“Disabilities Studies in Education: The Need for a Plurality of Perspectives on Disability”
By: Susan Baglieri, Jan W. Valle, David J. Connor, and Deborah J. Gallagher
The authors of this article argue that we need to have more conversations about the meaning of the term “disability” and how a “disability” relates to the social world based on our judgments.
Talking points:
“Disability is an idea, not a thing. It is not that people do not vary or differ from one another in sometimes very noticeable ways, but to call or think of some of those differences as ‘disabilities’ is to make a social judgement, not a neutral or value free observation” (p.4). The problem is not the “disability,” the problem is our perceptions of the differences. I think that Daniel Kish from the recent podcast would acknowledge that his ‘disability’ is blindness, but it is how others view his difference that determines what he will do with his difference. For example, will he ride a bike to get around or sit in a wheelchair that is pushed for him?
Definitions of disabilities can change, so they must be a product of our judgement (p.5). This really made me wonder, are all the students with special needs just labeled based on our judgement? In our Special Education meetings, evaluators use specific evaluations to collect data and then based on their data we come to a collective decision. Is the evaluation/testing process based on interpretations too? I never thought of us as educators as making judgments about a student to determine if they are eligible for Special Education services, but I guess we do. The example about a student who is disabled but miraculously “cured” simply by moving to another state shows that a disability status can change based on interpretations, judgements, and perceptions.
When we label people as “disabled” we see them as “subjects, rather than complex and competent human beings” (p.9). The minute we see the label, we already make assumptions about the person instead of greeting them as human beings. In our Kindergarten screening, we did not have any information about the children’s IEPs during the screening. However, later we found out that a boy had a syndrome which forces him to wear leg braces and would require more transitional time as well as other accommodations. For that hour of our screening, that child was just a new Kindergartener. However, now that there is a label or a disability, our thoughts regarding which classroom he should be in, which services he would need, and how to accommodate his needs became the topic of discussion, instead of just a new little boy coming to Kindergarten.
“Dis/ability critical race studies (DisCrit): Theorizing at the intersections of race and dis/ability”
By: Annamma, Connor, and Ferri.
The authors of this article argue how race and dis/ability are based on society and are highly connected to one another.
Talking Points:
Historically, race and ability were based on white supremacy. Because a person looked physically different (black/brown) then they were perceived to be less competent and because they were considered to have lower intelligence, that justified “slavery, segregation, unequal treatment, harassment, violence and even murder of black and brown bodies” (p.2). Data shows that more African Americans are identified as learning disabled or having behavior problems. Why is this race over-represented? I am wondering how other factors such as inadequate home lives where basic needs are not met contribute to teachers labeling students as having a disability when really there are other “disabilities” going on such as being unable to access learning because of lack of food or violence in the neighborhood.
“Dis/ability status justifies segregation and unequal treatment for students of color compared to their white counterparts.” Even though two races may have the same disability, students of color are more likely to be segregated from the general education population. I thought it was very interesting that at the higher education level, the system works differently. The majority of students going to college with a Learning Disability are white and come from families with stable economic status, which shows even with a “disability” white students will still receive privilege and a higher education.
“It is a line that is focused upon what children with dis/abilities cannot do, instead of emphasizing what their strengths are and what unique abilities they possess.” Because these students are so different than others, it is assumed that they cannot benefit from general instruction and therefore need special providers. So often I sit in Special Education meetings and it is only the first minute or so where we talk about a child’s strengths, then we go directly into what is wrong and how are we going to fix it. Creating a mindset that builds on strengths instead of focusing on all the “inabilities” might actually decrease the “inabilities” because a student’s very own strengths may help conquer the so called “inabilities.”
By: Susan Baglieri, Jan W. Valle, David J. Connor, and Deborah J. Gallagher
The authors of this article argue that we need to have more conversations about the meaning of the term “disability” and how a “disability” relates to the social world based on our judgments.
Talking points:
“Disability is an idea, not a thing. It is not that people do not vary or differ from one another in sometimes very noticeable ways, but to call or think of some of those differences as ‘disabilities’ is to make a social judgement, not a neutral or value free observation” (p.4). The problem is not the “disability,” the problem is our perceptions of the differences. I think that Daniel Kish from the recent podcast would acknowledge that his ‘disability’ is blindness, but it is how others view his difference that determines what he will do with his difference. For example, will he ride a bike to get around or sit in a wheelchair that is pushed for him?
Definitions of disabilities can change, so they must be a product of our judgement (p.5). This really made me wonder, are all the students with special needs just labeled based on our judgement? In our Special Education meetings, evaluators use specific evaluations to collect data and then based on their data we come to a collective decision. Is the evaluation/testing process based on interpretations too? I never thought of us as educators as making judgments about a student to determine if they are eligible for Special Education services, but I guess we do. The example about a student who is disabled but miraculously “cured” simply by moving to another state shows that a disability status can change based on interpretations, judgements, and perceptions.
When we label people as “disabled” we see them as “subjects, rather than complex and competent human beings” (p.9). The minute we see the label, we already make assumptions about the person instead of greeting them as human beings. In our Kindergarten screening, we did not have any information about the children’s IEPs during the screening. However, later we found out that a boy had a syndrome which forces him to wear leg braces and would require more transitional time as well as other accommodations. For that hour of our screening, that child was just a new Kindergartener. However, now that there is a label or a disability, our thoughts regarding which classroom he should be in, which services he would need, and how to accommodate his needs became the topic of discussion, instead of just a new little boy coming to Kindergarten.
“Dis/ability critical race studies (DisCrit): Theorizing at the intersections of race and dis/ability”
By: Annamma, Connor, and Ferri.
The authors of this article argue how race and dis/ability are based on society and are highly connected to one another.
Talking Points:
Historically, race and ability were based on white supremacy. Because a person looked physically different (black/brown) then they were perceived to be less competent and because they were considered to have lower intelligence, that justified “slavery, segregation, unequal treatment, harassment, violence and even murder of black and brown bodies” (p.2). Data shows that more African Americans are identified as learning disabled or having behavior problems. Why is this race over-represented? I am wondering how other factors such as inadequate home lives where basic needs are not met contribute to teachers labeling students as having a disability when really there are other “disabilities” going on such as being unable to access learning because of lack of food or violence in the neighborhood.
“Dis/ability status justifies segregation and unequal treatment for students of color compared to their white counterparts.” Even though two races may have the same disability, students of color are more likely to be segregated from the general education population. I thought it was very interesting that at the higher education level, the system works differently. The majority of students going to college with a Learning Disability are white and come from families with stable economic status, which shows even with a “disability” white students will still receive privilege and a higher education.
“It is a line that is focused upon what children with dis/abilities cannot do, instead of emphasizing what their strengths are and what unique abilities they possess.” Because these students are so different than others, it is assumed that they cannot benefit from general instruction and therefore need special providers. So often I sit in Special Education meetings and it is only the first minute or so where we talk about a child’s strengths, then we go directly into what is wrong and how are we going to fix it. Creating a mindset that builds on strengths instead of focusing on all the “inabilities” might actually decrease the “inabilities” because a student’s very own strengths may help conquer the so called “inabilities.”
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