About this episode

The episode revisits a conversation on inclusive education with Maya Kalyanpur, exploring global perspectives on disability and educational equity.

As we gear up for DiveIn's upcoming season 4 and a new series on inclusive education, we're revisiting a conversation that offers the perfect starting point: a global perspective on inclusion, disability, and educational equity. In this episode, Federico talks with Maya Kalyanpur, professor in the Department of Teaching and Learning at the University of San Diego. Dr. Kalyanpur began her career teaching children with intellectual disabilities in India, served as an advisor on inclusive education to Cambodia's Ministry of Education, and has conducted research throughout South Asia and the United States. Together, they explore: What we mean when we talk about the Global South and why the term is more political than geographic How disability and inclusion are understood differently across cultural contexts Why educational models developed in the United States and other Western countries do not always translate well to other parts of the world The tensions between international inclusion policies and local knowledge Lessons from India and other countries about community, family, work, and disability How educational systems can unintentionally create new forms of exclusion while…

People in this episode

Host: Federico R. Waitoller

Guest: Maya Kalyanpur

Topics covered

• inclusive education
• disability
• educational equity
• Global South
• cultural contexts
• international policies
• community and family

Keywords

• inclusive education
• disability
• Global South
• educational equity
• cultural contexts
• exclusion
• community
• family

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: University of San Diego

Places: India, Cambodia, South Asia, United States

More episodes of DiveIn: Diving into Special Education's Most Complex and Pressing Debates

• The Inclusive Education Series: Talking about Inclusion with David Connor · July 6, 2026 · 47 min
• Trailer Season 4 · June 17, 2026 · 4 min

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