About

Hi, I’m Dr. Tina O’Neal.

At my core, I’m a lifelong learner who believes education should be inclusive, practical, and deeply connected to the real world. I think of my career as one long learning journey shaped by classrooms, communities, and collaborations across local and global spaces. I care about work that functions well, stretches thinking, and actually makes a difference.

I am a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Special Education at Indiana University, where I teach undergraduate and graduate courses that prepare educators to work in urban, multicultural, and global contexts. My teaching focuses on assistive technology, disability studies, disability law, instructional strategies with an emphasis on positive behavior supports, and multicultural and global education. I love helping future educators think critically, teach responsibly, and show up for students with intention and care.

Before higher education, I spent years as a special education teacher, coordinator, and consultant in Detroit, Michigan, working across public and private school settings. Those experiences still ground everything I do. They keep my work honest, practical, and rooted in the everyday realities of teaching and learning.

My research explores how teachers understand and implement inclusive education in both urban and global contexts. My work is grounded in Disability Studies in Education (DSE), intersectionality, and culturally sustaining pedagogy, examining how educators engage with inclusive practices, assistive technology, culturally responsive teaching, and trauma informed care. I am especially interested in how educational systems either support or limit meaningful inclusion for students with disabilities.

I also identify proudly as a global scholar. As an International Faculty Fellow, I lead Inspire, Educate, Transform, a faculty led study abroad program in Ghana. This immersive experience invites pre service teachers to explore comparative education while learning about inclusive teaching practices in both U.S. and Ghanaian classrooms. My work in Ghana includes collaborative research with local educators and institutions and a continued focus on inclusive education for students with disabilities, including students who are deaf, blind, or have cerebral palsy.

Across everything I do, I aim to bridge theory and practice, local and global perspectives, and research and real life. My work is grounded in access, care, and sustainability and fueled by meaningful conversations that move education forward.