Group Post - Confronting Ableism

"An ableist perspective asserts that it is preferable for a child to read print rather than Braille, walk rather than use a wheelchair..."

- Focus on the disability rather than accepting the disability and accommodating it. This prejudice may cause their learning to be stifled.

- Blind woman & cerebral palsy examples

- Parents fighting for equal accommodations under the law (blind & iron lung/polio example). Changing b/c of IDEA and other legislation, but is it fair for families?

- Recognizing importance of diagnosis (declining vision/impairment or seems steady?)

- When modifying instruction, such as teaching life skills, make sure it's an area that they need (student not needing instruction with cooking, parents already taught)

- Don't focus instruction on preferences, so what will give the child with a disability the most opportunity to succeed. 

- Minimize the effect of the disability.


Discussion Questions

How comfortable are you in terms of working with and educating students who have disabilities? 

Do you feel that all students who have disabilities can be placed in general education classes with their peers? 

How might you modify your lesson plans for students with disabilities? 

Do you think that with the increase in technology that you will be better able to assist students with disabilities, i.e., with the increasing prevalence of technology such as Smartboards,  will it be easier for you as a teacher to allow more students with disabilities inside of your classroom (LREs).








Note: Kalee and Elizabeth may have their own posts as well.