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The Conceptualisation of Inclusion and Disability in Bhutan

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Inclusive Education and Disability in the Global South

Abstract

Chapter 3 presents a research that explored the concepts Disability and Inclusion from the perspective of Bhutanese people. There is scarce research on the education of children with disabilities in Bhutan. A qualitative research design was adopted and semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 people. According to the findings, participants understood disability primarily as product of genetic inheritance, medical condition or accident. Some held negative views about the parents of disabled children, considering them somehow responsible for their children’s disability, and some associated disability with karma (bad fate). Moreover, they held quite different views as to what inclusion means. The authors call for improved training programmes for teachers on inclusion and disability, as well as programmes to raise awareness in the wider population of Bhutan.

‘I think some people are born disabled probably because of past karma or fate.’

(Father of a disabled child)

NB: Some of the data used for the research presented here was also used in a research focused on Bhutanese teachers’ perspectives and published as a journal article.

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Royal University of Bhutan, Paro, Bhutan

    Dawa Dukpa

  2. University of Roehampton, London, UK

    Leda Kamenopoulou

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  1. Dawa Dukpa
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  2. Leda Kamenopoulou
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Education, University of Roehampton, London, United Kingdom

    Leda Kamenopoulou

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Dukpa, D., Kamenopoulou, L. (2018). The Conceptualisation of Inclusion and Disability in Bhutan. In: Kamenopoulou, L. (eds) Inclusive Education and Disability in the Global South. Palgrave Macmillan, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-72829-2_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-72829-2_3

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  • Publisher Name: Palgrave Macmillan, Cham

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  • Online ISBN: 978-3-319-72829-2

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