Inclusive education and disability: Jamie-Lee’s reflection
My Greatest Hope For Our Future is an Inclusive Education
By Jamie-Lee Dwyer · Originally published 2 December 2020
Original article
Jamie-Lee Dwyer is a freelance writer out of Queensland. She has studied and received a bachelor of journalism with first-class honours from Griffith University. In between doing the odd freelance writing job she is currently writing a fiction book about disability.
It has been my experience, as a person with a disability, that a narrow education leads to a narrow mind. For any member of society, it can open or shut many doors.
I had my own perceptions flipped regarding disability when I met Marlena in my early 20s. Two young women in wheelchairs at university, it really wasn’t that hard to find common ground.
We had initially bonded over not being able to find accessible toilets near our lecture theatres. However, we became good friends and ended up going skydiving together.
Marlena can’t speak because of her disabilities, which I found quite confronting at first. I never actually realised before meeting her that I was prejudiced toward different disabilities.
I experienced a lot of prejudice growing up. Mainly from kids and adults who didn’t know any better. A lot of people are not very well educated when it comes to disability. Most people think all disability is one and the same. You’d think being disabled myself, that I’d be more open-minded. Turns out, I wasn’t.
I wasn’t actually sure whether Marlena could go skydiving. It was something I still wasn’t sure that I could physically do either, but apparently she’d already done it. So I went with her and learnt how to fly.
Marlena became the music journalist she’d been studying to be. Conducting interviews with hundreds of A-listers from across the globe. Always being among the first to try out new technology that would help her with interviews.
Breaking the mould was Marlena’s speciality. Frequently travelling to a lot of destinations that many people in wheelchairs would deem too inaccessible. Adventure was a huge part of her life.
I think one of her greatest achievements was publishing her own book. Showing others how to rise above other people’s expectations. There’s no better illustration than Marlena’s own words: “Given the opportunity and support, anyone can be anything” (Dare to Be You, 2014).
Marlena never let her disability hold her back from chasing her dreams. I never chose to be disabled, but watching her approach to life is something that has helped me embrace the parts of me that I didn’t choose.
I was so lucky to meet Marlena when I did. Years later, I wound up living with many people with a disability. None of them had the opportunity of an education like she had.
It makes me wonder, if Marlena hadn’t had the opportunity of an education, would we have even connected like we did? Would she have even gone on to actively speak not only for herself, but for many others? Having been taught a different way to communicate than most of us.
Someone else who I greatly admire, and has had to learn a different way to communicate, is Helen Keller.
Born in Alabama during the late 19th century; Keller was both blind and deaf from birth. Her wealthy upbringing led to her unusual, but inclusive education.
[Clickability update, October 2026: The American Foundation for the Blind biography records that Helen Keller became deaf and blind at 19 months following an illness. It also describes specialised teaching and educational barriers, not uncomplicated mainstream access.]
I don’t even think that the word ‘disabled’ was widely used in Keller’s lifetime. Her wealthy parents had paid for her to be taught how to communicate. Therefore, her mainstream education was never a problem.
Keller’s inclusive education meant she was among the first women to not only attend college, but also to teach at that level. She then went on to become a highly regarded author and activist.
[Clickability update, October 2026: This is inaccurate. The AFB records Keller’s 1904 Radcliffe degree as the first Bachelor of Arts earned by a deafblind person. It does not establish the teaching claim in this paragraph.]
“After my education began, the world within my reach was all alive”
Helen Keller, 1908. ‘The World within My Reach’
I know from firsthand experience how difficult it can be to ask others for help when you need it. It’s not an easy path to navigate while speaking your mind, and a lot of time I relied on family to make sure my point was heard.
Helen Keller was very good at making her point heard, in a time without the technological advances of the 21st century. It was in a letter to her own teacher that she wrote one of her most inspirational quotes:
"The best and most beautiful things in the world cannot be seen or even heard. They must be felt with the heart."
These words are still used today, shortened versions like “felt with the heart”. I found her quote so inspiring, I went out and got her words tattooed on my shoulder blade.
If Helen Keller hadn’t received her education in the late nineteenth century, the world would have been deprived of her beautiful words. Which is truly a sad thought.
In the 21st century it feels like the world has only just started to realise that disability is not a choice. Now if we want a more progressive society, we need to make sure an inclusive education is a part of that. Not only for young people with a disability, but for everyone as well.
The differences in our society should be understood, and not shamed like they have been in the past.
Clickability editorial update: October 2026
Name the access that lets you take part
Jamie-Lee’s account connects friendship with communication and practical access. When considering study, identify the barriers that matter to you, such as accessible facilities, teaching materials or a usable way to join discussion. Ask the education provider about adjustments and how requests are handled.
Your preferred communication should guide those discussions. Do not assume that speech is the only way to contribute or that an impressive biography is evidence a person needs less support. NDIA education guidance helps distinguish the education system’s responsibilities from additional disability supports.
Make participation possible without making achievement a condition
Ask learners how they want to communicate and what gets in the way of participation. Discuss adjustments with them, including access to materials and group activities. An inclusive environment should not depend on a person proving they can overcome each barrier alone.
Keep the learner’s own goals central and avoid using another person’s success as a standard they must meet. Explain the organisation’s adjustment process and follow up on whether the agreed changes work in practice.
Questions readers ask
Was Helen Keller deafblind from birth?
No. The AFB records that she became deaf and blind following illness at 19 months. Official guidance
Does NDIS funding replace an education provider’s responsibilities?
No. Education responsibilities and additional disability-related supports need to be distinguished. Official guidance
Find support for your next learning goal
Describe the assistance you want through Clickability. Compare reviewed and rated provider profiles and ask how they will work with your communication and access preferences.
