Medan, September 2026 — Inclusive education in Indonesia continues to develop by encouraging students with disabilities to study alongside other students in mainstream school environments. However, placing students with disabilities in the same classroom does not necessarily mean that discrimination has been completely eliminated.
This finding is highlighted in a study entitled “The Challenge of Realizing Education Free from Discrimination Against Students with Disabilities: An Ethnographic Study at SMA Cahaya Medan,” written by Vinta Ito Manik, Ratih Baiduri, and Supsiloani from Universitas Negeri Medan. Published in the Journal of Language Development and Linguistics (JLDL) in September 2026, the study found that SMA Cahaya Medan has developed inclusive educational practices through social interaction, teacher support, and equal opportunities for students with disabilities. Nevertheless, forms of ableism—attitudes that position certain abilities as the standard of “normality”—continue to appear in everyday school life.
SMA Cahaya Medan and Inclusive Education Practices
SMA Cahaya Medan is supervised by the Congregation of the Sisters of Saint Joseph (KSSY) and managed through the Seri Amal Catholic Education Foundation. Established in 1979, the school is located on Jalan Hayam Wuruk No. 11, Petisah Hulu, Medan Baru, Medan, North Sumatra.
The school provides opportunities for students with different disabilities to study together in regular classrooms. Of the 652 students in Grades X to XII, eight are students with special needs, consisting of one student with a physical disability, one blind student, and six deaf students.
Inclusive education at the school is not limited to classroom participation. Students with disabilities are also given opportunities to take part in academic and non-academic activities, organizations, and social activities within the school community.
These practices reflect efforts to build a school culture that respects diversity. Relationships among students are also developed through mutual assistance, tolerance, solidarity, and respect for differences.
Challenges Extend Beyond Physical Facilities
The study shows that challenges in implementing inclusive education are not limited to facilities or the technical capacity of schools to provide appropriate learning. Challenges also emerge from the way disability is understood within the school community.
In the context of inclusive education, ableism can emerge when certain abilities are considered the preferred or “normal” standard, while differences in ability are viewed as deficiencies. Therefore, the presence of students with disabilities in mainstream schools does not automatically eliminate discrimination.
The researchers identified stereotypes, assumptions that students with disabilities have limited abilities, overprotective treatment, and jokes that can indirectly reinforce labels associated with disability. These findings demonstrate that achieving truly inclusive education also requires changes in how disability is perceived.
Teachers Play a Key Role in Inclusive Classrooms
The learning process presents one of the major challenges. Teachers need to adjust instruction to differences in academic abilities, communication needs, and the ways students receive information.
For deaf students, for example, discussions involving several speakers at the same time can be challenging because verbal information is not always easily accessible. Teachers respond by speaking clearly, using gestures, writing information on the board, and approaching students when providing explanations.
However, the study also found that not all teachers had received specialized training in inclusive education. In some situations, teachers relied on personal experience and improvisation when adapting their teaching methods.
Teachers therefore serve not only as educators but also as important social mediators. The way teachers communicate and respond to differences can influence whether the classroom becomes a comfortable and inclusive environment for all students.
Social Acceptance Does Not Completely Eliminate Social Distance
Although students with disabilities are involved in the social life of the school, the study found that emotional challenges can still occur.
During initial interactions, non-disabled students may sometimes behave overly cautiously because they are afraid of making mistakes. While such behavior may come from good intentions, excessive caution can instead create social distance.
Excessive attention may also cause students to be identified primarily through their disabilities rather than through their identities as friends, organization members, or members of the school community.
Some students with disabilities may also feel pressure to continuously prove their abilities. Constant adaptation can lead to emotional exhaustion. Even jokes that other students consider harmless may create discomfort when they relate to disability.
Inclusion Is an Ongoing Social Process
One of the study's key findings is that inclusive education cannot be viewed merely as a school policy or administrative decision.
Inclusion is an ongoing social and cultural process negotiated through everyday interactions. Students with disabilities do not simply adapt to the school environment; they also develop their identities as friends, organization members, active students, and members of the school community.
At the same time, older perspectives—including stereotypes, doubts about abilities, excessive protection, and disability-related jokes—may continue to coexist with emerging values of equality and diversity.
Therefore, the presence of challenges does not necessarily indicate that inclusive education has failed. Instead, it demonstrates that cultural change requires continuous reflection, adjustment, and participation from the entire school community.
Changing Perceptions of Disability Is Essential
The findings have broader implications for the development of inclusive education in Indonesia. Schools need to do more than simply provide access for students with disabilities to enter classrooms and learn alongside their peers.
Educational environments also need to develop cultures that respect differences in ability, reduce stereotypes, strengthen teachers’ capacity, improve communication, and create equal social relationships.
The study emphasizes that SMA Cahaya Medan has provided opportunities for students with disabilities to participate in learning, organizations, and social activities within the school community. However, inclusion remains an ongoing process that requires continuous adjustment.
In other words, building a truly inclusive school is not simply about bringing students with disabilities into the classroom, but also about ensuring that they are accepted, respected, supported, and treated as equal members of the educational community.
About the Authors
- Vinta Ito Manik- Universitas Negeri Medan.
- Ratih Baiduri- Universitas Negeri Medan
- Supsiloani- Universitas Negeri Medan
Source
Article Title: The Challenge of Realizing Education Free from Discrimination Against Students with Disabilities: An Ethnographic Study at SMA Cahaya Medan
Authors: Vinta Ito Manik, Ratih Baiduri, Supsiloani
Affiliation: Universitas Negeri Medan
Journal: Journal of Language Development and Linguistics (JLDL)
Volume: 5, Issue 2
Year: 2026
Pages: 249–262
DOI: https://doi.org/10.55927/jldl.v5i2.16906
Journal Website: https://journal.formosapublisher.org/index.php/jldl
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