Thomas Hehir worked to make people aware of ableism and eliminate the subtle ways that ableism devalues students with disabilities. It could help us to create educational environments where diverse abilities are recognized as important to our society instead of a burden or “out of the norm.” For this blog post, I put together some quotes from his work and why I think they’re important.
1. “The devaluation of disability that 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.”
This quote lays the groundwork for Hehir’s argument by defining ableism in real terms. It shows how everyday assumptions can undermine the potential of students with disabilities. By giving examples what people think is “better” or more desirable, Hehir shows the subtle biases in educational practices expectations.
2. “However, even though these laws were strong, existing practices were often difficult to change due to deeply held negative cultural assumptions about disability.”
Hehir is talking about the disconnect between legal mandates and everyday actions. Even with legislation on the books, the cultural beliefs about what is "normal" or "desirable" can continue to block necessary change. This is a reminder that policy alone can’t fix systemic prejudice without people putting in the effort to change their biases and attitudes.
3. “Some student’s failure to learn to read may be due to poor instruction, thus compounding the impact of disability.”
This last quote is basically telling us to question when people attribute academic struggles solely to a child’s disability. It shows how inadequate teaching practices can worsen the challenges faced by students with disabilities. Disabilities are not synonymous with "problem," and making assumptions only adds to this negative stereotyping.
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