Pan-Arab Charter for the Disabled

 By Dr. Sahar Al-Khashramy

Director of Disabilities Service  Center

I learnt a lot when selected to be a member of NCATE and academic accreditation committees, the College of Education. I learnt that individual differences were not only preoccupied by people working in special education, but also by the universities that are accredited academically.

I remembered that a faculty member asked me about a flyer distributed by the Disabilities Service Center. The flyer was about how to deal with visual-impaired students, attending her lectures. She was surprised to ask her to maximize font  of exams, claiming that this was out of her responsibilities since the visual-impaired students had escorts to write on behalf of them.

I remembered also a stance by a faculty member who said about another faculty member working for the KSU as well that she did not deserve any facilities. She suggested that she should quit, if not able to work like the sound people!

I thought of these two situations and remembered Mrs. Maria Montessori who worked for educating students with disabilities in the 19 century.

Together we should do something: Maria Montessori believed that misconception about treating the disabled was the reason that led to their failure.

Following the steps of Montessori, I proposed to the KSU three months ago to hold a workshop to work out clauses of charter of students and faculty members with disabilities a la the International Charter for the Disabled. A pool of KSU faculty members and some Saudi bodies active in special education should create this charter.

We might bridge the gap of not knowing about individual differences in higher education and be qualified enough - as other international  accredited universities – to show respect to individual  differences. This is how the KSU might be a pioneer, drafting the first charter of the disabled pan-Arab world.