novel pandemic called COVID-19, which has been quickly spreading throughout the world from its first detection in December 2019. Cerebral Palsy(CP) can be defined as a group of disorders affecting movements of limbs, muscles, hearing, vision and posture (Das, Zaman, Hasan, Barua, & Chowdhury, 2016). It is due to damage to the developing brain. Signs and symptoms vary among children and over time. It can be caused by premature birth, not getting enough blood supply, oxygen (hypoxia), or other nutrients before or during birth. Caregivers play an important and special role in supporting children with CP who experience feeding difficulties. During this pandemic situation, introducing “telehealth” may be more beneficial for children who are getting support from health professionals. Many health professionals have been facing challenges in providing services to patients using traditional in person care. The organizations have begun advocating telehealth or tele practice for reducing person to person contact and implementing social distancing. Telehealth or the use of telecommunication technologies are able to support long distance clinical health care. It is a model that can be used in prior public health emergencies. (Miles et al. 2020). However, it is not clear if such a service may be accessible or of benefit to parents in the Sri Lankan context. Therefore, the study was undertaken to explore the special challenges which are faced by the primary care - givers who have children with CP and oral feeding during this pandemic period. A qualitative study using a phenomenological approach was implemented to determine the special challenges faced by primary caregivers in managing oral feeding difficulties in children with cerebral palsy aged between birth to 5 years during the COVID- 19 pandemic in one clinical setting in the Western Province of Sri Lanka. Using a purposive sampling method, the study was completed by interviewing 12 participants who were at the mentioned clinical setting and who have children with CP with oral feeding difficulties. Data was collected through semi structured interviews conducted as tele- interview session with the primary caregivers. The interview guide was sent to an expert panel for the verification of face and content validity. A pilot study was done before data collection with 2 participants. The qualitative data were analysed using thematic analysis (Braun & Clarke, 2006). The purpose of the study was to determine the special challenges faced by primary caregivers for managing oral feeding difficulties in children with cerebral palsy aged between birth to 5 years in one clinical setting in the Western Province of Sri Lanka during the COVID- 19 pandemic. In this study there were no known risk to health and safety in participation. All the participants were able to be interviewed via telephone. This was a qualitative study using in-depth discussion were included and limited current access to clients-remote data collection during this COVID-19 pandemic situation. Several themes emerged from the data as a result of qualitative analysis: challenges in accessing food, challenges in accessing medication, special challenges due to COVID-19 and transition of service delivery model. When exploring the benefits, participants were very interested to discuss and get new ideas about the specific areas which were covered in the study on managing oral feeding difficulties in children with cerebral palsy during the COVID- 19 pandemic. And also it was good opportunity to share their information with others about lived experiences during this new pandemic situation. Disadvantages: Children with chronic neurological conditions can be considered as at higher risk of COVID-19 infection (Bhasker et al. 2020). The novel corona virus (COVID-19) has a significant impact on medicine. The COVID-19 pandemic has already led to an increase in unemployment, poverty and food and nutrition insecurity, as well as poor health outcomes globally. It became challenging to find safe food for children with special needs during this pandemic situation. The current crisis in children in low and middle- income countries reminds in poor health outcome during the pandemic (Zar et al. 2020). Majority of the participants highlighted the negative feedback of having no shops and pharmacies near by the house, because of that, they faced many challenges of accessing meals and medication during the pandemic. In the pandemic period, some mothers reported confusion about daily schedule of rehabilitation because of the transition of the service delivery model, lack of awareness about the appointment, and the technology and also poor connectivity. Some participants were confused about how to manage the children with home based therapy sessions during the pandemic. The study suggests the importance of telehealth sessions online during the pandemic. It will be more beneficial for the child and the family to have online sessions (video call sessions) to participate actively and for the professionals to engage directly with the session. The professionals can also see the family’s participation in the session. Furthermore, it will be more beneficial to encourage the child and the family to access online clinics, which maintain social distancing during the pandemic than face to face clinical sessions. However, the study also found the hardships faced by parents who have children with CP when accessing food, medication and health services during this pandemic period. It will be beneficial to investigate parental awareness about rehabilitation service programs in a follow- up study. When having online sessions during the pandemic, it will be more beneficial for the children to participate actively and the professionals to engage directly with the session as well as the professionals will be able to see the mother’s participation to the session.
Perceptions on Inclusive Education Held by Parents of Children Living with Down Syndrome.
(Access To and Through Education Conference, 2021) Vanshani, M.M.N.; Attanayake, Lasanthi Daskon
Parental perceptions are regarded as a crucial factor for the successful implementation of inclusive education of children living with disabilities. Previous literature reveals that the perceptions of parents of children with Down syndrome toward inclusive education and their effect on the education of those children were varied. The purpose of this study was to explore the perceptions of parents of children with Down syndrome toward inclusive education. It also briefly examined whether parental perceptions have an impact on the access to inclusive education gained by children with Down syndrome. A qualitative phenomenological study design was used. The semi-structured interview was conducted with 15 parents of children with Down syndrome who were within the age range of 06-18 years. The data were analysed using thematic analysis. Result: Overall, parents demonstrated a positive perception toward inclusive education despite the barriers their children confront in accessing inclusive education. They were aware of benefits of inclusive education. Taken as an isolated factor without giving consideration to the other contributory elements, the perceptions of parents could be identified to have a positive effect on the access to inclusive education gained by their children with Down syndrome. The outcomes are organized under three (03) key themes; a) Perceptions on the learning capacity; b) Self-reliance; and c) Barriers to accessing inclusive education The parent perceptions are encouraging and support the inclusion of children with Down syndrome in the mainstream classrooms. However, the external barriers to inclusive education are complex. There needs to be more exploration of these barriers in order to understand how children with Down syndrome could be successfully integrated into the mainstream classrooms and are enabled to study in an inclusive environment.
