Canadian education expert Bruce Uditsky, CEO Emeritus of Inclusion Alberta, highlighted a 38-year experience in integrating people with intellectual disabilities into post-secondary education during a session titled “The Impact of Inclusion in Post-Secondary Education” on the inaugural day of the World Congress 2025 "We Are Inclusion," in Sharjah.

 

Uditsky emphasised that the concept of a "comprehensive life" can only be achieved by enabling the inclusion of people with disabilities into mainstream pathways from childhood through to adulthood. This journey, he explained, begins with the family, continues through mainstream schooling, friendships and the development of professional identities, and extends to full participation in community life, hobbies and employment, enabling independent living and self-reliance.


Sharing examples from the University of Alberta and other institutions, Uditsky explained how the inclusion model has supported students with intellectual disabilities to participate in classrooms with the help of peers and faculty, while also preparing them for the labour market.

 

After nearly four decades, he revealed that results show 80% of graduates with intellectual disabilities have secured employment, benefiting more than 1,200 students directly through the initiative. This has contributed to greater self-confidence, enhanced skills and knowledge, expanded friendships and social networks, and the creation of more independent and fulfilling lives for the students.


He noted that the vision behind the concept of a "comprehensive life" is grounded in the theoretical foundations of researcher Wolf Wolfensberger in the 1970s, which demonstrated that integrating people with developmental disabilities into educational and community environments enhances their self-esteem and provides equal opportunities to contribute to society.

 

Uditsky pointed out that concerns raised by families in the mid-1980s about the lack of opportunities for their children after secondary school led to the launch of the first comprehensive university initiative in 1987. Alberta subsequently became the first province in the world to provide fully integrated university programmes for people with intellectual disabilities. Today, 22 of the province's 26 post-secondary institutions enrol students from this group, while 14 institutions work directly with Alberta's "Inclusive Post-Secondary Education" programme. This model has since been adopted in other Canadian provinces and several countries worldwide.

 

The World Congress 2025 "We Are Inclusion" continues in Sharjah until September 17, bringing together more than 500 participants from 74 countries, including 152 speakers representing 160 organisations, across 59 parallel sessions. Held for the first time in the MENA region and North Africa, the Congress is a leading global platform for sharing best practices and advancing the rights and inclusion of persons with intellectual disabilities. It is co-organised by Sharjah City for Humanitarian Services and Inclusion International, and in strategic partnership with the Sharjah Government Media Bureau.