About the Authors

Keith W. Allred is the father of five children, with two of them receiving special education services from Pre-K through Grade 6. Keith began teaching in 1976, the year before IDEA ’04 was implemented in the United States. Over the past 40 years Keith has served in a variety of capacities besides teaching general and special education. He completed his doctoral degree from Vanderbilt University. For 20 years, he has worked in teacher education across three universities. His scholarly focus has included: (1) fathers of children with disabilities, (2) parental response to disability, and (3) factors affecting effective collaboration between parents and professionals. Keith readily acknowledges that the highest level of functioning is inter-dependence rather than independence.

Emma Barrett has been working in education for 14 years. She began in childcare and quickly transitioned into early childhood education. Emma obtained her Masters in Special Education and has since worked in all areas of schooling; primary, secondary, and post compulsory. Emma has also been a parent for 17 years. Her oldest of three children has a diagnosis of Autism.

Shawn C. Bingham is the Assistant Dean of the Honors College and an Assistant Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of South Florida. He is the author of Thoreau and the Sociological Imagination: The Wilds of Society (Rowman & Littlefield, 2008), editor of The Art of Social Critique: Painting Mirrors of Social Life (Lexington Books, 2012), co-author of Seriously Funny: Disability and the Paradoxical Power of Humor (Lynne Rienner Press, 2016), and co-editor of The Bohemian South: Creating Countercultures, from Poe to Punk (UNC Press, 2017). He is currently working on a book about the tiny housing movement.

Ilaria Di Maggio is a PhD student at Doctoral School of Psychological Sciences at University of Padova. She is member of the SIO (Italian Society of Vocational Guidance). Since 2013 she has been collaborating with the Larios Laboratory and the University Center for Inclusion and Disability at University of Padova. She carries out activities of supervision and support in the e-learning bachelor course ‘Life Design e Career Counseling’ and integrative lessons in bachelor course ‘Psychology of disability and integration’. Her research activities regard the fields of career counseling and disability. More specifically, her research activities are related to the study of career construction according to the latest approaches of Life Design in diverse groups of people: children, adolescents, young people, and adults with vulnerability (disability, substance use disorder, immigrants, etc.). In her research, special attention is given to the social and work inclusion process.

Maria Cristina Ginevra is a research fellow at the Department of Psychology, University of Milan-Bicocca. She is also an adjunct professor at the Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Pedagogy and Applied Psychology, University of Padova, where she teaches Educational psychology. She collaborates with the Larios Laboratory (Laboratory for Research and Intervention in Vocational Designing and Career Counseling) and with University Centre for Inclusion and Disability at the University of Padova. She is a member of the Italian Society for Vocational Guidance, of AIP (Italian Association of Psychology), and of the European Society for Vocational Designing and Career Counseling. Her research activities concern the fields of school-career counseling and psychology of disability. As regards psychology of disability, research activities regard the analysis of the factors associated with the social and work inclusion with special attention to career development, sexuality, and school context.

Sara E. Green is Director of the Interdisciplinary Social Sciences Program and Associate Professor in the Department of Sociology at the University of South Florida. She is co-chair, with Dr. Thomas J. Gerschick, of the American Sociological Association (ASA) Committee on the Status of Persons with Disabilities in Sociology; and 2016–2017 chair of the ASA Section on Disability & Society. Her research and teaching interests center on various aspects of the social experience of health, illness, and disability across the life course including: identity, community participation, humor, stigma, health beliefs, organizational membership and satisfaction, and care giving and receiving. She is co-editor, with Sharon Barnartt, of Sociology Looking at Disability: What Did We Know and When Did We Know It?, Research in Social Science and Disability, Volume 9 (Emerald Group Publishing, 2017); and co-author, with Shawn Bingham, of Seriously Funny: Disability and the Paradoxical Power of Humor (Lynne Rienner, 2016).

Juho Honkasilta, PhD, is an adult pedagogue currently working as a University Teacher at the University of Jyväskylä, Finland, in which he teaches empathic interaction skills for pre- and in-service teachers specializing in special education, among other subjects. Honkasilta is a recognized researcher whose research stems from the intersection of disciplines of Disability Studies and Special Education. In his current research, Honkasilta focuses on the voice of students deemed ‘troubled’ or ‘troubling’ and their parents. In particular, he is interested in the intertwined roles psychiatric diagnoses such as ADHD, school institution and school personnel play in making sense of diagnosed students’ and their parents’ agency and identity constructions, and how psychiatric diagnoses are used in order to receive recognition of certain kinds.

Heidi L. Janz, adjunct professor with the John Dossetor Heath Ethics Centre at the University of Alberta, specializes in the field of Disability Ethics. She is the winner of the 2010 Tanis Doe Award for Canadian Disability Study and Culture, and named Global TV’s Woman of Vision in May 2013. Janz is also a writer/playwright and filmmaker. Her creative work focuses on making the experiences of people with disabilities accessible to diverse audiences. Her short-film, We Regret to Inform You … (2015), co-written and co-directed with Eva Colmers, and produced by the National Film Board, was a double Rosie Award winner at the 2016 Alberta Motion Picture Industry Association (AMPIA) Award, winning Best Direction for a Documentary Short and Best Editing for a Documentary. It also won the EDA Award for Best Female-Directed Documentary Short at the 2016 DOXA Documentary Film Festival. Heidi Janz also has cerebral palsy.

