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Madhavi K
Independent Researcher
Saibaba Colony, Coimbatore, India (IN) – 641011
Abstract— Inclusive school leadership has emerged as a decisive lever for transforming schools into equitable spaces where all learners—particularly those with disabilities—can thrive. This manuscript interrogates how principals and senior educators can catalyze disability sensitization among staff, students, and the wider community through vision-setting, policy enactment, collaborative cultures, and data-driven decision-making. Drawing on a mixed-methods survey of 210 educators across government and private schools, the study examines perceptions of inclusivity, existing practices of disability awareness, and barriers to systemic change. Results indicate that while 78% of respondents endorse inclusive values rhetorically, fewer than half report structured professional development on disability, and only 36% have school-level disability action plans.
The study synthesizes global and Indian literature on inclusive leadership frameworks, Universal Design for Learning (UDL), and social model perspectives on disability to situate findings. Using descriptive statistics and thematic analysis, it identifies gaps in leadership preparation, inter-agency coordination, and resource allocation. The manuscript concludes with actionable recommendations: embedding disability sensitization into continuous professional development, instituting participatory policy reviews, leveraging student voice, and using accessibility audits as a leadership tool. Implications for future research include longitudinal tracking of leadership interventions and intersectional analyses of disability with gender, caste, and socio-economic status.
Keywords— inclusive leadership; disability sensitization; Universal Design for Learning; school culture; professional development; accessibility; India
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