‘Indicators for Effective Inclusive Education for Children with Disability: Selection of Indicator Using the Fuzzy Delphi Technique’

This study aims to assess the effectiveness of inclusive education and identify key indicators for successful inclusion of children with disabilities in mainstream schools. A comprehensive literature review and focus group discussions informed the identification of factors enhancing accessibility and inclusion in mainstream schools. These include previously unreported or underexplored factors, such as inclusive infrastructure and accessible built environment, awareness of universal design for learning, therapeutic care centres and vocational training, etc. Using fuzzy Delphi method, followed by a Wilcoxon signed rank test, the study developed a set of 33 indicators across seven categories, based on input from 25 experts after two rounds of analysis. This novel interdisciplinary methodology is among the first to apply the fuzzy Delphi method in identifying and selecting inclusive education indicators. It will aid effective implementation and policy formulation for educational institutions, schools, government organisations and NGOs working to mainstream children with disabilities. Given India’s financial and resource constraints, future research can prioritise the identified indicators to address disparities, support informed decision-making and budget allocation for improving accessibility and inclusion in schools. The findings also serve as a foundation for developing an assessment framework (audit checklist) to evaluate accessibility and inclusivity of mainstream schools.