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The inclusion of people with disabilities in society

The inclusion of people with disabilities contributes to the development of more just and diverse societies, which are based on key values ​​such as empathy and respect.

The inclusion of people with disabilities is key to the development of more just, equitable societies with greater well-being. This is achieved after the application of different practices that enhance the autonomy and participation in society of these individuals.


The importance of including people with disabilities

The inclusion of people with disabilities is of utmost importance to guarantee dignity and equal opportunities. Likewise, it contributes to the enrichment of societies, not only from an economic point of view but also from a cultural, labor and educational point of view, since prosperity is greater thanks to the participation of these individuals in different social sectors.

At the same time, inclusion improves the quality of life of these subjects by giving them access to employment, social services, education and, ultimately, turning them into social actors with autonomy and the ability to develop personally in these areas. Furthermore, empathy and tolerance are values ​​that prevail in inclusive societies.


These aspects show the importance of including people with disabilities in society, which will become a more accessible and equitable space.


How to promote the inclusion of people with disabilities

Promoting the inclusion of people with disabilities involves the adoption of measures at both the individual and governmental, regulatory and community levels:

  • Respect for dignity. It refers to respecting each person, regardless of their abilities, taking into consideration their experiences and opinions.
  • Acceptance. Allow the disabled to participate and share the same areas as the rest of the community without being the object of any pitiful view or social burden or being judged.
  • Promotion of equal opportunities. The social context and environment must be available to everyone. Recognize the differences between people and guarantee that, despite their personal qualities, all of them have the same opportunities to enjoy their rights.
  • Accessibility. This condition makes it possible to include people with disabilities so that they can live in equality, freedom, independently and participate fully in all aspects of life. To achieve accessibility, it is necessary to implement certain legislative and budgetary measures that are in force in all public spheres such as buildings, public administrations, legal, cultural spheres, etc.
  • Employment. Apply measures to promote the hiring of people with disabilities, through the establishment of mandatory quotas or incentives, among other examples.
  • Education. The development of inclusive education is key to generating educational environments that include students with disabilities. Under this measure, all the necessary resources and support are made available to the center, adapting the context to the individual needs of each student.


At this point it is important to explain the differences between inclusive education and special education. In inclusive education, schools and educational institutions adopt integrative approaches to meet the needs of all students in general, regardless of their special needs. In contrast, special education is a pedagogical approach designed to meet the educational needs of disabled students by providing services adapted to their abilities.

Types of inclusion of people with disabilities

There are different types of inclusion of people with disabilities, among which are:


  • Labor inclusion. Its objective is to incorporate these people into the labor market, who learn to do the work and have access to the same conditions as the rest.
  • Educational inclusion. Pursues equal opportunities in the educational field, promoting the active participation of students with disabilities in all conventional educational environments.
  • Social inclusion. It promotes acceptance and respect for diversity, by incorporating these groups into different activities of social life in order for them to coincide with other people who share the same interests or preferences.
  • Health inclusion. Preserves the autonomy and will of people with disabilities in relation to health care.


These types of inclusion of people with disabilities vary depending on the type of intervention carried out. For example, a type of social inclusion will be carried out in programs aimed at the participation of people with disabilities in cultural events or activities in which these people can enjoy the same services as other citizens.


Finally, it is worth highlighting the difference between inclusion and integration. As for the first concept, it refers to the full and equitable acceptance of diversity and the adaptation of the environment to the uniqueness of each person. For its part, in integration there are differences and the need to adapt falls on the individual and not on society.

Inclusive Education or Special Education: Are there differences?

When talking about Inclusive Education, many times, we tend to limit it to the expectation of Special Education, but perhaps we are falling into reductionism without meaning to. Both have such a close association that they are often confused, which helps close the vision of the importance of promoting Inclusive Education in all its dimensions, at the level of formal and non-formal educational contexts.

What is Inclusive Education

Since the 1990s, the term Inclusive Education has been gaining ground both at a social and educational level. According to UNESCO, it should be understood as an educational model focused on facilitating the greatest number of students to learn as well as possible (from quality education), in favor of overcoming the different types of exclusion that exist socially and that range against the human rights of any individual. Therefore, Inclusive Education implies the defense of equal opportunities for all people. It is a constant struggle to remove any type of barriers that may exist for learning and that prevent the participation of all students, due to some condition of vulnerability, for physical, religious, political or other reasons. Inclusion means that all students have the same opportunities to actively participate in society, regardless of their inherent diversity. Therefore, talking about inclusive education must be understood as an educational approach and not as a set of techniques applied to teaching.


Characteristic features of Inclusive Education

Defending the inclusive approach, without framing it only from Special Education, has features that deserve to be taken into account:

  • Inclusion focuses on students' abilities, regardless of their inherent diversity.
  • It is aimed at education in general, from the basic levels of teaching as well as other existing ones, both at a formal and non-formal level.
  • It demands a profound change in the educational model, which affects the future of how education is conceived, in its most general sense.
  • It accepts each individual from their most personal and diverse characteristics, not only on a physical level, but also from a sociocultural point of view.
  • Inclusion does not start from teaching everyone the same, but rather from teaching each person based on their needs so that they can be subject to the same rights.
  • It is enriched by the difference that each person possesses individually.
  • It seeks to eliminate barriers that affect participation, on equal terms, within the educational and social system to which it is a part.


Special Education

Although Special Education is part of the approach that underpins Inclusive Education, it focuses on the attention that is usually provided, at the basic education level, to children with special needs for physical or psychological reasons. To achieve its objective, the following keys are addressed:

  • The relationship between learning problems and teaching resources.
  • The role of the school and the educational response (as a physical, human and organizational space arranged for this purpose).

Although both are similar, in the case of Special Education, we are talking about a concept that has a longer history within the educational debate. This similarity contributes to its association with Inclusive Education.


Characteristic features of Special Education

Special Education is characterized by conceiving the integration of students through teaching-learning processes from a physical, social or functional point of view. It is also considered a scientific discipline, within the field of education, as well as an area of ​​knowledge, in which different disciplines participate (Sociology, Biology, Medicine, Didactics, Psychology or Pedagogy, for example).


As a discipline, Special Education is carried out at a pedagogical level from the curative, corrective or therapeutic field and, above all, it is usually limited to the care of individuals with “special” characteristics or needs. It is also usually applied in basic contexts, such as the family, community and from different social institutions.


Therefore, talking about Inclusive Education is not necessarily referring to Special Education and vice versa, no matter how much association there is. Which requires valuing both concepts, without understanding them in the same way.


On the one hand, Special Education should be understood more as a discipline focused on promoting integration mechanisms for those who have a “special” physical, social or functional condition.


On the other hand, Inclusive Education implies the need and commitment to teach children, young people and adults, to carry out teaching-learning processes that do not discriminate for any reason, that recognize the difference and that this is assumed. as an enriching element in individual and collective learning.


It is for the above reasons that the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal 4 focuses its attention on Inclusive Education. It raises the need to guarantee inclusive, equitable and quality education and promote lifelong learning opportunities for all, in the broadest sense of the term and at all educational levels.