“You are the only disabled student here; you must conform to us!” A Foucauldian discourse analysis of inclusive education and disability in Indonesia

Abstract: It has been almost 20 years since inclusive education was first implemented in Indonesia; however, based on the previous studies, the realities surrounding inclusive education strategies remain disappointing as disabled students continue to face discrimination and segregation in school. By taking into account how inclusive education discourse is constituted within national documents and affects the reality of disabled students in their school environment, the thesis attempts to reveal why inclusive education has not been supporting the well-being of disabled students. Using Foucault’s understanding of biopower and discourse interlinking the concept of ableism, this thesis employs the Foucauldian Discourse Analysis (FDA) arguing that inclusive education does not operate to transform the national educational system taking into account human diversification and capabilities; Instead, the discourse underlying the understanding of the medical and social discourse aimed to conform disabled students into the mainstream educational system. By reflecting on the experiences of eleven interview participants who have been labeled disabled in society, this study further reveals the ableist discourse and the problematic notion of ‘special accommodation’ embedded in inclusive education practices. These practices further affect how they perceive themselves as separated from the mainstream students and needing ‘special support’. Unconsciously, the dominant discourse also triggers the emergence of resistance from those who acknowledge the problematic ideas within the discourse. This study reveals how inclusion is understood from the perspective of the resisting disabled persons who refuse to be regulated into the inclusive system that is set out by the government. Their discourse reveals a different perspective and approach to the idea of inclusion and well-being.