Event
Learning And Development For Persons With Special Needs
Learning And Development For Persons With Special Needs
Description
What does supporting persons with disabilities and other conditions look like in the classroom or workplace? Can learning and development be designed to cater for them?
IAL will be launching two short courses in May -- “Supporting Adult Learners with Special Needs” and “Inclusive Workplace Learning Practices: Empowering Persons with Special Needs” – to answer these questions and more.
With the new Workplace Fairness Legislation to be enacted in the second half of 2024, inclusivity at the workplace, including fair treatment for persons with disabilities, is set to grow in importance. These courses thus prepare adult educators, workplace trainers, and enterprises to understand challenges faced by persons with disabilities and to conduct learning that will support them.
A passion for enriching the learning journeys of Persons with Disabilities and other conditions
Every Saturday, over two years, veteran adult educator Ms Kris Loy who was then a certified Kindermusik Educator, taught music and movement classes at the Down Syndrome Association. The experience at the early part of her career was transformative – helping her to understand how persons with intellectual disabilities learn and use appropriate learning aids to develop their physical, emotional and mental well-being. “This sparked a passion in me to work with individuals with disabilities and make their learning journeys as enriching as possible,” she said.
The learning facilitator and consultant for the two upcoming courses, Ms Loy has over 24 years of expertise in HR development, business consultancy, and adult education. From retail and hospitality to transport and food services, she has undertaken continuing education and training projects in a wide range of sectors through her career.
Through IAL’s LEA consultancy project, Ms Loy had the opportunity to further impact persons with intellectual disabilities from APSN, while working with a client in engaging them to take on tradesmen roles to perform tasks such as painting, applying silicon sealant and filling grout in the hospitality industry.
Ms Loy also works regularly with SG Enable to conduct workshops to help raise disability awareness and management in enterprises and has developed a WSQ programme for public transport operators on how to interact with commuters with disabilities and other conditions.
Driving a future of inclusion
The new courses are affirmative steps to include persons with disabilities in the learning spaces and at the workplace. Participants will gain insights into disabilities and frameworks supporting inclusive education and be equipped with practical strategies to support adult learning for persons with disabilities.
They will also be introduced to assistive technology and universal design principles that can support and enrich the learning process and learn how adult educators and enterprises can develop action plans tailored to the needs of persons with disabilities, from developing learning materials to assessment. An Enabling Mark enterprise, i.e. enterprises recognised for their efforts in disability-inclusive employment, will also share their inclusive journey at the Inclusive Workplace Learning Practices course.
“Every individual has the potential to learn and grow. All they need is the right support and understanding. These courses are ways for us to create an inclusive and supportive learning environment for all and make a difference, one learner at a time,” says Ms Loy.
IAL will be launching two short courses in May -- “Supporting Adult Learners with Special Needs” and “Inclusive Workplace Learning Practices: Empowering Persons with Special Needs” – to answer these questions and more.
With the new Workplace Fairness Legislation to be enacted in the second half of 2024, inclusivity at the workplace, including fair treatment for persons with disabilities, is set to grow in importance. These courses thus prepare adult educators, workplace trainers, and enterprises to understand challenges faced by persons with disabilities and to conduct learning that will support them.
A passion for enriching the learning journeys of Persons with Disabilities and other conditions
Every Saturday, over two years, veteran adult educator Ms Kris Loy who was then a certified Kindermusik Educator, taught music and movement classes at the Down Syndrome Association. The experience at the early part of her career was transformative – helping her to understand how persons with intellectual disabilities learn and use appropriate learning aids to develop their physical, emotional and mental well-being. “This sparked a passion in me to work with individuals with disabilities and make their learning journeys as enriching as possible,” she said.
The learning facilitator and consultant for the two upcoming courses, Ms Loy has over 24 years of expertise in HR development, business consultancy, and adult education. From retail and hospitality to transport and food services, she has undertaken continuing education and training projects in a wide range of sectors through her career.
Through IAL’s LEA consultancy project, Ms Loy had the opportunity to further impact persons with intellectual disabilities from APSN, while working with a client in engaging them to take on tradesmen roles to perform tasks such as painting, applying silicon sealant and filling grout in the hospitality industry.
Ms Loy also works regularly with SG Enable to conduct workshops to help raise disability awareness and management in enterprises and has developed a WSQ programme for public transport operators on how to interact with commuters with disabilities and other conditions.
Driving a future of inclusion
The new courses are affirmative steps to include persons with disabilities in the learning spaces and at the workplace. Participants will gain insights into disabilities and frameworks supporting inclusive education and be equipped with practical strategies to support adult learning for persons with disabilities.
They will also be introduced to assistive technology and universal design principles that can support and enrich the learning process and learn how adult educators and enterprises can develop action plans tailored to the needs of persons with disabilities, from developing learning materials to assessment. An Enabling Mark enterprise, i.e. enterprises recognised for their efforts in disability-inclusive employment, will also share their inclusive journey at the Inclusive Workplace Learning Practices course.
“Every individual has the potential to learn and grow. All they need is the right support and understanding. These courses are ways for us to create an inclusive and supportive learning environment for all and make a difference, one learner at a time,” says Ms Loy.
- Supporting Adult Learners with Special Needs, and
- Inclusive Workplace Learning Practices: Empowering Persons with Special Needs