DISABILITY ABLEISM CONSTRUCTIVISM Disability to be physically or
DISABILITY, ABLEISM & CONSTRUCTIVISM
Disability: to be physically or mentally impaired Disabled: when society and its institutions are set up in such a way that they exclude individuals because of their physical and mental characteristics
Ableism the "belief that impairment or disability is inherently negative and should the opportunity present itself, be ameliorated, cured or indeed eliminated” (Campbell, p. 5, The Project of Ableism).
From an ableist perspective, the devaluation of disability results in societal attitudes that uncritically assert that it is better for a child to walk than roll, speak than sign, read print than read Braille, spell independently than use a spell-check, and hang out with nondisabled kids as opposed to other disabled kids, etc. In short, in the eyes of many educators and society, it is preferable for disabled students to do things in the same manner as nondisabled kids. (Hehir, p. 3, Eliminating Ableism in Education).
Ableism • A) depends on a “state of exceptionality” or the “normal” or “ideal” body • B) the use of scientific ableism • • (i) constructing the disabled body as a personal medical tragedy (ii) that disability is exceptional rather than typical (iii) that one ought to work towards fixing/hiding one’s disability if one can (iv) refusing to accept that the identification of disability is provisional and tentative • Such ways of thinking shifts the focus from one of care to one of cure. • Because Who is Perfect?
Disability Education Law • Use Spring to place each of these laws onto your timeline, and make sure you know what they each meant for students with disabilities: • PL 94 -142 - Education for All Handicapped Children of 1975 • Defined “least restrictive environment • IDEA – Individuals with Disabilities Act of 1990 • Created the concept of the IEP (individual education plan) • NCLB – No Child Left Behind Act of 2001 • Set ‘high standards’ for all children via testing
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