EDUCATION OF CHILDREN WITH DISABILITIES IN RUSSIA: ON THE WAY TO INTEGRATION AND INCLUSION

This paper presents an overview of the current situation with integration and inclusion in Russia. It explores the challenges of special education and legislation. It provides some examples of integration and inclusion initiatives and discusses them as examples of social transformations in post-Soviet Russia. The study concludes that the world trend towards inclusive schools has impacted the post-Soviet Russia and an attempt to narrow the gap between special and regular education has been made by non-governmental organizations, individual schools, and the formal system. More decisive and synergetic effort is required from the state as well as individuals to develop and implement a well defined policy that supports inclusion and equity education for all. The socio-political reforms of the 1990s in Russia gave the impetus to the integration and inclusion movement. The spirit of pluralism quickly spread throughout the post-soviet society, as more and more marginalized groups became vocal about their difficult conditions and violations of their human rights. Among these groups were parents of children with disabilities supported by progressive educators and human rights activists who sought solutions to the problem of segregated or no education for this group of children, especially children with severe or multiple disabilities. Russia's signing of internationa