Inclusive Education Honor

Missionary & Community Activities

Requirements

  1. Know and explain the following concepts according to the World Health Organization (WHO):
    • Disability;
    • The Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (PWD);
    • The International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF).

    Answer: 1) Disability: according to the WHO (the ICF model), it is not just a problem of the individual, but the result of the interaction between the person's functional limitations (in the body or a function) and the barriers of the environment (physical, social, and attitudinal). When the environment is accessible and inclusive, the impact of the disability decreases. 2) Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities: an international treaty approved by the UN in 2006 and ratified by Brazil in 2008 with the status of a constitutional amendment. It recognizes and guarantees the rights of persons with disabilities on an equal basis with others, promoting dignity, autonomy, accessibility, and full inclusion in society. 3) International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF): published by the WHO in 2001, it classifies functioning and disability linked to a health condition, considering body functions and structures, activities, participation, and environmental factors. Instead of focusing on the disease itself, it describes how the person functions in their context. — The ICF replaced the medical model (ICD) with a biopsychosocial model. In Brazil, the Convention has the force of a constitutional amendment (Decree 6,949/2009). Law 13,146/2015 (LBI) regulates it. The WHO estimates 1.3 billion people with disabilities in the world.

  2. Describe the existing types of disability.

    Answer: Physical (motor), visual (blindness/low vision), auditory (deafness/hearing impairment), intellectual (cognitive limitation), psychosocial (mental disorders), and multiple (a combination of two or more). ASD is a separate category. — Law 13,146/2015 (LBI) and Decree 5,296/2004 list the categories. Visual requires acuity ≤20/200 or a field ≤20°; auditory ≥41 dB bilateral; intellectual IQ ≤70 with onset before the age of 18. ASD has its own law (12,764/2012, the Berenice Piana Law).

  3. Describe the concept of discrimination and discuss the different forms of discrimination that exist today.

    Answer: Discrimination is the unequal and harmful treatment of a person because of a characteristic such as race, gender, disability, or age. Current forms: ableism, racism, sexism, ageism, xenophobia, LGBTphobia, and religious intolerance. — Law 7,716/1989 (the Caó Law) criminalizes racial discrimination; Law 13,146/2015 (LBI) criminalizes ableism (up to 5 years in prison). Direct discrimination is explicit; indirect discrimination is systemic (e.g., a building without a ramp excludes a person with a disability without needing an anti-PWD rule).

  4. Define the word bullying and describe the different forms of bullying observed in your daily life.

    Answer: Bullying is intentional, repeated aggression with an imbalance of power. Forms: verbal (name-calling), physical (shoving), psychological (exclusion), sexual (harassment), virtual (cyberbullying), and moral (slander/defamation). — Law 13,185/2015 (the Anti-Bullying Program) and Law 14,811/2024 made bullying and cyberbullying a crime. It is characterized by three elements: intentionality, repetition, and an asymmetry of power. Cyberbullying is the fastest growing (24/7 reach).

  5. Read, analyze, and discuss the Inter-American Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Persons with Disabilities, promoted by the WHO and signed by 17 countries, presenting a summary of at least one page about it.

    Answer: Adopted by the OAS in Guatemala in 1999, ratified by Brazil in 2001 (Decree 3,956). It defines discrimination against persons with disabilities, provides for the elimination of physical/attitudinal barriers, and creates a Committee to monitor implementation in the signatory countries. — It was the first specific international treaty on persons with disabilities, prior to the UN Convention (2006). Signed by 19 OAS countries currently (not just 17). It defines discrimination as an act based on a disability that limits the enjoyment of rights. Brazil was a pioneer in ratification.

  6. Read and analyze John 5:1-18. Apply the concepts developed when describing the scenario presented in these verses, identifying:
    • Type of disability presented;
    • The life context experienced by people with disabilities;
    • Possible scenarios of discrimination or intimidation that they faced;
    • Discuss and reflect on: Jesus' reaction and action when He encountered the man who had been paralyzed for 38 years, and the reaction and action of the Jews;
    • Make a list of the teachings we draw from Jesus' example and from the verses analyzed.

