Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (TN UCEDD) Provides Inclusive Education Assistance for University of South Africa

May 25, 2013

The Vanderbilt Kennedy Center (TN UCEDD) and other UCEDDs hosted June visits from a 3-person delegation from the University of South Africa (UNISA) in Pretoria led by Nareadi Phasha, professor and chair of the newly established department of Inclusive Education in the College of Education at UNISA. The goal of their visits was to develop their strengths in Inclusive Education, including Special Education, a national priority in South Africa. They are establishing a Centre for Excellence in Disabilities that will focus on diagnosis, research, and teaching. In addition to Professor Phasha, the delegation included Dr. Siva Moodley, Director of Centre for Advocacy on Disability at UNISA, and Dr. Francina Mahlo, senior lecturer in Inclusive Education at UNISA.

During their 2-day TN UCEDD visit, they met with faculty and staff leaders in special education research and research training, assistive and augmentative communication, visual impairments, assessment and diagnosis, information and referral, multicultural programming, reading instruction in special education, autism services and training, inclusive early childhood special education, postsecondary education for students with intellectual/developmental disabilities, employment, and self-advocacy.

Their planned U.S. visits included the Center for Excellence in Disabilities at West Virginia University, the LIFE Program at George Mason University, the UCEDD of Virginia Commonwealth University, and the Perkins School.