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School of Education
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Teaching Diverse Populations EDG 2701 Unit II Lesson IX Ableism
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Personal Information Associate Professor, Senior
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Introduction to the Lesson The purpose of this eighth lesson in this second unit is to introduce the education student to the specific beliefs, values and attitudes rooted in fear and ignorance and are known collectively as Ableism. The student will study the overarching concepts of disability, impairment and handicap which include hearing impairment; visual impairment, impairments requiring mobility equipment; congenital anomalies; speech or motor impairments; diabetes, depression, bipolar disease, obessive-compulsive disorder, asthma, arthritis, attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder, migraines, epilepsy, AIDS, hemophilia, and others. There are several definitions of these concepts which will guide the discussions in this lesson. The Definition Of Disability The most commonly cited definition is that of the World Health Organisation in 1976(1), which draws a three-fold distinction between impairment, disability and handicap, defined as follows. 'An impairment is any loss or abnormality of psychological, physiological or anatomical structure or function; a disability is any restriction or lack (resulting from an impairment) of ability to perform an activity in the manner or within the range considered normal for a human being; a handicap is a disadvantage for a given individual, resulting from an impairment or a disability, that prevents the fulfilment of a role that is considered normal (depending on age, sex and social and cultural factors) for that individual'. According to activists in the disability movement, the World Health Organisation has confused between the terms 'disability' and 'impairment'. They maintain that impairment refers to physical or cognitive limitations that an individual may have, such as the inability to walk or speak. In contrast, disability refers to socially imposed restrictions, that is, the system of social constraints that are imposed on those with impairments by the discriminatory practices of society. Thus, the Union of the Physically Impaired Against Segregation defined impairment and disability in the following manner. An 'impairment [is] lacking part of or all of a limb, or having a defective limb, organism or mechanism of the body'. 'disability [is] the disadvantage or restriction of activity caused by contemporary organisation which takes no or little account of people who have physical impairments and thus excludes them from the mainstream of social activities'(2). According to the United Nations Standard Rules on the equalization of Opportunities for Persons with disabilities: * The term "disability" summarizes a great number of different functional limitations occurring in any population in any country, of the world. People may be disabled by physical, intellectual or sensory impairment, medical conditions or mental illness. Such impairments, conditions or illnesses may be permanent or transitory in nature. * The term "handicap" means the loss or limitation of opportunities to take part in the life of the community on an equal level with others. It describes the encounter between the person with a disability and the environment. The purpose of this term is to emphasize the focus on the shortcomings in the environment and in many organized activities in society, for example, information, communication and education, which prevent persons with disabilities from participating on equal terms. * The use of the two terms "disability" and "handicap", as defined in the two paragraphs above, should be seen in the light of modern disability history. During the 1970s there was a strong reaction among representatives of organizations of persons with disabilities and professionals in the field of disability against the terminology of the time. The terms "disability" and "handicap" were often used in an unclear and confusing way, which gave poor guidance for policy-making and for political action. The terminology reflected a medical and diagnostic approach, which ignored the imperfections and deficiencies of the surrounding society. * In 1980, the World Health Organization adopted an international classification of impairments, disabilities and handicaps, which suggested a more precise and at the same time relativistic approach. The International Classification of Impairments, Disabilities, and Handicaps(3) makes a clear distinction between "impairment", "disability" and "handicap". It has been extensively used in areas such as rehabilitation, education, statistics, policy, legislation, demography, sociology, economics and anthropology. Some users have expressed concern that the Classification, in its definition of the term "handicap", may still be considered too medical and too centred on the individual, and may not adequately clarify the interaction between societal conditions or expectations and the abilities of the individual. Those concerns, and others expressed by users during the 12 years since its publication, will be addressed in forthcoming revisions of the Classification. * As a result of experience gained in the implementation of the World Programme of Action and of the general discussion that took place during the United Nations Decade of Disabled Persons, there was a deepening of knowledge and extension of understanding concerning disability issues and the terminology used. Current terminology recognizes the necessity of addressing both the individual needs (such as rehabilitation and technical aids) and the shortcomings of the society (various obstacles for participation). The Concepts of Productive And Non-productive Eugenics
is the belief that non-abled bodied people are of less value
than able-bodied. http://www.africa2000.com/ENDX/aepage.htm De-institutionalization The recent trend toward "de-institutionalization" for the disabled
begun about twenty-five years ago might sound progressive. However, the
motivation behind the move was largely financial and there has been a gap
in the number of people with disabilities now fending for themselves and
the services available for them. Many people feel federal and provincial
budget cuts will mean even fewer services for persons with disabilities.
