learners
learners are a particular group of persons who differ from the norm, being classed as either being below or above in regards to their attributes either physically or in their learning ability. This group of children or learners, in general, requires specialized physical or educational services to accommodate them fully in their quest to learn. The term exceptionality has been put into use often in the community of special education than in the psychological or medical profession. These learners are majorly those who possess difficulties in learning, having either sensory or physical behavior, or impairments that need an education modification to help them attain their education goals (Knoblauch & Sorenson, 1998). These learners also take into account those children who have a superior performance, thus requiring challenging instructions or enrichment of curriculum for them to reach their maximum potential. These groups of children, for example, those who suffer from orthopedic impairments have been for a long time sidelined, with the society not including them in many spheres of life.
Children with orthopedic impairment are ones who have been affected severely in terms of educational performance due to congenital anomalies, disease impairments, as well as other types of impairments caused by cerebral palsy, fractures, burns, or amputations. The term orthopedic impairments also take into account the children who have experienced also neuromotor impairments like the limb, skeletal system, muscle, or joint disabilities (Knoblauch & Sorenson, 1998). These groups of children, in school, are usually rejected and usually register a poor social reputation such as being more isolated and socializing less with others. One main reason is that teachers normally consider them as being less socially competent as compared to their counterparts. The majority of them also register instances of victimization from their peers since they are usually more challenged cognitively and therefore being less accepted by fellow students (McLaughlin & Thurlow, 2003). It, therefore, makes them continue being less secluded from the outside society as not many of the people they come across understands them and accepts them as they are. Therefore, there is a need to pay close attention to such students, calling for the society to treat them with dignity as they are a very risky group.
When this group of people is rejected and distanced, we take away their right to and sense of belonging in society. Every person has a right to belong in a society where they feel loved and taken good care of. It includes accessing affordable and high-quality education as their counterparts, to bridge the gap in the nation. These children should also not be discriminated against due to their cognitive or physical impairments, as they are fellow people, only that they differ from us physically or cognitively. They, thus, deserve all the special treatment, as well as the similar rights and priorities we enjoy, for them also to feel loved and appreciated (Lipkin & Okamoto, 2015).
Failure to ensure that this group of learners is provided with adequate vocational and educational opportunities as their fellow learners will result in economic and social inequality. Any group that has not been put into proper schooling has a high cost on society as they have a low capacity to innovate and grow in a society (OECD, 2012). Any cases of an uneducated group will result further in the damage of social mobility and cohesion, in addition to imposing extra costs on the public budget in dealing with these ripple effects. These facts thus show that equity in society goes together with access to quality education, for individual and societal well-being. It is thus profitable if all the communities can ensure that every group, including those with special needs and impairments, are put through school, in an equal measure for a profitable future and returns as discussed