Inclusion: students with disabilities in the classroom

Host Jane Lindholm

Dan Habib hadn't thought much about disabilities until he found himself raising a son with cerebral palsy. The New Hampshire photojournalist has produced a documentary called "Including Samuel" about his family's experiences. The film explores Habib's desire to keep Samuel fully integrated into the life of their community and particularly in school. We talk with Habib and University of Vermont education professor Michael Giangreco about the concept of inclusion, and how it plays out in the classroom. (Listen)

Also in the program, the Chinese New Year begins on Thursday, ushering in the Year of the Rat. We visit with celebrants as they prepare dragon and phoenix banners for New Year's Day.(Listen)

Comment from Michael in Burlington:

Congratulations to Dan Habib and his family for sharing such an important and moving story. Including children with disabilities in classrooms in a fully supported way is, in most cases, the right thing to do for all involved... and often comes with a daunting set of challenges. As a parent of a beautiful son who, like Samuel, is eight and in the neighborhood elementary school, I'm confident that inclusion is the right approach for our Ben. Dan's film does a great job of presenting some of the challenges honestly with a good dose of humility... each situation is different.