Director's Digressions: DO-IT in Thailand
I recently took an exciting trip to the First International Conference on Special Education in Bangkok. It took 16 hours to get there by air. Although focused on Southeast Asia, there were more than 30 countries represented for a total attendance of 1500. It was a long way from home, but well worth it to hear about and share innovative practices in special education. I gave a keynote presentation, “Innovations That Lead From Inclusive Education to an Inclusive Society” and a workshop “Adaptation and Replication of DO-IT Practices.”
In both talks I emphasized the importance of working with students with disabilities (e.g., to develop self determination skills) and the universal design of products and the institutional environments with which they interact (e.g., instruction, services, physical spaces, technology). My talks generated rich discussions about practices in Southeast Asian countries and beyond.
DO-IT practices have been adapted and replicated in Japan at the University of Tokyo and Malaysia at the University of Malaya. We also have strong connections and have shared practices in South Korea. Anyone interested in creating a DO-IT Center should consult the publication titled Replication and Adaptation of DO-IT Practices and email me at sherylb@uw.edu.