International Conference on Inclusive Education 2015

Dr. Scot Danforth is well-known leader in the growing area of Disability Studies in Education, a multidisciplinary field of educational research exploring disabilities as sociopolitical constructions and construing the disabled community as an oppressed minority group. He is co-founder of the Disability Studies in Education Special Interest Group of the American Educational Research Association (http://ced.ncsu.edu/2/dse/). His research has explored the roles of professional and layperson discourses in the social and political construction of disability. Additionally, his publications have analyzed the historical and philosophical development of the field of special education. He has written a wide range of books and articles in the areas of special education teacher preparation, working with students with social and emotional difficulties, and classroom management.

Professor Gaad is the Dean of the Faculty of Education and a Full Professor of Special and Inclusive Education at British University in Dubai. She led the university’s special and inclusive Masters programme for many years and currently leads the Doctorate programme. She founded one of the largest NGOs in the UAE and heads the educational committee of UAEDSA (United Arab Emirates Down Syndrome Association). Professor Gaad is on Board of Directors of several non-profit organizations in the UAE. Winner of HH Princess Haya Award for best distinguished individual research in 2012, and in the same year was awarded the Global Leadership in Education Award.

Terje Magnussønn Watterdal joined the Norwegian Afghanistan Committee as Country Director in February 2013. Mr. Watterdal has been Education Advisor for UNESCO and the World Bank, and worked on human rights issues for UNICEF, WHO and UNDP as well as number of other international organizations. He has taught at universities in countries throughout Asia and worked for eight years as Advisor for the Indonesian Ministry of Education.

Director, National Center for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People, India Javed Abidi is the director of the National Centre for Promotion of Employment for Disabled People (NCPEDP) in India, and the founder of the Disability Rights Group. He received an education in journalism and communication at Wright State University in Dayton, Ohio. He set up the disability wing of the Rajiv Gandhi Foundation in India, after being invited to do so by Sonia Gandhi.

Prof. Rafique Tahir served as a focal person and catalyst in initiating inclusive education in Pakistan. He has extensively visited inclusive schools round the globe. Prof. Rafique Tahir represented Pakistan on different forums particularly for making public schools child friendly and inclusive. He was the man behind in launching the first large inclusive education project in Islamabad. He well understands the strengths and weaknesses of inclusive education in Pakistani context.