Abstract: The International Symbol of Access (ISA), used in a variety of specific locations to represent purposely facilitated access, has become ubiquitous throughout the world within just a few decades. Found wherever people move in physical space and need to navigate environmental barriers, this symbol is among the most widely recognized representations of disability. While it provides daily interactions with issues of accessibility and disability, its purposes and design in different cultural
contexts are neither obvious nor uncontested. We sketch the origin, goals and critiques of this prominent symbol and discuss its functions, from way showing to identity construction and advocacy/activism. Finally, we examine current proposals for alternative symbols.
Notes: Submit images of the International Symbol of Access (ISA) to an exhibition we are organizing: AccessSymbol@gmail.com
Abstract: With educational expansion and rising standards, ever more students are being transferred into special education. These programs serve children and youth with ‘special educational needs’ (SEN), a heterogeneous group with social, ethnic, linguistic, physical, and intellectual disadvantages. An increasing proportion of students at risk of leaving secondary school without qualifications participate in special education. While most European countries aim to replace segregated schools and separate classes with school integration and inclusive education, cross-national comparisons of special education’s diverse student bodies show considerable disparities in rates of SEN classification, provided learning opportunities, and educational attainments. Analyses of European special education demographics and organizations emphasize institutional instead of individual explanations. Findings from Germany and the United States further demonstrate that which students bear the greatest risk of becoming less educated depends principally on the institutionalization of special education systems and on
definitions of ‘special educational needs’.
