Many students who have an intellectual disability continue to face academic and social barriers in Ontario’s public school system, as well as instances of exclusion, conflicts with other students, staff and boards, poor planning and communication, and a lack of leadership at every level of the system.

These are the findings of in-depth surveys and interviews with students’ parents as part of a research project titled, “If Inclusion Means Everyone, Why Not Me?”

Details of the research will be released Friday, May 4 in Toronto by the authors of the report, including Brock University Professor of Education Sheila Bennett, Jacqueline Specht, Director of the Canadian Research Centre on Inclusive Education at Western University, and Luke Reid, Staff Lawyer with ARCH Disability Law Centre. Also working on the project from Brock along with Bennett were Faculty of Education colleagues Monique Somma and Xioabin Li.

The research project was a joint partnership between Community Living Ontario, Brock University, Western University, ARCH Disability Law Centre, Brockville and District Association for Community Involvement and Inclusive Education Canada.

A panel discussion between the report’s authors and students from Ryerson University’s Disability Studies program will follow.

What: Release of “If Inclusion Means Everyone, Why Not Me?” report

Who: Sheila Bennett, Professor in the Faculty of Education at Brock University; Jacqueline Specht, Director of the Canadian Research Centre on Inclusive Education and Professor in the Faculty of Education at Western University; Luke Reid, Staff Lawyer with ARCH Disability Law Centre.

When: Friday, May 4, 10:30 a.m.

Where: Room SHE 560, Community Health Building, Ryerson University