Physical Barriers Encountered Within Hospitals by an Elderly Population in Accessing Healthcare: A Study Conducted at The North Colombo Teaching Hospital, Ragama, Sri Lanka.
(Access To and Through Education Conference, 2021) Edussuriya, T.N.; Dissanayake, K.D.M.R.H.; Fernando, V.S.T.H.; Fernando, W.S.; Fernando, W.N.N.; Perera, N.
As the population of Sri Lanka rapidly ages, the issue of equity and equality in accessing health care facilities for elderly is important. There are physical barriers for accessibility in healthcare facilities for them which can be corrected effortlessly in local context. Objective- To identify difficulties and physical barriers encountered by an elderly population in accessing healthcare at the North Colombo Teaching Hospital, Ragama, Sri Lanka. Descriptive study was carried out among 341 persons over the age of 60 years visiting the outpatient department and clinics. Interviewer administered questionnaire was administered and data was analysed using SPSS version 22. Demographic data showed mean age as 67 years of which 56% were males. 51% were accompanied by family member and 36% relied on another helper. 51% of them had mobility impairment and 25% had vision impairment. 28% had used assistive devices ranging from glasses (26.8%), crutches (22.3%) to wheel chairs (3.2%). Of persons using mobility assistive equipment, 85% thought that manoeuvrability was limited and could not reach the second floor (41%) without assistance. They complained of not noticing the information desk (33%), poor visibility of boards (25%), difficulties in identifying correct room (20%) and inadequate seating (50%). 1/4th of elderly thought facility to access washrooms was inadequate and were not disabled friendly. (45%) Elderly population has numerous difficulties and physical barriers while accessing health care facilities. Improvements in finding directions, manoeuvrability and physical facilities will help to provide equal and equitable health care services for the neediest people of the society.
The State Musical Review of Children and Youngsters with Special Needs: Lessons from Slovenia.
(Access To and Through Education Conference, 2021) Manaranjanie, K.D.L.
This presentation analyses an annual event named The State Musical Review of Children and Youngsters with Special Needs “Let's Sing, Play Musical Instruments, and Dance”, which takes place in different parts of Slovenia. In existence for two decades, since 1991, this gathering of educators and their pupils takes place in front of a jury, which evaluates performances and provides professional feedback to the educators. The author of this paper served as the only international specialist in a three-member jury in the mandate period 2010-2015. As an ethnomusicologist with research interest in music therapy and medical ethnomusicology, she provides a critical assessment of roles ethnomusicologists can play in assisting the field of special music education. The main research question is whether such an annual musical program has potential to enhance the status of children with special needs and the quality of their lives? The analysis of the data collected in the course of a six-year long research suggests an affirmative answer to the question. Research methodology was ethnographic, including interviews, participant observation, collection and analysis of photo and video materials. The musical review’s aim to bring children and youngsters with special needs to the public eye and to gain media attention on the one hand, and the performative and interactional aspects of the learning process, including the pupils, teachers, family members, and general audiences on the other, opened the space for discussions about minority stigmas and how to overcome them. This positive first-hand experience and the research findings encouraged the researcher to present it and to discuss its suitability and applicability to the Sri Lankan context.
A Study on Coping Mechanisms of Students with Visual Impairments to Online Education in Public Universities in Sri Lanka.
(Access To and Through Education Conference, 2021) Jayasena, Chandima; Gunarathne, Ishari; Thakur, Abhishek
Due to the Pandemic students with disabilities have been required to accept and follow online education since March 2020. This study therefore intended to identify coping mechanisms in the face of online education and their own experiences with their coping mechanism for minimizing the negative effects of online education. This study employed a qualitative methodology to explore the challenges encountered by visually impaired higher education students in Sri Lankan public universities. A sample of 20 students selected and distributed a questionnaire to collect data. Additionally, in-depth interviews conducted with 5 students and three case studies selected to explore the basic realities of online teaching and learning. Personal experience of students with disabilities has provided them an in-depth understanding of the problems they face and lead them to discover strategies to minimize problems. Changes in life experiences, additional costs of education, balancing mental states, explored as main themes students cope. Further technological barriers, and economic hardship has constrained students. These students' expressed their interest in adapting to online education, no matter how difficult it may be. The study's findings will utilize to educate and advise university lecturers, student counsellors, and relevant authorities disabled-friendly online teaching and learning to promote equitable access to education. Further consideration should be given to the technical facilities required to better manage negative situations. The realities expected to derive from this deep exploration construct a better environment for students with disabilities to engage in social work interventions within the limitations of inclusive education.