Pizza session: experienced students on inclusion in educational practice

Today, during Accessibility Week, ECIO organized an informal pizza session for students with support needs. Students from both colleges and universities came together to share their experiences about inclusive education. In an open conversation, we discussed what works well and where there is room for improvement. These students know better than anyone else what it takes to make education truly inclusive. LSVb and JOBmbo were also represented. While we enjoyed a pizza together, it was not only a great opportunity to exchange experiences, but also a chance for the students to network and inspire each other.

Valuable insights

During the pizza session with students by experience, many valuable insights emerged. A recurring theme was that it is often a matter of having “the right person at the right time” to get the necessary support. Students indicated that they frequently had to search for the right person themselves to get things arranged, which unnecessarily complicates the process. It was also found that not everyone always felt their support needs were taken seriously. In addition, it was noted that flexibility from schools sometimes really leaves something to be desired, so students are not always given the space they need to successfully complete their studies.

The value of experienced students

The session focused on students’ experiences and ideas. They shared what does and does not work within their learning environment and indicated what facilities and arrangements are needed to make education more inclusive. Students with support needs may face barriers to education, for example due to a disability, chronic illness, mental health issues, pregnancy, young parenthood, trans or gender diversity, or special family circumstances such as informal care. These are the students who best understand the challenges of current education and can pinpoint exactly what improvements are needed.”

The importance of student participation

The meeting emphasized the importance of student engagement in the process of inclusion. Students with support needs should play an active role in policy making and implementation around inclusion. This includes:

• there are formal opportunities for students to participate and influence policy.
• the needs of students with support needs are structurally identified and included in follow-up steps.
• these students are involved and have a say in the evaluation of the curriculum and testing formats.
• students with support needs play an active role in the development and evaluation of support offerings.
• the needs of these students are included in training offerings for education professionals.
• there is room for students to participate in thinking about monitoring and quality improvement of education.

By actively involving students in decisions and improvements, not only are their needs taken into account, but they also become part of the solution. This contributes to a learning environment that is both digitally and physically adapted to diverse needs.

Students as key figures for inclusive education

This session was a valuable awareness of how important it is to actively involve students in the development of inclusive education. After all, they are the ones who experience the daily challenges and provide the insights needed to make education truly inclusive. Only by putting their experiences at the center can we work together to create an educational environment where everyone has equal opportunities.

Handouts for education professionals

There is a lot of valuable information available to support you as an education professional in creating inclusive educational offerings. We share some helpful infosheets, but it is especially important that you consult the knowledge base. Here you will find extensive information on specific support needs, handouts, student and professional experiences, and research findings that can directly help you further shape inclusive education.

• Infosheet: Supervising students with TOS
• Infosheet: Supervising Students with Autism
• Infosheet: Supervising students with ADHD

Handouts for experiential students

We support students by experience in various ways so that they can follow their studies in the best possible way. Through the website onbelemmerdstuderen.nl, we offer valuable information and resources. In addition, we share helpful flyers, such as Grip on Study Success and Study Barriers, which focus on dealing with challenges students may encounter. We also provide insight into specific support needs so they know exactly what options are available to them to overcome obstacles and study successfully.