ABSTRACT
In 1994, the Salamanca World Conference on Special Needs Education endorsed what has been described as “Arguably the most signifi cant international document that has ever appeared in the special needs fi eld” (Ainscow, 2005, pp. 109-110). This statement succinctly states the rationale that has been used by many educators and advocates for developing and supporting inclusive schools:
[Inclusive schools] are the most effective means of combating discriminatory attitudes, creating welcoming communities, building an inclusive society, and achieving education for all; moreover, they provide an effective education to the majority of children and improve the effi ciency and ultimately the cost-effectiveness of the entire education system.
