Guest editors' introduction: Inclusive post-secondary education and persons with disabilities

Abstract

The articles in this special issue are derived from a 2 day, online conference held on May 5–6, 2022 organized by the Disability Rights Working Group of the Berkeley Center for Comparative Equality & Anti-Discrimination Law in conjunction with the Law, Disability & Social Change Project, Faculty of Law, University of Windsor. As the CoDirectors of the Disability Rights Working Group, we are indebted to all the speakers and participants at the conference for their invaluable contributions. Article 24(1) of the UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) recognizes the right of persons with disabilities to education and states that this should be realized without discrimination, on the basis of equal opportunity, and inclusive at all levels (emphasis added). Article 24 sets out several fundamental dimensions to realizing the right to education, including at the post-secondary level. For example, Article 24(1) establishes many of the qualitative goals that persons with disabilities will be enabled to achieve through the right to education, such as the full development of human potential, a sense of dignity and selfworth, and a student’s creativity and talent. Article 24(4) addresses, in part, the need to train teachers, professionals and staff to support persons with disabilities in their educational journey at all levels of learning. Article 24(5) is specifically addressed to post-secondary level education: