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Canadian institutions of higher education have long touted their dedication to inclusivity and diversity. The Academy, however, exists in a mix of new managerialism and collegialism, environments that demand conformity and the prioritization of sameness over difference. For employees with autism spectrum disorder (ASD), the very nature of their condition means that conforming to a standard is a difficult, if not impossible task. If passed, the proposed Accessible Canada Act means universities in Canada will have a legal responsibility to accommodate employees with disabilities, including ASD.

ASD is a neurodevelopmental condition of varying severity characterized by difficulties with communication, social interactions, and repetitive behaviors. While it is difficult to determine how many adults live with ASD in Canada, current statistics show that 1 out of 66 children are on the autism spectrum (PHAC, 2018). Many have physical and mental comorbidities that complicate their health status.

Though conformity may streamline human resources processes and standardize staffing issues, it is essential for administration to identify areas where they are weak in supporting potential and current employees who veer from the norm. Libraries need human resources policies and procedures that reflect and celebrate uniqueness. Long-held tendencies toward valuing fit and conventionality need to give way to transformational mentoring and empowering in order for a diverse workforce to reach its fullest potential. Embracing inclusivity will result in numerous benefits, not just for the employee but for the library. This chapter shows how personnel with high-functioning autism can be best supported in Canadian academic libraries.

Recently, international initiatives have targeted the South American Amazon with the hope of improving education outcomes there. The effort may be well intended. However, implementing and evaluating literacy projects in this vast and resource-rich jungle, characterized by abundant linguistic and cultural variety since pre-colonial times, inevitably results in a clash of worldviews. This chapter presents the results of a critical interpretive review of research and policy documents related to literacy development efforts in South America, with special attention to the most excluded Amazonian regions in Peru. I used the theoretical construct of research paradigms (Sipe & Constable, 1996), to identify interconnected assumptions and worldviews (Jones, Torres, & Arminio, 2006) in research and policy agendas promoting international literacy. My analysis revealed the existence of three main assumptions behind international collaboration efforts in literacy and how they are problematic for the South American Amazon. Findings reveal how the research framework toward literacy, the visions regarding the contribution of national assessments to educational quality, and the conceptualizations of the relationship between education and development, emerging from international discourses, may encounter alternative ideas that are equally valid in the South American Amazon. The conclusions have important implications for global meaning making regarding literacy development, and specifically for the design, implementation, and evaluation of international literacy-based projects in countries where Spanish is the dominant language.

This article presents a description of Early Childhood Care and Education (ECCE) as a basis for guaranteeing fundamental human rights from birth. ECCE is the first stage and a solid base – considering the relevance of development processes from birth to six years. Active early education, committed to the reality of a community, facilitates the training of young citizens as rights’ agents. In this sense, the education and care in early childhood is indispensable. This article communicates a descriptive synthesis of the current state of the ECCE in various regions and countries, especially in Latin America – Argentina – and in Europe – Sweden.

In the analysis, theoretical sustenance about childhood and new perspectives that discuss classical conceptions are presented. The educational process is fundamental and is described as Early Education (EE), presenting a synthesis of the ECCE from its normative conformation that arises from the statements of Jomtien (1990). The concept of Educare is presented, as a holistic approach to education and care within early childhood. This aspect is linked to highlight the inequality gaps for children, describing ‘fragmented territories’, in terms of guaranteeing rights. The final reflection summarizes the importance of Early Education, recovering the current studies on Educare, which project the guarantee of rights from birth.