Blog 8 Hehir

 Argument/Quotes:

Those with physical and mental disabilities are not only discriminated against by being given limits to what they can do, but also aren’t given support to help them achieve their goals that exceed these limits.  In the article by Hehir a parent is told that her son won’t have the same future and opportunities as other kids.  While setting expectations is good, a better message would be to ensure parents that their children with disabilities can have the same future with other kids if they receive the correct support.  Problems arise when people try to change someone’s disability rather than give them the support they need.  The article mentions how people with disabilities are only portrayed in two ways, “Tiny Tims' ' or “Supercrips' '.  This extreme and stereotypical view doesn’t give those with disabilities realistic role models that resemble real people in the real world.

The solutions put in place to help are generic if they are there at all.  “We tend to have “one size fits all” reading programs in the primary grades. This is true of other areas as well, such as how schools handle students with disabilities that affect behavior” (Hehir 28).  If students with intellectual disabilities are given a specific way that will help them read rather than giving them the same reading program only to fail, they can learn to read at their own pace instead of not at all.  The author believes that ableism looks to use a one size fits all education approach and to fight against this we need to view each student as an individual with a unique learning style.  The author also argues that schools and buildings need to be built assuming that they will be used by those with all different abilities.      

Here is a link on how to prevent examples of ableism

https://www.everydayactivismnetwork.org/archive/how-to-be-anti-ableist