    Answer: 1) Type of disability presented: paralysis. The man had been ill for 38 years, unable to move by himself to the pool. 2) Life context experienced by persons with disabilities: they lived on the margins of society, gathered in the porch of Bethesda (the blind, the lame, and the paralyzed), depending on alms and the help of others, often with no one who cared about them. 3) Possible scenarios of discrimination or intimidation they faced: they were ignored and left behind, since whoever reached the water first took the place; the paralytic had no one to help him into the pool and was always overtaken by the more agile, living isolated and forgotten. 4) The reaction and action of Jesus vs. that of the Jews: Jesus takes the initiative, approaches, asks 'Do you want to be healed?', and heals him immediately on the Sabbath, restoring his life; the Jews, instead of rejoicing, criticize the man for carrying his mat on the Sabbath and persecute Jesus for healing on that day, valuing the rule above the person. 5) Teachings we draw: the person is worth more than the ritual or tradition; Jesus sees and welcomes those whom everyone ignores; compassion must move our actions; we should not wait for others to ask for help in order to act; love fulfills the true intention of the law. — Bethesda (house of mercy) had 5 porticoes by the Sheep Gate. The man reflects the social helplessness of persons with disabilities in antiquity. Jesus breaks two taboos: he heals on a Sabbath day and orders 'take up your mat and walk', violating the rabbinical interpretation. Inclusion before the norm.

  7. Read and analyze 2 Samuel 9:1-13. Apply the concepts developed by describing the scenario presented in these verses, identifying:
    • David's attitude and determination in asking about and learning about Mephibosheth;
    • Reflect on how David applied inclusion in his actions and how you, today, could do the same in your own reality.
    • Mephibosheth's first reaction and response. How do you think he was feeling? Why?
    • Make a list of teachings we draw from Jesus' example and from the verses analyzed.

    Answer: 1) David's attitude and determination: David took the initiative to ask whether anyone of the house of Saul still remained to whom he could show kindness for the sake of Jonathan; he was proactive, sought information from Ziba, and made a point of finding and honoring Mephibosheth, Saul's grandson, lame in both feet since the age of 5. 2) How David applied inclusion and how I could do the same: David did not treat Mephibosheth by his disability, but fully restored him, returned Saul's lands to him, and had him eat continually at the royal table, like one of the king's sons. Today I can do the same by actively seeking out those who are forgotten, welcoming persons with disabilities at home, at church, and in the club, ensuring that they participate in equality and dignity, and not just waiting for them to ask. 3) Mephibosheth's first reaction and response and how he felt: when summoned, he prostrated himself before David and called himself a 'dead dog', showing fear and low self-esteem. He probably felt unworthy, insecure, and afraid, being a descendant of Saul (David's enemy) and because of his disability, thinking he would be punished instead of honored. 4) Teachings we draw: we must honor our commitments and friendships; true inclusion restores dignity and treats the person as an equal; we should not define anyone by their limitation; kindness must be sought intentionally; just like David and like Jesus, we are called to welcome and lift up those who feel like a 'dead dog', giving them a place at the table. — Mephibosheth became crippled when his nurse dropped him while fleeing after Saul's death (2 Sam 4:4). David's inclusion was proactive (he sought him out, he did not wait for a request), restorative (he returned possessions), and dignifying (the king's table = equality). A model of biblical inclusion.

  8. Read and analyze the story of the writer Helen Keller. Did her disability prevent progress in her life?

    Answer: No. Helen Keller (1880-1968) became deafblind at 19 months due to meningitis, but with her teacher Anne Sullivan she learned Braille, fingerspelling, and speech. She was the first deafblind person to earn a bachelor's degree (Radcliffe, 1904) and wrote 12 books. — She learned to 'hear' by touching lips and to speak. An activist for the rights of women, workers, and persons with disabilities, she received the Presidential Medal of Freedom in 1964 (USA). She visited 35 countries on behalf of the American Foundation for the Blind, proving that disability ≠ incapacity.

  9. Know the Inclusion Law in force in your country. Present a summary of the most important aspects to be considered.

    Answer: Law 13,146/2015 (the Statute of Persons with Disabilities) guarantees autonomy, accessibility, inclusive education, work with a quota (Law 8,213), health care, the BPC benefit, and an inclusion allowance. Ableism is a crime (1-3 years). A biopsychosocial assessment replaced the purely medical one. — It came into force in January 2016. Central points: persons with disabilities have full civil capacity (revokes automatic guardianship); a quota of 2-5% in companies with 100+ employees; mandatory accessibility in transport, public buildings, and digital services (Law 13,709 LGPD reinforces this).

  10. Analyze and propose how your Pathfinder Club can be considered inclusive and send the proposals to your Director.

    Answer: Physical accessibility (ramps, adapted restrooms), activities with Sign Language and tactile materials, training leaders, a buddy/partner system, respectful language, and flexible assessment. — The South American Division has the 'Pathfinders without Barriers' guideline. Simple adaptation: ramps at entrances, a round table instead of a closed circle, visual signals for the deaf, a predictable routine for ASD. The buddy system pairs a Pathfinder with a disability with one without a disability in practical activities.