Elena Iarskaia-Smirnova – författare

There are over thirty million disabled people in Russia and Eastern Europe, yet their voices are rarely heard in scholarly studies of life and well-being in the region. This book brings together new research by internationally recognised local and non-native scholars in a range of countries in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. It covers, historically, the origins of legacies that continue to affect well-being and policy in the region today. Discussions of disability in culture and society highlight the broader conditions in which disabled people must build their identities and well-being whilst in-depth biographical profiles outline what living with disabilities in the region is like. Chapters on policy interventions, including international influences, examine recent reforms and the difficulties of implementing inclusive, community-based care. The book will be of interest both to regional specialists, for whom well-being, equality and human rights are crucial concerns, and to scholars of disability and social policy internationally.

There are over thirty million disabled people in Russia and Eastern Europe, yet their voices are rarely heard in scholarly studies of life and well-being in the region. This book brings together new research by internationally recognised local and non-native scholars in a range of countries in Eastern Europe and the former Soviet Union. It covers, historically, the origins of legacies that continue to affect well-being and policy in the region today. Discussions of disability in culture and society highlight the broader conditions in which disabled people must build their identities and well-being whilst in-depth biographical profiles outline what living with disabilities in the region is like. Chapters on policy interventions, including international influences, examine recent reforms and the difficulties of implementing inclusive, community-based care. The book will be of interest both to regional specialists, for whom well-being, equality and human rights are crucial concerns, and to scholars of disability and social policy internationally.

Marketing text:

This book provides the first evidence-based accounts of inclusive education in a Russian context. It explores the critical educational changes in the Russian Federation within the post-soviet space and internationally. The book analyzes the transformation of educational practices as Russia transitions from an educational model of student support with an emphasis on disability to a broader conceptualization of inclusive education.

Among others, this book discusses inclusive education in the context of: 

•  School and preschool institutions;

• higher education institutions;

• non-Russian-speaking children and children with migration experience; 

• culture-sensitive education;

• indigenous minorities;

• technological and methodological support;

• the role of stakeholders such as NGOs, parents, and other social groups;

• teacher preparation and professional development.

This book is intended for teachers, inclusive education coordinators, principals and school managers, policymakers, teacher educators, scholars of inclusion, and university professors, along with community organizations and students of inclusive courses in a Master in Education.