Inclusion

Almost two decades after the adoption of the Convention on the Rights of People with Disabilities (UN, 2006) there are still many challenges to be faced and issues to be explored, especially in education. Educational institutions around the world welcome, every year, students with a wide variety of needs, diverse backgrounds and uniqueness that need to be promoted, understood and developed. Art. 24 of the above-mentioned Convention states the right of people with disabilities to achieve “the full development of human potential and sense of dignity and self-worth.” Special pedagogy and educational research are two scientific fields that have fully embraced this intent, joining efforts to build models of inclusion for schools and all other educational and training agencies. Technology, student-centered teaching methodologies, and new network of human and material resources are at the heart of such research, which flows into publishing works that aim not only to advance knowledge in this area, but to have an authentic impact on the experience of students, who are to be accompanied not only on the path of education, but also afterwards, toward work, self-fulfillment, and social life. The innovative field of this area is boundless, with much yet to be explored. Assistive technology, for example, with its available tools and software, contains a diverse range of possible applications that can be adapted to individual cases. Another growing field is Virtual Reality (VR), which bases its effectiveness on engagement and immersiveness. The link between research and institutions is crucial, and there is no doubt that special needs teachers are the most important stakeholders in ensuring this connection, since they are the ones on the front lines of educational relationships with students. It follows that the relevant teacher training programs must be constantly updated to ensure that teachers have the maximum availability of skills and knowledge necessary not only to use innovative tools and strategies, but also to assume mindsets and methodologies akin to those of research, making education and innovation two faces of the same medal.