Congratulations to A/Prof Kathy Cologon who presented three papers at the recent AARE conference - https://www.aareconference.com.au/ in Newcastle, NSW:
- Beyond Words: Anti Ableist Pedagogies and Children's Participation Through Inclusive Arts - Olivia Karaolis and Kathy Cologon
- From Lived Experience to Systemic Change: Children’s Perspectives as the Foundation for Equity Education - Kathy Cologon, Zinnia Mevawalla, Timothy Cologon, Jackie Fulton, Jane Catlin
She was invited to present the Sue Grieshaber Commemorative Lecture (2/12/25)
Anti-ableist pedagogy: A necessary foundation for inclusion
Abstract: Despite national and international commitments, legislative requirements, policy, human rights, and a deep moral imperative, inclusion remains an elusive phenomenon for most children. In this commemorative lecture I argue that realising inclusion requires an explicitly anti-ableist pedagogy built with, and accountable to, children. I invite us to reflect on where we have come from and explore what inclusion, disability, and exclusion mean from the perspectives of young children. This includes considering:
- Ontological inclusion recognising disability as a valuable and fundamental aspect of human diversity.
- Epistemic justice valuing diverse ways of knowing and communicating as legitimate sources of educational knowledge and decision-making.
- Design justice treating access as essential to design, across spaces, routines, assessment, and policy.
- Relational accountability centring children’s agency and interdependence, and moving from “voice” to influence in everyday practice and governance.
- Structural responsibility shifting inclusion from personal “goodwill” to enforceable, and resourced obligations.
Drawing on research exploring individual, family, and collective experiences, we learn from children the necessity of anti-ableist pedagogy as the foundation of all educational experiences – from the early years onwards. In conversation with AARE’s 2025 theme of New Connections and Directions for Educational Research, how can we connect and collaborate with children in generative ways to address individual, systemic and structural barriers and create a more inclusive future for every child?
