rationale

"Perhaps the most important contribution an art teacher makes is identifying an individual's idiosyncratic mode of inquiry and interpretative strategies for configuring meaning"

(Thunder-McGuire, 1999, p.102)

The Case for Inclusive Education Through Visual Arts

The Challenge We Face

Ableism is arguably the biggest challenge facing school systems throughout the world (Ainscow, 2008). In Australia alone, approximately 5.5 million people live with disabilities and face exclusion and discrimination (Australian Bureau of Statistics, 2024). This widespread exclusion extends into our educational systems, where Australia's current frameworks for supporting disabled students rely heavily on teacher aides and specialist educators, reinforcing categories of difference (Booth & Ainscow, 2011). This systemic approach affects marginalized classrooms, limiting opportunities for true inclusivity.

The Educational Imperative

Inclusive education emerges as a response to global concerns that all children and young people have the right to access and complete a free and compulsory education that is responsive to their needs and relevant to their lives (UNESCO, 2000). The Australian curriculum establishes that classrooms must adapt to the 'multiple, diverse, and changing needs' of students' (ACARA, 2010, p.1), requiring teachers to consider individual learning levels and varying stages of progression.Recognition of this imperative is reflected in policy initiatives such as the Queensland Department of Education's Inclusive Education Policy (2024) and the State Government of Victoria's (2022) State Disability Plan, which propose systemic reforms that span government departments. These initiatives aim to drive meaningful change through inclusive policy, diverse programs, and support services centered on the lived experiences of disabled individuals. Such policies reflect an understanding that disability extends beyond biological needs, emphasizing social acceptance, identity, and well-being (Noddings, 2003).

Ballard (1995) contends that diversity is a natural part of human experience, and teachers are uniquely positioned to help students celebrate differences. Socio-cultural and pragmatic approaches, particularly theories from Dewey and Vygotsky, challenge the idea that learning difficulties originate within the student, instead highlighting the role of social and environmental factors in fostering student belonging and autonomy (Gross, 2020). Constructivist philosophies emphasize meaning-making as a dynamic and personal process, closely aligned with the creative nature of art education, making it an effective lens for exploring different perspectives and inclusion of disabled students (Carrington, 2012). This perspective reinforces that a teacher's beliefs about how their students best learn are reflected in the classroom culture they have co-constructed together, which Rorrison (2008) asserts is the intersection of content, process and theory within a learning environment.

Visual Arts as a Vehicle for Inclusion

Theoretical literature highlights the benefits of the arts as a pedagogical tool, advocating how methods support safe engagement in learning, enhance cognitive, language, social, emotional, and motor skills, and encourage creative expression (Henderson & Lasley, 2014).

Arts Access Victoria ([AAV], n.d.) defines 'inclusive arts practice' as an approach that ensures equal access to the arts for individuals with disabilities, mental health challenges, and those who are deaf, in roles as artists, participants, and audiences.

Alton-Lee (2003) and Kiefer-Boyd & Kraft (2003) assert that inclusive pedagogy and responsive teaching are essential for leveraging students' strengths through alternative art practices. For example, students with limited physical dexterity can expand their creative strengths by utilizing digital resources in the classroom (Taylor, 2005). Furthermore, utilizing person-first language in the lesson plan and resources puts the person before their disability – for example, 'student with a disability' rather than 'disabled student'. Person-first language is used to emphasize a person's right to an identity beyond their disability.

Implementing Inclusive Arts Education

AITSL's Graduate standards for teachers require educators to 'create and maintain supportive and safe learning environments' (AITSL, 2017). In consideration of inclusive visual arts practice, this learning experience explores the following key concepts:

Highlighting Subjectivity and Multiple Perspectives
Valuing Neurodiversity and Creative Expression
Challenging Normative Standards of 'Seeing' and 'Understanding'
Connecting to Inclusive Visual Arts Practice
Building Empathy Through Storytelling
Personal and Social Capability: Critical and Creative Thinking

Resources like The Index for Inclusion (Booth & Ainscow, 2011) can help educators reflect on their beliefs and align them with inclusive practices, though they require continuous evaluation to measure their effectiveness.

“Diversity Inclusion”By Barunijina (2024)

THE RELEVANCE OF THE SOCIAL MODEL OF DISABILITY

Image sourced from the Health & Community Services Union, 2022

In designing my lesson plans and resources, I have drawn on the social model of disability to ensure that my teaching practice supports inclusion and values the diverse experiences of all students. This model views disability not as an individual deficit, but as the result of social, structural, and attitudinal barriers that restrict participation and opportunity (Mladenov, 2004).

By adopting this perspective, I am better able to identify and remove obstacles—such as inaccessible materials or rigid classroom practices—that may otherwise exclude students with disabilities.This approach aligns with the United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, which defines disability as arising from the interaction between impairments and inaccessible environments (Victoria State Government, 2022).

