EDS4803
Assignment 2
Due 25 July 2025
,EDS4803
Assignment 2
Due 25 July 2025
Question 1: Critical Discussion of Educational Approaches Supporting Learners with
Disabilities, with Reference to the Rights-Based Approach
Introduction
The education of learners with disabilities has undergone profound transformation over
the past decades, shifting from exclusionary and deficit-oriented models to frameworks
rooted in human rights and inclusive pedagogies. Among these, the Rights-Based
Approach (RBA) occupies a central position, conceptualizing disability as a social
construct and framing education as a non-negotiable entitlement rather than a
conditional provision. This discussion critically evaluates the RBA, highlighting its
philosophical foundations, structural strengths, and inherent limitations, with particular
attention to its implementation within the South African educational landscape.
Overview of the Rights-Based Approach
The RBA draws its legitimacy from global human rights frameworks, most notably the
United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD, 2006).
It reframes learners with disabilities as autonomous rights-bearers, whose educational
access must be safeguarded through legally enforceable mechanisms. The approach
rejects medicalized or charitable views of disability, foregrounding values of autonomy,
dignity, non-discrimination, and active participation. In education, this implies the duty of
states to create inclusive environments, provide reasonable accommodations, and
remove systemic barriers that perpetuate exclusion.
, Strengths of the RBA
A key strength of the RBA lies in its normative and legal authority, compelling
educational institutions and governments to uphold equality in both policy and practice.
In South Africa, this orientation is reflected in Education White Paper 6 (2001), which
advocates for inclusive education systems tailored to diverse learner needs
(Department of Education, 2001). The RBA acts as a catalyst for systemic reform by
promoting universal design for learning, adapting curricula, mandating teacher training,
and investing in accessible infrastructure.
Furthermore, the RBA empowers learners and their families by legitimizing advocacy,
enabling legal redress, and reinforcing a culture of accountability. It shifts the discourse
from welfare to justice, thereby promoting agency, self-determination, and inclusive
citizenship.
Limitations and Challenges
Despite its compelling theoretical orientation, the practical implementation of the RBA
encounters substantial structural and ideological challenges. In resource-constrained
contexts, such as rural South Africa, infrastructural deficits, understaffed schools, and
limited access to assistive technologies render the principles of the RBA aspirational
rather than actionable (Walton, 2018). Moreover, the over-reliance on legislative
compliance risks reducing inclusion to procedural checklists, devoid of the relational,
affective, and pedagogical dimensions essential to genuine inclusion.
Another critique lies in the RBA's universalist assumptions, which may inadvertently
impose Western conceptions of rights that are sometimes misaligned with communal
epistemologies and local values. For example, legalistic approaches may fail to
resonate in collectivist communities where inclusion is traditionally embedded in
relational care rather than institutional mandates.
Critical Analysis
The philosophical stance underpinning the RBA prioritizes individual autonomy and
legal entitlements, reflecting a liberal rights discourse. However, this stance can
Assignment 2
Due 25 July 2025
,EDS4803
Assignment 2
Due 25 July 2025
Question 1: Critical Discussion of Educational Approaches Supporting Learners with
Disabilities, with Reference to the Rights-Based Approach
Introduction
The education of learners with disabilities has undergone profound transformation over
the past decades, shifting from exclusionary and deficit-oriented models to frameworks
rooted in human rights and inclusive pedagogies. Among these, the Rights-Based
Approach (RBA) occupies a central position, conceptualizing disability as a social
construct and framing education as a non-negotiable entitlement rather than a
conditional provision. This discussion critically evaluates the RBA, highlighting its
philosophical foundations, structural strengths, and inherent limitations, with particular
attention to its implementation within the South African educational landscape.
Overview of the Rights-Based Approach
The RBA draws its legitimacy from global human rights frameworks, most notably the
United Nations Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (UNCRPD, 2006).
It reframes learners with disabilities as autonomous rights-bearers, whose educational
access must be safeguarded through legally enforceable mechanisms. The approach
rejects medicalized or charitable views of disability, foregrounding values of autonomy,
dignity, non-discrimination, and active participation. In education, this implies the duty of
states to create inclusive environments, provide reasonable accommodations, and
remove systemic barriers that perpetuate exclusion.
, Strengths of the RBA
A key strength of the RBA lies in its normative and legal authority, compelling
educational institutions and governments to uphold equality in both policy and practice.
In South Africa, this orientation is reflected in Education White Paper 6 (2001), which
advocates for inclusive education systems tailored to diverse learner needs
(Department of Education, 2001). The RBA acts as a catalyst for systemic reform by
promoting universal design for learning, adapting curricula, mandating teacher training,
and investing in accessible infrastructure.
Furthermore, the RBA empowers learners and their families by legitimizing advocacy,
enabling legal redress, and reinforcing a culture of accountability. It shifts the discourse
from welfare to justice, thereby promoting agency, self-determination, and inclusive
citizenship.
Limitations and Challenges
Despite its compelling theoretical orientation, the practical implementation of the RBA
encounters substantial structural and ideological challenges. In resource-constrained
contexts, such as rural South Africa, infrastructural deficits, understaffed schools, and
limited access to assistive technologies render the principles of the RBA aspirational
rather than actionable (Walton, 2018). Moreover, the over-reliance on legislative
compliance risks reducing inclusion to procedural checklists, devoid of the relational,
affective, and pedagogical dimensions essential to genuine inclusion.
Another critique lies in the RBA's universalist assumptions, which may inadvertently
impose Western conceptions of rights that are sometimes misaligned with communal
epistemologies and local values. For example, legalistic approaches may fail to
resonate in collectivist communities where inclusion is traditionally embedded in
relational care rather than institutional mandates.
Critical Analysis
The philosophical stance underpinning the RBA prioritizes individual autonomy and
legal entitlements, reflecting a liberal rights discourse. However, this stance can
