Phelan, Shanon
Permanent URI for this collectionhttps://hdl.handle.net/10222/81056
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Item Open Access Promoting equitable access to disability inclusive early learning & childcare in Nova Scotia: The family experience (Summary Report)(2024-06) Phelan, Shanon; Diggins, Colleen; Ausman, Christine; Vardy, Leah; McConnell, David; Moore, SarahIntroduction: In this research, we asked: How do families in Nova Scotia navigate access to inclusive early learning and childcare programs for preschool-aged children experiencing disability? We wanted to know: 1) What are the barriers and facilitators to accessing inclusive early learning and childcare? and 2) How does navigating access to inclusive early learning and childcare affect family life? Methods: An interpretive qualitative study was conducted using semi-structured interviews with a diverse sample of 17 parents of children with disabilities and 4 key informants (3 centre directors and 1 inclusion co-ordinator) from the early childhood sector in Nova Scotia, Canada. Findings: Reflexive thematic analysis generated the following themes: (1) Money Makes a Difference, (2) It Takes the Right Village, and (3) Disabling Systems and Exclusionary Effects. Parents highlighted the importance of inclusion for their children. They shared that their children who experience disability are often denied access to early learning and childcare. Without provincial policies or frameworks to champion inclusion, families are often left to champion inclusion themselves. Parents also highlighted the need for more assistance in navigating support systems and finding tailored care for their children. Conclusion: Barriers to access have a cascade of effects on families, resulting in invisible work, uncertainty, and overall negative effects on mental health and emotional well-being. We propose key considerations for policy and practice to actively promote disability-affirming inclusive early learning and childcare cultures and communities. Ultimately, we can start by listening to families’ stories and making decisions that offer flexibility and prioritize inclusion and belonging.Item Open Access Equitable access to inclusive early learning and childcare for children with disabilities: The family experience(2022-10-31) Phelan, Shanon; Diggins, Colleen; Ausman, Christine; Vardy, Leah; McConnell, David; Moore, SarahFamilies of children with disabilities have endured a long history of inequitable access to inclusive early learning and childcare programs due to financial, institutional, sociocultural, and discriminatory barriers. When children with disabilities are excluded from early learning and childcare, they are also excluded from opportunities to participate in different types of play, social, and physical activities, resulting in negative physical, developmental, psychological, and socio-emotional health and well-being outcomes. There is unequivocal evidence showing that high quality, inclusive early learning and childcare can mitigate the effects of social inequities and promote child health and development. In this research, we explored the following questions: 1) What are the barriers and facilitators to accessing inclusive early learning and/or childcare for families with preschool-aged (0-5 years) children with disabilities? and 2) How does navigating access to inclusive early learning and/or childcare affect family life? An interpretive qualitative study was conducted using semi-structured interviews with a diverse sample of 17 parents of children with disabilities and 4 key informants from the early childhood sector in Nova Scotia, Canada. Critical disability and ecocultural theoretical perspectives were used to illuminate how sociocultural factors shaped access, inclusion, and felt experiences of family well-being. Findings: Reflexive thematic analysis generated the following themes: (1) Money Makes a Difference, (2) It Takes the Right Village, and (3) Disabling Systems and Exclusionary Effects. Barriers to access have a cascade of effects on families, resulting in invisible work, uncertainty, and overall negative effects on mental health and emotional well-being. We propose key considerations for policy and practice to actively promote disability-affirming inclusive early learning and childcare cultures and communities. Inclusion is necessary for children with disabilities and their families to thrive in their communities and lead healthy, happy lives. The research findings will support families of children with disabilities, decision-makers, health professionals, and service providers in mitigating health and social inequities, facilitating opportunities, and attending to the unique needs of families of children with disabilities seeking inclusion and belonging in early learning and childcare programs in their communities.Item Open Access The exclusionary effects of inclusion today: (Re)production of disability in inclusive education settings(Taylor & Francis Online, 2020-10-14) Reeves, Paige; Ng, Stella; Harris, Meghan; Phelan, ShanonCurrent inclusive education practices remain entrenched in deficit-oriented discourses. An interrogation of these discourses is necessary to enact inclusion driven by diversity and collective belonging. This collective case study explored 10 cases of parent and child experiences in inclusive school settings and addressed the following questions: What disability discourses are (re)produced in inclusive school settings? What are the effects of these discourses on families’ experiences of inclusion in inclusive school settings? Using disability discourses as sensitizing concepts, 5 themes were generated framed in ‘disability as’ statements: disability as fragile, deviant, currency, defining, and affirmative. Despite a shift towards inclusive rhetoric, normative and oppressive discourses permeated inclusive school settings examined in this study. Normative discourses produced the following effects: the Othering of disabled children, governance of disability, internalised oppression, ontological violence, and invisible work. Findings from this study call for critical reflexivity on current inclusive education policies.Item Open Access (Re)Imagining inclusion in ways that foster belonging in the lives of disabled children and youth(The Lancet, 2021-12-01) Phelan, Shanon; Reeves, PaigeFor the greater part of the twentieth century, thanks in part to disability rights movements around the world, disableda children and youth have increasingly been afforded access to community spaces, such as schools and classrooms; and activities, such as inclusive recreation programs, alongside their non-disabled peers. However, despite increased access, disabled children report ongoing experiences of exclusion in spaces labelled as ‘inclusive’.1—3 Disabled children continue to be more likely than their non-disabled peers to experience bullying, discrimination, loneliness, and accessibility barriers that negatively impact their health and well-being.4 Evidently, there is a fundamental gap between how inclusion is theorized in practice and how inclusion is experienced in the everyday lives of disabled children.