Keynote Speech 1 (Tim Loreman, Ph.D.)
Following the disruption of the past three years to the global society since the Second World War, inclusion in education has turned more challenging for not only children with disabilities but also for learners who require additional support. The Keynote presentation explored three areas concerning recent global events and how they relate to inclusive education for children with disabilities. The speaker included some of the challenges children with disabilities have experienced in receiving an equitable and inclusive education during the ongoing COVID 19 pandemic. He also mentioned the impact of the ’empathy deficit’ on inclusive education, as we begin to emerge from the worst consequences of the global pandemic, and some of the opportunities and challenges for inclusive education brought about by the ‘fourth industrial revolution’ that has advanced exponentially during the pandemic. On the end note, there were questions raised about the potential local and global impact of an extended war in Ukraine on inclusive education.