It has guided me to design learning experiences that offer differentiation, increase student voice, and foster equitable participation through creativity. Using the social model has also helped me shift focus from what students can’t do to how I can adapt my teaching to meet their needs. It reminds me that inclusion is not simply about access, but about valuing the perspectives of disabled students and ensuring they are active participants in their learning (Mladenov, 2004).

the power of adaptive art & artful thinking

To ensure meaningful access and participation, educators must consider how students engage with information and contribute to discussions about their own learning. Adaptive art involves the use of modified tools, techniques, and instructional strategies that enable students with physical, sensory, or cognitive disabilities to fully participate in art-making (Smith, 2024). Rather than limiting creative potential, adaptive practices expand expressive possibilities by embracing diverse modes of engagement.

Grounded in inclusive education and Universal Design for Learning (UDL), adaptive art fosters equitable access to the creative process for all students (Cramer, 2012).

[DIY adaptive art tool examples available HERE. In inclusive art classrooms, adaptive art not only benefits students with disabilities but enriches learning for all. It promotes creative problem-solving, empathy, and a broader appreciation for different ways of seeing and expressing (Delacruz, 1995). By incorporating adaptive practices—such as alternative tools, flexible materials, and varied response formats—teachers support full participation without compromising artistic integrity.

Some students also have Individualised Education Programs (IEPs), which are central to inclusive planning. The IEP process is embedded in the "teaching as inquiry" model outlined in Effective Pedagogy in the Curriculum (Ministry of Education, 2011, p. 6). Keifer-Boyd et al. (2018) found that teachers who actively referred to IEPs were more likely to include interactive activities and feature artists and designers with disabilities in their curriculum.

Finally, Keifer-Boyd et al. (2018) advocate shifting from a “special” to an “equal” discourse in art education by including artists with disabilities in the curriculum. This approach brings first-person perspectives that challenge marginalising narratives and illuminate the social and cultural dimensions of disability.

Art Access Victoria. (n.d). Art for Everyone Approaches to Inclusive Practice. Art Access Victoria.

Looking Forward:

Teachers as Inclusion Pioneers

Begeske et al. (2023) describe art teachers as "inclusion pioneers," recognizing that the arts were among the first disciplines to welcome disabled students into mainstream education. This legacy positions art teachers as powerful advocates for equity and embracing diversity. By engaging in ongoing reflection and questioning assumptions, educators are better able to critically examine the values that shape their teaching practice.

Guided by frameworks such as the Inclusive Pedagogical Approach in Action (IPAA), teachers can support all students, particularly those facing learning barriers, and champion practices that uphold diversity and social justice in the classroom.

This reflective process fuels my commitment to becoming a teacher-activist, using my knowledge gained through this research to actively work in fostering inclusive, inspiring and safe learning environments for my future students.

“My disability exists not because I use a wheelchair, but because the broader environment isn’t accessible.”

– Stella Young, comedian, journalist and activist. ABC, The Drum, 2012.

Pedagogical literature

The following literature has been particularly insightful in deepening my understanding of diversity and inclusive learning for students with disabilities. These resources have shaped the foundation of my learning experience design, intended for use in secondary school settings with students of all abilities. Even in classes without students formally identified as having disabilities, teaching inclusive perspectives and exploring the experiences of those with disabilities remains a powerful and essential practice.

Brainard, R. B., Viglione, D. J., & Wilke, J. R. D. (2014). A Comparison of Learning-Disabled Children and Non-Learning-Disabled Children on the Rorschach. Rorschachiana, 35(1), 66–91. https://doi.org/10.1027/1192-5604/a000049
Stumbo, N. J., Martin, J. K., & Hedrick, B. N. (2009). Assistive technology: Impact on education, employment, and independence of individuals with physical disabilities. Journal of Vocational Rehabilitation, 30, 99-110.
Cramer, E. S. (2012). Making art accessible for students with physical, visual, severe and multiple disabilities
Klinger-Krebs, J. (2021). Adaptive art helps students overcome challenges. Nasco Education. https://resources.nascoeducation.com/adaptive-art-helps-students-overcome-challenges/
Naughton, B. (2020). Adaptive Art: Deconstructing Disability in the Art Classroom. Davis Publications
Gross, K. M., & Coker, E. V. (2024). Supporting Inclusivity for Students With Disabilities: Perspectives From PreK–12 Art and Design Teachers. Studies in Art Education, 65(3), 306–323. https://doi.org/10.1080/00393541.2024.2355720
Booth, T., & Ainscow, M. (2011). Index for inclusion: Developing learning and participation in schools (3rd ed.). Bristol, United Kingdom: Centre for Studies on Inclusive Education.
Carrington, S. B., & MacArthur, J. (Eds.) (2012). Teaching in Inclusive School Communities. John Wiley & Sons Australia Ltd.
Ballard, K. (1995). Inclusion, paradigms, power and participation. In C. Clark, A. Dyson, & A. Milward (Eds), Towards inclusive schools (pp. 1–14). London: David Fulton.
Alton‐Lee, A. (2003). Quality teaching for diverse students in schooling: Best evidence synthesis. Wellington, New Zealand: Ministry of Education.

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