Beyond incrementalism? Interrogating inclusive education reform in the United States

In this paper we critically interrogate prevailing frameworks and definitions of inclusive education in the United States (US) to consider whether current reform trends can adequately move towards inclusivity for the most marginalized of students with disabilities–such as those with significant disability labels and/ or those who are multiply marginalized. To do this, we culled materials such as indicators, rubrics, handbooks, and mission statements from the websites of six prominent inclusive reform organizations in the US. We qualitatively coded the documents to deepen our understanding of reform priorities and definitions. We then applied a disability studies in education (DSE) theoretical lens to discern whether current definitions uphold traditional, neoliberal, medical model frameworks or more radical anti-assimilationist approaches to reform. We found that definitions of inclusion, and who inclusion is targeted for vary widely across reform measures. We also found common reform priorities, such as Multi-Tiered Systems of Support, which we feel are a result of neoliberal priorities. We analyze and discuss the questions this analysis raises from a DSE perspective.