Eliminating Ableism Making the Right Decisions April 20, 2007 A-328: Becoming a School Leader Harvard Graduate School of Education Dr. Thomas Hehir

The Role of Education The concept of ableism: Schools often reflect the attitudes of the broader society in which disability is devalued and persons with disabilities do not enjoy equality of rights and opportunity Should schools:  Serve the role of reinforcing the status quo?  Be a vehicle for promoting equality and societal progress?  Take an active role in eliminating ableism?

“The most important thing that happens when a child is born with disabilities is that a child is born. The most important thing that happens when a couple becomes parents is that a couple becomes parents.” (Ferguson & Asch) “My disability, with my different walk and talk and my involuntary movements, having been with me all my life, was part of me, part of my identity. With my disability features, I felt whole. My mother’s attempt to change my walk, strange as it may seem, felt like an assault on myself, an incomplete acceptance of all of me, an attempt to make me over.” (Rousso) Lessons from the Narratives of Adults with Disabilities

“…I give my parents high marks. They did not deny that I was blind, and did not ask me to pretend that everything about my life was fine. They rarely sheltered. They worked to help me behave and look the way others did without giving me the sense to be blind-different- was shameful. They fought for me, and then with me, to ensure that I lived as full and rich a life as I could. For them and consequently for me, my blindness was a fact, not a tragedy. It affected them but did not dominate their lives. Nor did it dominate mine.” (Asch) Lessons from the Narratives of Adults with Disabilities

Ableism and…  Deaf students  Students with blindness and vision impairment  Students with LD  Students with emotional disturbance

Parental Responses From adult narratives:  Shelter  Fix  Deny  Minimize impact, ensure full life

Role of Education 1. Minimize Impact of Disability What does that mean? Would this differ by type of disability? Would this vary by age level? 2. Maximize opportunity to participate Are these roles conflicting?

Critical Decisions Interventions  Providing a Service that serves to minimize impact of disability (Physical Therapy, intensive reading instruction, counseling) Accommodations and Access: -Providing students with opportunities to learn and participate in activities that non-disabled students have.

Implications Child Level:  Differential diagnosis is important  Consider family capacity and desires  Involve students in educational decisions where appropriate  Encourage disabled students to develop and use skills and modes of expression that are most effective and efficient for them  Integration into general education environments should be a central consideration

Implications School Level:  Include disability as part of schools’ overall diversity efforts  Special education should be specialized  Move away from obsession over placement to a greater emphasis on results  Promote high standards  Employ concepts of universal design