Inclusive
Quality Education for All
Virtual Event:
Friday, 8 April 2022, 10:00 - 11:15 a.m. EST
Over the past decade, major progress has been made towards increasing
access to education generally, as well as for persons with autism specifically.
However, in 2020, as the COVID-19 pandemic spread across the globe, a
majority of countries announced the temporary closure of schools, impacting
more than 90 per cent of students worldwide.
The disruption in
learning caused by the pandemic has reversed years of progress and has
exacerbated inequalities in education.
Many students with autism have been especially hard hit and studies show
that they have been disproportionately affected by disruptions to routines, as
well as services and supports that they rely on.
Sustainable Development Goal 4 – Quality Education
#UN #HWPL #AUTISM #COVID_19 #EDUCATION #PEACE_WALK
The 17 Sustainable Development Goals adopted by world leaders at the
United Nations in 2015 provide a blueprint for addressing the major challenges
facing the world, including inequality.
Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG 4) focuses on ensuring inclusive and equitable quality education and
promoting lifelong learning opportunities for all, as the foundation for
improving people’s lives and reducing inequalities.
The specific targets for SDG 4 refer to the need to ensure “equal access
to all levels of education and vocational training” for persons with
disabilities and building and upgrading education facilities that are
disability sensitive and that provide “inclusive and effective learning
environments for all.”
In this respect, the SDGs echo the UN Convention on
the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. Article 24 of the
Convention recognizes that persons with disabilities have the right to
inclusive, quality education on an equal basis with others and that reasonable
accommodation of the individual’s requirements should be provided.
The 2022 World Autism Awareness Day observance
This year‘s observance will address inclusive education in the context of
SDG 4 - the promise and reality - through a virtual event that will include a
moderated panel discussion, along with brief presentations by self-advocates,
educators and other experts.
The theme of inclusive education is intrinsically linked with the focus of
last year’s WAAD observance, “Inclusion in the Workplace”. Panelists in last
year’s event emphasized how crucial it is to foster inclusive quality education
for people on the autism spectrum so that they can fulfill their potential and
achieve sustainable success in the labour market. In this respect, inclusive
education is the key to the transformative promise of the Sustainable
Development Goals, to LEAVE NO ONE BEHIND.
The event is organized by the UN Department of Global Communications and
UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs, with the support of civil society
partners including the Autistic Self Advocacy Network, the Global Autism
Project and the Specialisterne Foundation.
Thank you for this informative read.
ReplyDelete