Redefining Special Education with Dancing Robots and Google Hangouts

“Inclusion” is defined as the practice of educating all children in the same classroom, including children with physical, mental, and developmental disabilities. IDEA (or the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act) mandates that special education students receive a free and appropriate education from the ages of 3 to 21, depending upon the state interpretation of the policy. In 1975, IDEA mandated that special education students be placed in their least restrictive environment. But that’s difficult to do with limited resources and budgets.

That is, until digital technology swept into schools.

Disabilities like blindness and serious health impairments affect less than 1% of the population in most schools. Because of the rarity of these needs, these students benefit from attending a specialized school like The A. Harry Moore Laboratory School of New Jersey City University. Thanks to an innovative program designed by the New Jersey Department of Education, the students of A. Harry Moore have recently been able to share some 21st century digital inclusion experiences with their non-disabled peers--and in turn, together learn what true inclusion looks like in the classroom.

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