Chapter 14: Students With Disabilities in Brazil, Japan, South Korea, and The United States: Implications for Inclusion and Social Justice in Physical Education

On the world stage, the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO, 2005) articulates that disability of any kind cannot be a disqualifier from general education. Conceptually and practically, inclusion is a social justice fulcrum that “involves adopting a broad vision of education for all by addressing the spectrum of needs of all learners, including those who are vulnerable to marginalization and exclusion” (UNESCO, 2005, p. 11). Inclusive education means the inclusion of all, “regardless of race, ethnicity, disability, gender, sexual orientation, language, socioeconomic status, and any other aspect of an individual's identity that might be perceived as different” (Polat, 2010, p. 51). Globally, the inclusion of students with and without disabilities in integrated classes is an educational philosophy and practice that is gaining increased acceptance (Hodge et al., 2009). For example, in the United States inclusion is often defined as students with disabilities (e.g., autism spectrum disorder, visual impairments) educated together with their peers without disabilities in general education programs (Hodge, Sato, Mukoyama, & Kozub, 2013). In Brazil, the philosophy of inclusive education extends beyond students with disabilities to also include students from poor families and impoverished communities who may or may not have disabilities (Chakraborti-Ghosh, Orellana, & Jones, 2014).