Including students with disabilities in innovative learning environments: a model for inclusive practices

The educational provision for students with disabilities has been debated for as long as the term inclusive education (IE) has been part of the educational discourse. Despite IE stemming from a social justice paradigm, globally there remain inconsistencies in access to quality education. As a result, policies and practices to shift towards more equitable access to education are evident across the world. Many IE commentators argue the need for a transformative and systemic change to the status quo, for IE outcomes to be achieved. Innovative learning environments (ILEs) offer the opportunity for new conversations around IE and systemic change. Although IE is generally seen as an important aspect of ILE design, there is a missed opportunity to fully appreciate and address the needs of students with disabilities. Moreover, we argue that ILEs can disrupt traditional paradigms in education in ways that enhance IE. A model is presented in this article that is designed to respond to the gaps in existing ILE models. This conceptual framework offers a means for architects, school leaders, and teachers to improve the educational outcomes of all students, through connecting the notions of inclusive design, inclusive practice and inclusive pedagogy.