Jennifer Katz received her PhD in 2008 from the University of British Columbia in inclusive education. She is the author of ‘Teaching to Diversity: The Three Block Model of Universal Design for Learning’, and ‘Resource Teachers: A Changing Role in the Three-Block Model of UDL’. Dr. Katz taught in diverse classrooms from K-12 in Winnipeg and Vancouver for 16 years, including both special education classrooms and inclusive classrooms, in addition to working as a resource teacher, guidance counsellor, and consultant. Her work as an advocate of inclusive education has become known internationally, and she has addressed multiple audiences, including university courses, academic conferences, parent advocacy groups, educational conferences, and school and division based professional development workshops. Dr. Katz is currently an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Education at the UBC.

Norm Kunc and Emma Van der Klift. Although Norm Kunc and Emma Van der Klift are well-known speakers and advocates within the disability rights community, they prefer to think of themselves as modern day storytellers, continuing the long-held tradition of using humour and narrative to initiate self-reflection and social change. Norman and Emma travel extensively throughout North America and abroad providing in-service and training in the areas of inclusive education, employment equity, conflict resolution, and other disability rights issues. Norman and Emma have a book, several journal articles, and three book chapters to their credit. They also have developed and operate ‘Conversations that Matter’, an online values training platform consisting of more than 80 video segments of conversations with the leading trainers, scholars, and advocates in the field of disability rights.

Norman was born with cerebral palsy and attended a segregated school for children with physical disabilities. At the age 13, he was integrated into a regular school. From there, he went on to complete a Bachelor’s degree in Humanities and a Master of Science degree in Family Therapy.

For many years, Emma worked with non-profit agencies that support individuals with intellectual disabilities. She holds a Master’s degree in Conflict Analysis and Management, and is certified both as a mediator and a negotiator through the Justice Institute in Vancouver. Emma identifies as Autistic and neurodivergent, and is active in the Neurodiversity movement.

Norman and Emma are married and live in Vancouver, British Columbia.

David McConnell is Professor and Director, Family and Disability Studies Initiative, Department of Occupational Therapy, Faculty of Rehabilitation Medicine, University of Alberta. Spanning two decades, David is an international leader in the field of parents and parenting with intellectual disability. His contributions in this field include the co-edited book, Parents with Intellectual Disabilities: Past, Present, and Futures (Wiley-Blackwell). David’s other research interests include the social-ecology of family resilience; disability and discrimination in child welfare services; and disability-based disparities in child and adolescent life conditions and well-being.

Sivendra Michael is currently working for the British Council as a Programme Specialist, where he oversees the implementation and delivery of programme activities of an EU Funded Project – Valuing Voices. In his professional capacity, he has also worked for the Pacific’s Premier Development Institute – the Pacific Islands Forum Secretariat and International Development Partners the UN International Labour Organisation. Sivendra has co-authored a few papers in the area of social policy and international development. He was recognised for his research contributions to the University of the South Pacific whilst presenting papers at Harvard University and the United Nations University. His areas of research interests include inclusive education policy development and implementation and large-scale monitoring and evaluations of projects.

Vanessa Morelli has a B.A. in Telecommunications from Ball State University, Muncie Indiana. She is a Contract Administrator in the entertainment industry in Southern California. She is also a volunteer coach with the Westside Southern California Special Olympics.

Laura Nota is professor at the Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Education and Applied Psychology, University of Padova. She is Delegate of the Rector for Inclusion and Disability. She is Director of the University Center for Disability and Inclusion and of Larios Laboratory; president of European Society for Vocational Designing and Career Counseling. She is associate editor of the International Journal for Educational and Vocational Guidance and of Journal of Police and Practice in Intellectual Disabilities, member of the editorial board of the Journal of Vocational Behavior, and of the Journal of Career Development. Research activities concern the fields of career counseling and psychology of disability and inclusion. Research efforts are directed toward analyzing the social abilities and inclusion processes of individuals with disability at school and in the work context. She is also interested in devising procedures and instruments for the career counseling and work inclusion of individuals with disability.

Maria Pacino, MLIS, Ed.D. is Chair and Professor of Library & Information at Azusa Pacific University in Southern California. Formerly, she was Chair of the Department of Advanced Studies in Education at the same institution. She has presented and written extensively about issues of diversity, equity and social justice as well as literacy, technology, and librarianship.

Amber Savage is research manager of the Family and Disability Studies Initiative at the University of Alberta, Canada. She is a registered occupational therapist and holds a PhD in Rehabilitation Science. Broadly, her research interests include the influence of early childhood life conditions on the health and well-being of adolescents and young adults; child and adolescent mental health; the social-ecology of family resilience; and work/life balance in families raising children with disabilities.