"Stage Theories" Of Adjustment
This theory focuses on the individual's reaction to his or her disability and does not take into consideration the social, political, economic and structural consequences of disability. Stigma of Disabilities It is also important to realize, as well, that the concept we have about persons with disabilities and stigma is very culturally specific. There are groups in our society who are treated in a certain way, but would not be treated that way in another cultural context. For example, in Aboriginal communities, there is no word to describe persons with disability, and certain disabilities are not seen as disabling. Two Models for Practice The Independent Living Movement model The Rehabilitation model The Independent Living Movement in the United States as a civil rights movement for persons with disabilities. It developed in Canada in the 1970's and sees social workers and other professionals as a barrier to the real progress of persons with disabilities. The movement takes an anti-professional stand and believes that those with disabilities know best what they need and should have the power to control their own lives and make their own choices. It is "fed up" with social workers and others dominating their lives and telling what is best for them. From a disability rights perspective, social work is seen as an obstacle
with its focus on changing the individual rather than the society --improving
access to housing, employment, and education, for example. Some social workers
are realizing they cannot help persons with disabilities without working
for social change. They feel they must move beyond the conventional perspective
where the individual has the problem and is the problem. This method concentrates
primarily on providing services like marital, sexual counselling and psychological
counselling or "immediate tension relief" to focusing on long-term
structural change. At the same time, social workers must fight against their
own ablest bias in looking at the world. Rehabilitation Model? What is Ableism? Ableism is defined as stereotyping, negative attitudes, and discrimination toward people based on a physical or mental disability resulting in discrimination and/or prejudice. But even the terms of this definition are offensive to some people... Ableism is experienced by people in all walks of life and at any point in a person's life. From newborn infants to adults contemplating assisted suicide - people with disabilities in the United States are generally viewed as incompetent and pitied with unwanted sympathy. Ableism insinuates that people without disabilities are "normal" and those with disabilities are somehow not equal, separating them from others. People with disabilities are perceived solely by their disability and not their individuality. People with disabilities deserve respect and acceptance, especially in a society that is built on diversity. http://www.uvm.edu/~culture/site/frameset/frameset_ableism.html
The various definitions of ableism in the literature share common origins that are rooted in the discrimination and oppression that many disabled people experience in society (Overboe, 1999; Weeber, 1999). Laura Rauscher and Mary McClintock (1996) define ableism as "a pervasive system of discrimination and exclusion that oppresses people who have mental, emotional and physical disabilities. . . . Deeply rooted beliefs about health, productivity, beauty, and the value of human life, perpetuated by the public and private media, combine to create an environment that is often hostile to those whose physical, mental, cognitive, and sensory abilities . . . fall out of the scope of what is currently defined as socially acceptable" (p. 198). Black disability activist and talk-show host Greg Smith captures the essence of definitions of ableism in his article "The Brother in the Wheelchair." "I've faced unintentional discrimination, and it's just as damaging as racism. . . . It's called ableism, the devaluation and disregard of people with disabilities" http://216.239.51.100/search?q=cache:BtdxN1o8dy8C:www.gse.harvard.edu/~hepg/hehir.pdf+ableism&hl=en&lr=lang_en&ie=UTF-8
Competency #2 reads (in part) as follows: The student will examine the impact of diversity upon the educational process by
Competency #3 reads (in part) as follows: The student will examine barriers to understanding diversity by
Competency #4 reads (in part) as follows: The student will examine the structure and complexity of diversity by
Competency #5 reads (in part) as follows: The student will have the opportunity to develop intercultural competence and cultural relativism by
(A complete list of all the competencies for EDG 2701 is provided below by clicking on the link en titled competencies)
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