A COMMENTARY ON INCLUSION AND THE DEVELOPMENT OF A POSITIVE SELF-IDENTITY BY PEOPLE WITH DISABILITIES

A growing number of concerned individuals throughout the world, includ ing people with disabilities, their parents, and educators, are advoca ting that students with disabilities be educated in the mainstream of neighborhood classrooms and schools. However, some disability-rights a dvocates believe that if people with disabilities are to have a well-d eveloped sense of identity as adults, they need to have had opportunit ies in their school years to associate with other people (both childre n and adults) having similar characteristics and interests. In this ar ticle, we examine this issue and provide one perspective on how it mig ht be addressed.