Call for Contributions: NSI 13 on Accelerating Progress Towards Inclusive Education for Learners with Disabilities

Call for Contribution

NSI 13: Accelerating Progress Towards Inclusive Education for Learners with Disabilities

Guest Editors: Nidhi Singal and Nafisa Baboo

The one billion people with disabilities experience significant obstacles to benefiting from education and learning opportunities, which negatively impact their pathway to well-being, dignified and fulfilling work, and upliftment out of poverty and dependence. Despite significant progress towards ensuring access to education for children and youth with disabilities, the challenges remain stark (Global Disability Inclusion Report, 2025). Of the 240 million children with disabilities globally, they are 42% less likely to have foundational reading and numeracy skills and 49% more likely to have never attended school (UNICEF, 2021). Increasing incidences of humanitarian crises, climate change and other emergencies require that we need to ensure that persons with disabilities remain central in these agendas. While there is an increased focus on the rights of children with disabilities to an education, as of 2021 86% of countries had laws and policies protecting the right of children with disabilities to education, however only 17% of countries had guarantees of education in inclusive settings (United Nations, 2024).

Now is the time for more concerted efforts. The General Comment 4 by the CRPD Committee is clear that inclusive education “requires an in-depth transformation of education systems in legislation, policy and the mechanisms for financing, administering, designing, delivering and monitoring education”. Addressing systemic barriers in education systems not only benefits learners with disabilities but has a wider impact on the education provided for all learners, across different levels of the education system. This is particularly important given the significant challenges around the quality of teaching and the  learning crisis seen in many countries. Thus, it is only vital that discussions around the education of persons with disabilities are part of mainstream debates, as these are fundamentally about issues of equity. 

In this Special Issue we seek contributions that challenge dominant ableist narratives and advocate for inclusive approaches that support meaningful participation in education, and beyond. We are interested in contributions which span across various levels of education, including early child education, primary, secondary and higher levels. Topics include, and are not limited to, innovations in pedagogy, curriculum, educational technology, assessment, transitions, and those focusing on training and roles of stakeholder groups which are part of the education workforce. We seek contributions that are sensitive and responsive to contextual factors. Methodological innovations that forefront participation of persons with disabilities in evidence generation are also encouraged. 

We envision this Special Issue to be a collection of diverse works which not only reflect on the challenges but bring new perspectives, imaginaries and insights to them, and highlight more transgressive and innovative ways for moving forward. In doing so, contributions need to draw upon research evidence, and are not simply thought pieces. A clear articulation of the evidence being used is essential. 

When submitting their abstract, authors should indicate which theme(s) they are addressing, with reference to the outline below. Collaborative authorship is encouraged to strengthen engagement across contexts. Key themes explored in the special issue are those as indicated below, with a few reflections on the type of sub-questions which might be addressed under each theme. We acknowledge that this is not an exhaustive list, but is a strong indication of the kind of contributions we would like to see.

Redefining inclusive education: moving beyond hegemony of ideas to a deeper contextual understanding of concepts and processes 

• What does it mean to be “inclusive” in a school and other education settings, such as early child education centres, higher education, TVET and so on?  
• What educational innovations work in low resourced and challenging education systems, across different contexts, which support the principles of inclusive education? 
• How have unequal power and financial structures influenced the shaping of the  global discourses around inclusive education and their alignment, or lack it, from  local realities and priorities?
• How have beliefs and attitudes towards disability been challenged and reshaped in education settings in different contexts? 
• How do education systems in conflict settings account for or exclude children with disabilities from education during humanitarian crises?

Education and Quality of Life 

• What is the role of education in improving the quality of life for persons with disabilities?
• In what ways can we ensure that inclusive education promotes self-confidence, autonomy, and a sense of identity among learners with disabilities?
• What are the effective ways for schools to engage with families and communities in supporting the holistic development of learners with disabilities?
• How can education for out-of-school children and young adults support access to dignified and meaningful work?
• What is needed to ensure that the education workforce is equipped and able to support youth to transition to dignified and meaningful work and social inclusion?

Transformational leadership and an effective education workforce  

• What role do school teachers play in creating equitable classrooms, and how can they be supported to do so in contexts with considerable challenges? 
• What innovative models of inclusive teaching practices and support are working in different contexts, and what can we learn from them? 
• What are the ways in which we can recruit, train and retain an inclusive teaching workforce, particularly teachers with disabilities, to foster inclusive school cultures?
• What successful strategies have been adopted in relation to developing inclusive school curriculum, such as representation in textbooks?
• What types of adaptations are being made to mainstream curricula to support and encourage effective engagement of children with different types of disabilities?

Digital Inclusion & Technology  

• How should we approach the professional development of teachers to ensure competency and confidence in developing relevant and meaningful use of technology in the classroom?
• How can learners be provided access to and skills for using appropriate EdTech to engage in the learning meaningful skills in the classroom and beyond? 
• What successful and cost effective innovations in accessible education technology for persons with disabilities have been used in building inclusive education settings? 
• What is the impact of educational technology on access, learning and outcomes for children and youth with disabilities?  

Inclusive Research & Program Design 

• What key principles and successful practices have been adopted to co-design programmes in inclusive education?
• How do we ensure that development of programmes in inclusive education are respectful of voices of persons with disabilities and responsive to current evidence?
• What methodological innovations are feasible in effectively listening to the voices of children and youth with disabilities? 
• How can research and global data monitoring regimes address challenges related to data disaggregation, definitions, and intersectionality? 
• What approaches are universities and training institutions taking to strengthen research capabilities and develop future visionaries in the field of disability-inclusive education?

Join the Conversation – Submit Your Abstract by June 15, 2025! 

We invite submissions of short written articles, typically around 1200 to 1500 words, or multimedia content for a global audience of researchers, policy makers, civil society organizations, and others working in inclusive education, with a focus on disabilities, accounting for all the different intersectionalities. Articles should be submitted in, and will be published in English language. We aim for a balanced representation of diverse contributors in different regions, particularly drawing on robust evidence and voices in the Global South. 

Submission Process 

• Please submit your work to norrag.publications@graduateinstitute.ch with “NSI13” in the subject line.
• Submit a 250-word abstract by June 15, 2025. 

• We will notify selected authors at the end of July 2025 to submit a full manuscript. 

• Full drafts are due November 1, 2025. 

• Peer review feedback will be provided by February 28, 2026. 

• Revised manuscripts are due May 29, 2026. 

• We aim to publish the Special Issue by November 1, 2026. 

About the Editors 

This Special Issue has been developed and will be edited by Professor Nidhi Singal, Faculty of Education, University of Cambridge and Ms. Nafisa Baboo, Head of Disability Inclusion, Mastercard Foundation. Both editors have extensive experience of working in inclusive education, including research, programme implementation, monitoring, evaluation, and advocacy.  

Themes  

We seek articles that explore policy, research, and practice in inclusive education, and challenge ableist perspectives. Contributions should critically engage with disability diversity and intersecting social factors such as gender, race, class, income, and location. Authorship by and co-authorship with persons with disabilities is highly encouraged.