CVO INCLUSIEF
Making adult education accessible
Everyone has the right to inclusive education. Teachers in Adult Education Centers usually have little or no experience teaching adults with intellectual disabilities. With this project we want to support CVOs in setting up inclusive educational pathways.
From until
What
CVO inclusive stands for Inclusive education for people with intellectual disabilities in adult education centers (CVO). Within the project, a script was developed that supports CVOs in making adult education more accessible.
Goal
The primary goal of this project was to develop a manual that supports CVOs in making adult education accessible to adults with intellectual disabilities. This responds to the learning needs of these adults who want to expand their knowledge or who see 'learning a trade' as a stepping stone to (supervised) work.
The CVO Inclusive script describes in twelve steps how CVOs can prepare for inclusive education for adults with an intellectual disability. This starts with creating support for inclusion and goes through the various steps from preparation by the CVO team to the completion of the training for the student.
Relevance
Full social participation means that people with disabilities can develop inclusive life trajectories as much as possible. Inclusive adult education is in line with the right to education and lifelong learning (United Nations, 2006, Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities, Article 24). By strengthening adults with intellectual disabilities through education, they increase their chances of (guided) work.
The impact study conducted during the pilot study shows that both “belonging” and “extrinsic motivation” are success factors for participating students.
For these students, it was a unique experience to learn as an adult among adults: respect, appreciation, and learning together were key concepts.
Students found it important to be able to choose a course that matches their own interests, acquire knowledge and skills, experience what the learning can be used for, and actually use it in daily life or work. Obtaining the partial certificate gave a boost to start a follow-up course or to lift work activities to another level.
CVOs and inclusive students can use the services set up by the project partners after the project: coaching in the implementation of an inclusive policy, training for teachers, support for the learning process, and guidance to internships with the support of the Supported Employment service.
Our role
To gain insight into the expectations and concerns of both CVO teachers and people with intellectual disabilities, Mobilab & Care organized focus groups for both stakeholder groups.
Subsequently, an experience map was created using personas (fictional students) to map the various steps between the idea of “I want to follow a course” and “obtaining the partial certificate.” Based on this, prototyping was set up, in which two adults with intellectual disabilities followed a trial trajectory. Both inclusive students and teachers were intensively supported by the project partners.
Mobilab & Care developed a hands-on training for CVO teachers. Teachers practiced, together with a panel of people with intellectual disabilities, how to respond to the support needs of diverse students. Teachers adapted their teaching materials based on the Universal Design for Learning guidelines.
The information from the prototyping phase led to a trial design for the CVO inclusive script. The trial design was then tested in a pilot study in two different CVOs. Four people with intellectual disabilities participated, each in a different course. They chose the courses bicycle repair, basic cooking, nursing assistant, or international classic cooking. Here too, the project partners provided the necessary support.
During the pilot study, Mobilab & Care conducted a case study in which the four participating students were asked about the critical success factors for following inclusive adult education.
Want to download a PDF version of the script?
More information in this brochure
Publications
Docenten voorbereiden op inclusief volwassenenonderwijs. Een co-creatie met volwassenen met een verstandelijke beperking.
Wat na het (buitengewoon) secundair onderwijs? Inclusief volwassenenonderwijs: onderzoek naar de kritische factoren voor cursisten met een verstandelijke beperking.
Researchers
Jo Daems
Occupational therapist inspired by individuals with disabilities, dedicated to creating an inclusive society through research.
Partners
