We specialise in interdisciplinary research that cross-cuts multiple dynamic, often-interwoven areas:
Universal Design for Learning
IDEA prides itself as a pioneer in research on and the implementation of the Universal Design for Learning (UDL), particularly in the Low- to Middle-income (LMIC) contexts of Africa. UDL is an approach to the curriculum that benefits all learners by planning for diversity from the onset. In UDL, the learning environment and curriculum is designed to meet the needs of the widest range of learners. The approach requires planning upfront rather than retrofitting. The teacher thinks about access from the start and not as an add on. The goal is to meet a wider range of learning needs from the start.
Disability and Intersectionality
We engage in a range of critical research that understands the various and complex intersecting dimensions and dynamics of oppression and marginalisation woven with disability as we work towards genuinely inclusive and collaborative strategies. In this regard, we are focused on various areas, including race, gender, age, class, intellectual disability, childhood, and how these interact with historical (e.g. colonialism), geopolitical, social, economic, cultural and ideological factors and processes and shape disablism. More practically, we push for analyses and practices that are aware and that question these forces as we push for discourses, policies and practices that move beyond monolithic ‘solutions’, including within disability studies.
Community Based Inclusive Development (CBID)
CBID focuses on the creation of inclusive societies where people with disabilities have equal access to social and development benefits like everyone else in their communities. The rationale is that no one should be excluded from development and that the inclusion of marginalized people in local development processes reduces poverty, builds community resilience and benefits the whole of the community. At IDEA, we are committed to producing ground-breaking theoretical and applied research on CBID to redress the research gap, and we do this by linking it with other areas of study such as disability studies, global health, development, inclusive education and community development or humanitarian action.
Inclusive Education
IDEA has its roots in the development of research and resources on inclusive education. We have been active in the development of resources for teacher education, which can be accessed on our webpage. This work has also led to numerous publications and the development of short courses. We are committed to research that supports SDG for an inclusive and equitable quality education across the lifespan. Within this framework we focus on supporting disability inclusion through promoting Universal Design for Learning in environments for learning and teaching, complemented by the necessary reasonable accommodations.
Disability across the life course
IDEA is engaged with the field of developmental disability and disorders in our research. We recognise that disability needs to be considered across the lifespan and we partner with the International Association for the Scientific Study of Intellectual and Developmental Disability as well as Special Olympics in our research.
Disability and digital innovation
IDEA links to four massive online open courses which can be accessed for free from our website. We are researching the impact of these courses and exploring different models of delivery for teacher education in low and middle income countries. We are currently engaged in research on the experiences of students who are blind or have low vision in the digital space at UCT. We are also working with the UCT Online high school on developing the capacity of this mode of delivery to be inclusive of all learners with disabilities. Our experience in this area is applied to the diverse student body at UCT through a project on blended learning in higher education in collaboration with the Centre for Innovation in Teaching and Learning (CILT) at UCT.