But change happens gradually. Changes at all societal levels are necessary for inclusive systems.

At the school level, teachers must obtain training, facilities must be renovated, and pupils must have educational materials that are accessible. Stigma and discrimination must be combated at the community level, and people must be made aware of the advantages of inclusive education. To ensure that children receive effective care, national governments must match laws and policies with the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities. They also must routinely collect and analyze data.

FHI promotes inclusive education in a common learning environment; that is, an educational setting where students from different backgrounds and with different abilities learn together in an inclusive environment. Common learning environments are used for the majority of the students’ regular instruction hours and may include classrooms, libraries, gym, performance theatres, music rooms, cafeterias, playgrounds and the local community. A common learning environment is not a place where students with intellectual disabilities or other special needs learn in isolation from their peers.

Effective common learning environments:

• Enable each student to fully participate in the learning environment that is designed for all students and is shared with peers in the chosen educational setting;
• Provide a positive climate, promote a sense of belonging and ensure student progress toward appropriate personal, social, emotional and academic goals;
• Are responsive to individual learning needs by providing sufficient levels of support and applying student-centred teaching practices and principles.
• Common learning environment: an inclusive environment where instruction is designed to be delivered to students of mixed ability and with their peer group in the community school, while being responsive to their individual needs as a learner, and used for the majority of the students’ regular instruction hours.