About the extension of «La main à la pâte» towards disabled children An historical and prospective overview Michel Fardeau
Until the XVI th Century The disabled people were lost in the crowd of the poorer sections of the population Rembrandt, «un gueux» (a beggar)
«Le siècle des Lumières» In European countries the «modern» area for disabilities began with philosophical and scientific works in England, M. Locke L émergence d une philosophie sensualiste
«Le siècle des Lumières» N. Saunderson Blind and Professor of Mathematics in Cambridge Well known in France, he upset Diderot and the Encyclopedists
«Le siècle des Lumières» In France Denis DIDEROT Was the first to be interested by the behaviour and mind of the blind people
«Le siècle des Lumières» Denis DIDEROT L Aveugle du Puisaux
We try to restore the sight to born blind. We would find some profit for the philosophy by questioning a blind person of common sense. We would learn how things take place in him. We would compare them with the way they cross in us. We would understand from this comparison the solution of the difficulties that makes the theory of the vision so unclear and uncertain. To question a born blind is not an unworthy activity for the gathered talents of Newton, Descartes, Locke, and Leibniz.
Applications of these philosophical and scientific concepts were initially made for the disabled children For the deaf and dumb, with Charles (L abbé) de l Epée (1712-1789) For the blind, with Valentin Hauÿ (1745-1822)
«Le siècle des Lumières» Michel de l Epée (1712-1789) The education of deaf and dumb children
Le premier alphabet manuel
«Le siècle des Lumières» Valentin Hauÿ (1745-1812) The education of blind children
«Le siècle des Lumières» Education of blind children The coming to Paris of «la Paradis» A famous Austrian Opera singer who was blind! Le café du square des Innocents
For the mentally retarded children the story began with the «Enfant sauvage» A child was found in the forest, 8 or 9 years-old found in March 1797, Almost naked, unable to say a word, eating only roots, wild fruits He was taken and brought to a priest (Abbé Bonneterre) who knew Diderot So the boy was sent to Paris and examined by Pinel, Cuvier, Esquirol : The diagnosis was incurable idiocy
Early XIX century But a doctor, in the audience, Itard, proposed to check on the boy the same kind of protocol coming from the new philosophical concepts under the control of the French Academy of Science. The boy was educated by a lady, Mrs Guerin, in Paris and he made some limited progress. That story was translated in a famous moovie by François Truffaut Itard
XIX century A serie of alienists, in the Salpetriere and Bicêtre hospitals, were interested in that category of patients «les idiots» From Pinel, Esquirol, to Bourneville New methods of treatment and education were experimented A first book was dedicated to the «moral treatment» by Edouard Seguin (1843) A crucial role was afterwards played by DM Bourneville (Charcot s pupil) Edouard Séguin (1812-1880)
XX century First laws were enacted for the rehabilitation and employement of the Invalids Special institutions were developed in Paris for the deaf and dumb, and blind children Vocational rehabilitation centers «C.A.T., A.P. «were created mainly for mentally-retarded children and adults in France
The Second World War was marked by the extermination of disabled people and children by the Nazis in Germany, Belgium, Netherlands, Poland.
After the Second World War (1945) International laws were edicted, based on Human Rights, in particular for the disabled persons (1975) A New definition was adopted for the «Handicap» (OMS) With a special role of Philip Wood and his proposition of an International Classification of Impairment, Disabilities, and Handicap (ICDIH) 1980 That evolved into a more «functional» classification (ICF) in 2002
Second part of XX century In occidental countries a break outcame regarding the policy towards disabled people Between some western countries (France, Germany, Belgium ) which favoured an individual evaluation / compensation for the disabled (1) And nordic Scandinavian countries (Sweden, Denmark, Finland..) Which favoured a collective, non discriminant integration (2) Others countries : Italy (1970), USA (1975), U.K. (1981) shifted afterwards from (1) to (2)
In France Recent period was marked by some progress in the policy for disabled children : - A new law (loi d orientation sur l éducation) 1989 - A new directive (Handiscol) 1999 - A new law (sur l Egalité des Chances) 2005 with obligation of an administrative integration of disabled children in ordinary regular schools But persistance of a special education path non-dependant of the National Education Ministery -
Conclusions : in France Importance of the extension of any innovative educational process Such as «La main à la pâte» For Children with Special Needs 1) It is the continuation of a long, fruitful story 2) The results will certainly be very important for the non deficient children 3) It is in full accordance with a non discriminant policy for education