Access to and through Education Conference – 23rd and 24th Aug.
“Access to and through Education” was organised as a joint initiative between the Centre for Disability Studies (CDS) and the Coordinating Centre for Students with Disabilities (CCSD) of the University of Kelaniya and the Centre for Disability Research, Education and Practice (CEDREP) of the University of Colombo. The conference was held on the 23rd and 24th of August 2021 via the Zoom Platform.
The University of Kelaniya and the University of Colombo are pioneer institutions in Sri Lanka for disability scholarship and research. Furthermore, both universities are committed to the admission, inclusion and active participation of students and staff with disabilities. Access to education is a core pillar of an inclusive and equitable society. It is also contingent upon a broader nexus of access including accessible transportation, built environments and student and staff sensitization among other factors. Education also provides a gateway to socio-economic currency, mobility and validity. In many ways education is an access passport to other axes of access such as employment, political participation and informed decision making.
This conference explored the larger ecology of access in relation to education, especially higher education. The conference marked an inaugural collaboration of research and academic capacity and influence between the University of Kelaniya and the University of Colombo in the field of Disability Studies. It is intended to lay the foundation for further collaboration and cross-university learning and exchange in the future.
The prevailing COVID pandemic has created added barriers to access and inclusion across the board. Given these realities, the conference aimed to bring together researchers, academic staff, students and policy makers to engage in critical discussion on topics related to equity and equality of access to education and beyond; of access to and through education. The prevailing COVID-19 pandemic has posed unprecedented global challenges to education and learning at all levels. The exacerbation of existing inequities requires urgent innovative interventions and provides an opportunity for cross-institutional collaboration, especially in terms of inclusion, access, knowledge creation and co-imagining solutions. The conference highlighted the need for intersectional and informed approaches to policy and practice.
The inauguration of the conference was attended by nearly 200 participants. Snr. Prof. Chandrika N.Wijeratne-Vice Chancellor, University of Colombo and Snr. Prof. Lasantha Manawadu-Dean, Faculty of Arts addressed the gathering on behalf of the University of Colombo. Prof Nilanthi de Silva-Vice Chancellor, University of Kelaniya and Prof. Janaki De S Hewavisenthi-Dean, Faculty of Medicine spoke on behalf of the University of Kelaniya.
On the first day, keynote speaker Prof Fiona Kumari Campbell spoke about The Tyranny of Low Expectations: Ableism, Education and Advancement. Invited speaker Thilanka Wijesinghe spoke on Local Perspectives on Deaf Education. This was followed by a forum on Deaf Education with Prof. James Woodward (Adjunct Professor of Linguistics, University of Hawaii at Mānoa) & Nguyen Thi Hoa (Centre for Studying and Promoting Deaf Culture, Dong Nai University, Vietnam), Prof. Gladys Tang & Prof. Felix (Chinese University of Hong Kong), Brayan Susantha, Geshani Amila, Mohamed Rasak, and Pubodha Sarani (APSL researchers, Sign Linguistics Centre, Ayati Centre). Afterwards, research sessions on Access to Education during COVID, Pedagogy & Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and Access to Education in Sri Lanka: Policy to Practice took place. In the afternoon of the first day invited speaker Isuru Ayeshmanth spoke about Understanding Diversity and Inclusion within a Teleological Reading of Contemporary Pedagogic Practices. Thereafter, students from the University of Colombo, Kelaniya, and Ruhuna presented their experiences on accessibility within universities. The day ended with a vibrant student Arts hour where students with disabilities and students without disabilities from the two universities showcased their varying talents.
On the second day keynote speaker Dr Janet Price spoke about Adding Access and Shifting the Norm. Invited speakers Dr Dinesh Palipahana and Dr Samitha Samanmali spoke about their experiences in becoming disabled as adults and shared their experiences in medical schools both in Sri Lanka and in Australia, discussing differences in these contexts and how accessibility to education changed their life opportunities. A research session on Lived Experiences and Perceptions of Disability followed, presenting student research. Colleagues from the Faculty of Arts, University of Colombo presented their innovative ideas for an inclusive classroom in the panel Universal Design of Learning (UDL) and Universal Design for Instruction (UDI): From Theory to Praxis. There was also a discussion on mental health at the panel Accessibility Matters: Healthcare during COVID took place. The conference came to a close with a round table discussion on Initiatives at University from within and in collaboration with Ms. Niluka Gunewardena, Ms. Lasanthi Daskon, Ms. Dumini de Silva, and Dr. Tharindi Udalagama.
Conference Proceedings :
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