Kate Scorgie recently retired after 18 years as Professor in the School of Education at Azusa Pacific University. Her research interests have included families of children with disabilities; home-school collaboration with parents of children in military families; disclosure and equity accommodation for persons with disability transitioning to postsecondary settings; and transformative learning for educators.

Umesh Sharma is Associate Professor in the Faculty of Education at Monash University, Australia where he co-ordinates special and inclusive education undergraduate and postgraduate programs. He is the chief co-editor of the Australasian Journal of Special Education. He is author of about 100 academic articles, book chapters, and edited books that focus on various aspects of inclusive education. Umesh has led a number of projects for Ministries of Education in Australia, Bangladesh, India, Solomon Islands on education of children with disabilities. He is leading a large international project across 14 Pacific countries. The project is aimed at developing a set of contextually specific inclusive education indicators. His main areas of research interests are ‘inclusive education in developing countries’, ‘inclusive teacher education’ and ‘attitude and efficacy measurement’.

Marion Shields is a senior lecturer in education at Avondale College of Higher Education in New South Wales, Australia. Her main teaching areas are special education and leadership at both undergraduate and post graduate level. She also dabbles in literacy and numeracy for pre-service teachers and recently had a textbook published on this topic that is aimed towards those who struggle with these concepts. Currently she is researching the influences that change attitudes of pre-service teachers towards students with disabilities as well as prevention of attrition in beginning teachers while she completes a second doctorate on Leadership in Christian Early Childhood Centres.

Dick Sobsey is a Professor Emeritus in the Department of Educational Psychology at the University of Alberta, where he also serves as an Associate Director of the Das Centre on Developmental and Learning Disabilities and a member of the John Dossetor Health Ethics Centre. He has worked with children and adults with developmental disabilities since 1968 as a caregiver, nurse, teacher, teacher trainer, and researcher. He is father to two adult children, including a son with MECP2 duplication syndrome, severe and multiple disabilities who was fully included in regular classes from preschool through university.

Salvatore Soresi is full professor at the Department of Philosophy, Sociology, Education and Applied Psychology, University of Padova. He has founded the Larios Laboratory and the University Centre for Disability and Inclusion of the University of Padova. He is also a founder member of the Italian Society of Vocational Guidance (SIO) and of the European Society of Vocational Designing and Career Counseling. In 2008, he received an award from the Society of Counseling Psychology (American Psychological Association), in 2013 from the ESVDC for his envisioning work in career field, and in 2014 the award ‘For Distinguished Contributions to International Counseling Psychology’ from the International Association of Applied Psychology. He is the author of about 300 publications, more than 20 books, and a number of important assessment instruments. As regards the field of psychology of disability and inclusion particular attention is given to the vocational designing of persons with disabilities.

Bruce Uditsky, M.Ed., Chief Executive Officer, Inclusion Alberta and Adjunct Professor, Community Rehabilitation & Disability Studies, Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary. Bruce is internationally recognized for his leadership and advocacy in social justice and inclusion for individuals with intellectual disabilities and their families. He serves in an advisory capacity to government on many issues including the development of Alberta’s policy framework on inclusive education. He was instrumental in the development of significant disability-related legislation, including Alberta’s education standards on the placement of students with disabilities in the regular classroom. Bruce is considered one of the co-founders of inclusive post-secondary education and Rotary Employment Partnerships both of which have been acknowledged as world leading global innovations. He is the author and co-author of books, chapters and articles on inclusion. He is the parent of two adult sons, one of whom has intellectual disabilities.

Susan R. Warren is a professor and director of diversity programs in the Center for Diversity, Equity, and Inclusive Excellence at Azusa Pacific University, Azusa, CA. She has served as a professor and director in university schools of education, a teacher and principal in K-12 schools, and a consultant for school evaluations and leadership development. Her areas of research include issues of equity, diversity, and social justice in education; family involvement; school transformation; urban education, educational leadership, teacher education, and inclusive education.

Gregor Wolbring is Associate Professor of Community Rehabilitation and Disability Studies, Department of Community Health Sciences, Cumming School of Medicine, University of Calgary; visiting Professor of Ability Expectation and Ableism Studies at American University of Sovereign Nations (AUSN); scientific staff at the Institute for Technology Assessment and Systems Analysis in Karlsruhe, Germany and a Fellow at the Institute for Science, Policy and Society at the University of Ottawa, Canada. He serves on a number of boards of civic organizations, including the Council of Canadians with Disabilities and the Thalidomide Victims Association of Canada and he has served on various boards including of the Canadian Commission for UNESCO. He also served as the President of the Canadian Disability Studies Association. In 2013, Dr. Wolbring was awarded the Queen Elizabeth II Diamond Jubilee Medial in recognition of his work, which was cited as ‘tireless and of benefit to the greater community’.