"Eliminating Ableism in Education" by Thomas Hehir is an article that talks about the importance of creating inclusive environments in schools for students with disabilities. Hehir emphasizes the need for schools to address ableism, which is the discrimination against people with disabilities. It discusses how ableism can affect the educational experiences of students with disabilities, making it harder for them to learn and succeed in school, which leads to less successful outcomes later in life. Within the article, Hehir focuses on ableism in the education of deaf students, blind students, and students with learning disabilities like dyslexia. With each of these disabilities, the student’s education is impacted by the limited thinking of educators who believe traditional methods of communication are one size fits all.
In the section titled “Education for the Deaf”, Hehir lists a great deal of research supporting the use of ASL or manual language and its positive impact on intelligence and literacy. Despite the research, Hehir reveals that it is not as commonplace as it should be in specialized special education to teach and/or communicate in ASL.
So much of this article reflects the daily struggles that can be seen in the elementary school I work in. As the school nurse, I am involved in and witness to, much of the way special education works within a school. I am often astounded by what we deem acceptable for students with disabilities. From the bare minimum ‘quick fixes’ to meet ADA requirements in a 60-year-old school, to the severely limited options for students to receive specialized education time and the lack of qualified educators, it is no wonder that our education system is in the shape it’s in.
In the section about learning disabilities and Hehir’s discussion about how students aren’t receiving the appropriate support services, I couldn’t help but think about a conversation I recently had with a Kindergarten teacher. She was telling me how behind the students are in reading and how difficult it has been to make progress. She thinks this is because she had double the number of students who entered Kindergarten without the basic skills of letter and letter sound recognition this year. None of her students receive any support and she teaches alone all day. To cover the necessary material, she needs to move at a pace that doesn’t allow for a lot of remedial assistance. The teacher has just now recommended several students for the MTSS/RTI process, 6 months into the year. Those students will eventually receive Tier 2 support, but when? How much further behind will they be by the end of the year?
As the article states, literacy is one of the biggest predictors of long-term success, why are we not doing more to support the students at the most basic level? I wonder how much more successful the students would be if there was a second teacher in the kindergarten classroom to support students daily? Too often, the teachers don’t recognize struggling students until they are significantly behind and it takes twice as long to catch back up.
Hehir suggests many different strategies for eliminating ableism in education, such as including disability as part of the school’s diversity efforts, and encouraging disabled students to develop and use skills and modes of expression that are most effective and efficient for them. He also highlights the importance of specializing in special education. Certain disabilities require specialized skills, which are often not part of the standard special educator curriculum. He also suggests that we move away from obsessing over the placement of students and instead focus on the best way to get positive results. Lastly, he advocates for promoting high standards and not high stakes in the way students are evaluated, and the concepts of universal design in schooling- the idea that education should be accessible to all disabled students, without extraordinary means.
Ableism, like other forms of oppression, requires conversation and awareness. As Alan Johnson states in “Power, Privilege and Difference”, …” you can’t deal with a problem if you don’t name it… once you name it, you can think, talk, and write about it. When you name something, the word draws your attention to it, which makes you more likely to notice something as significant. ” Looking around, there is evidence of ableism everywhere. I think our job now is to be aware, and when we can, point it out to others.
Hi Amanda, Thanks so much for sharing about your personal experiences with this in your own working environment. It certainly is frustrating and it is clear that changes need to be made in the educational setting. This article was really eye opening for me and I also tied it to Johnson. We have to be comfortable talking about uncomfortable things in order to make positive changes. I really enjoyed reading your blog and your link was really informative. Thanks so much for sharing. Nice job!
ReplyDeleteHi Amanda, Amazing post! I loved your insights and your ways of wording it. I especially liked your descriptions of the challenges at your school for students with disabilities and their teachers. Many of those problems are unfortunately universal. The rushed curriculum is the enemy of students who are falling behind. Those who are setting the standards need to take this more into account when evaluating schools and test scores. Hehir extends a lot of praise to the system of standards but there needs to be a balance between amount of required material to cover and pacing. I also second your concerns about teacher shortages. Without adequate incentive it is unfortunately impossible to provide the specialized services that Hehir prescribes. As a policymaker he might need to be reminded that you get what you pay for. I apologize for the dark turn in my comment. :)
ReplyDeleteThank you for inspiring and sharing those terrific insights!