Monitoring inclusive education in Chile: Differences between urban and rural areas

Abstract

Rural education systems have higher barriers to inclusion than their urban counterparts. An observational, analytic cross-sectional study was performed. A self-report survey was collected from inclusive program coordinators, to examine differences between the coordinators’ perception of program performance and the standards defined by public policy. Significant differences between urban and rural schools were found in terms of accessibility issues. Moreover, rural school integration programs have a lower probability of providing adapted resources or sign language interpreters. Public policies have been unable to ensure equal education for children with disabilities living in rural areas.