British Columbia promotes an inclusive education system in which students with disabilities and diverse abilities are fully participating members of a community of learners. Inclusion describes the principle that all students are entitled to equitable access to learning, achievement and the pursuit of excellence in all aspects of their educational programs. The practice of inclusion is not necessarily synonymous with full integration in regular classrooms, and goes beyond placement to include meaningful participation and the promotion of interaction with others.

Ministry of Education, Special Education Services

Students with Disabilities and Diverse Abilities

Every child has an entry point for success.

Richmond Educator

Why are we focussing on students with disabilities and diverse abilities?

Richmond has long been a leader in providing inclusive learning supports for students. As with all learners, we want to ensure that students with disabilities and diverse abilities receive appropriate and rich learning opportunities so they are successful in meeting their individualized educational goals as members of the larger school community. We are focusing on students with disabilities and diverse abilities to enrich their communication, thinking, and personal and social competencies.

What learning and actions are we doing?

We offer individualized supports within flexible learning environments in our district. Most students attend their neighbourhood school with supports built into their educational program within the classroom. We continually strive to develop supportive and inclusive learning opportunities for students, while exploring innovative practices to best support all students. Examples of our learning and actions will be provided throughout the year.

How will we know we are making enough of a difference?

Our learning connected to students with disabilities and diverse abilities will develop over the next few years. We have multiple ongoing measures to assess progress in supporting students with identified disabilities, including monitoring of progress related to Individualized Education Plans, ongoing collaborative team meetings, and transition and graduation rates. As part of our commitment to inclusive learning, we will engage with students and schools with Inclusive Learning Inquiry teams to ask questions, review samples of learning, and collect feedback. Examples of how we are making a difference will be updated annually below.