Advancing Equity for Women and Girls with Disabilities: A Small Wins Approach for Inclusive and Rights-Based Education
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Authors
Walker, Gabriela
Issue Date
2026
Type
Action Research
Language
en
Keywords
Gender , Disability , Small Wins Strategy , Intersectionality , Inclusive Education , Global Education , Human Rights Education , Disability Studies , Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) , Culturally Sustaining Pedagogy
Alternative Title
Abstract
This Open Educational Resource (OER) presents original research titled Advancing Equity for Women and Girls with Disabilities: A Small Wins Approach for Inclusive and Rights-Based Education. The research provides the conceptual foundation for a five-unit curriculum designed for secondary and postsecondary learners, equipping students to examine barriers to inclusion and advance rights-based educational practices. The OER first outlines the research framework supporting the curriculum and then presents the instructional modules in the Appendix.
Women and girls with disabilities remain among the most marginalized learners globally, facing intersecting barriers shaped by gender, disability, poverty, culture, and structural inequality. This OER examines these inequities through a global lens and proposes the Small Wins strategy as a practical, evidence-informed approach to advancing inclusive education. Drawing on international frameworks, including the Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities (CRPD) and the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs 4, 5, and 10), the work illustrates how incremental changes in policy, pedagogy, and school culture can collectively expand access, agency, and educational opportunity.
Designed for educators in disability studies, gender studies, global education, and human rights education, this resource provides classroom-ready models, discussion pathways, and instructional examples demonstrating how Universal Design for Learning (UDL), culturally sustaining pedagogy, and rights-based teaching can translate global commitments into everyday educational practice. Ultimately, the analysis highlights how sustained, strategic small wins can generate meaningful and lasting change within educational systems.
The Small Wins Approach to Gender and Disabilities Curriculum consists of the following modules:
Module 1: The Global Landscape of Women, Girls, and Disabilities in Education
Module 2: Barriers and Intersectionality: Violence, Poverty, Culture, and Policy
Module 3: The “Small Wins” Strategy: Theory and Application
Module 4: Education as Empowerment: Rights, Development, and Practice
Module 5: Implementation Pathways: From Policy to Practice
Description
Dr. Gabriela Walker is a Full Professor at National University in California specializing in special education and disability studies. Her work is informed by a transnational perspective shaped by early experiences in Eastern Europe and subsequent academic and professional development in the United States. This background informs her commitment to equity, inclusion, and disability rights.
Dr. Walker’s professional experience includes working with underserved populations with disabilities in urban contexts, including members of the Rroma community. She holds academic degrees from several institutions: the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign in Global Policy Studies, the University of Georgia in Special Education, National University in Applied Behavior Analysis, and the University of Bucharest in Inclusive Education and Psychology.
Her research examines Autism Spectrum Disorders, evidence-based methodologies for teaching students with disabilities, and the intersection of global educational policy, disability rights, and ecology of disabilities. She is particularly interested in how educational systems can promote equitable participation and meaningful outcomes for individuals with disabilities across diverse cultural contexts.
Dr. Walker serves as an Associate Editor for the Issues in Teacher Education Journal of California Commission on Teacher Credentialing (CCTC) and for the Journal of Research in Innovative Teaching & Learning. She previously served as Chair of the Special Education Research Special Interest Group of the American Educational Research Association (AERA). Dr. Walker has also served for many years as chair of doctoral committees in special education and educational leadership, mentoring doctoral candidates and contributing to the preparation of future scholars and educational leaders.