(Dis)ability, Education, and the Arts

Story: Hailey's Experience with LD in the Classroom Hailey didn’t want to be different, but as she got older, it became harder and harder to hide the fact that she wasn’t able to keep up in school. Her peers didn’t seem to have trouble concentrating on their schoolwork or paying attention in class. For some reason, Hailey always got distracted in class. On top of that, she had to work extra hard to learn. She would often cry herself to sleep because knowledge never seemed to stick or make sense in her head. Her parents call it learning disability, but the words didn’t seem to do the experience justice. That’s it? All her troubles were summed up into two words. Rather than reading or doing school work, Hailey liked to draw. She went out into the woods and sat in silence, tuning into the subtlety and beauty of nature. She would draw for hours, the trees, birds, rocks, etc. She noticed how the wind swept through the leaves and the moisture in the soil. Moments in nature helped Hailey ...

Personal Quote: “I think the medical perspective is the perspective most people with disabilities have little control over. Disabled people often trust the diagnoses and decision making of doctors and other professionals.” Commentary: In this personal excerpt, I touched on the fact that people with disabilities are often being told by “disability experts” that they are disabled. Most of the time, these doctors and “disability experts” have never experienced living with a disability themselves. This makes them, in my opinion, unqualified to place labels and judge people with disabilities. Disabilities studies should incorporate more people who have experienced life with disabilities first hand. 

Personal Quote: “A disability is a physical or mental impairment that hinders someone from completing normal day-to-day activities. People who are disabled often have reserved spaces like parking spaces and subway seats to facilitate convenience and equity in our communities. Pointing out a person’s disabilities can come off as rude and offensive, therefore a taboo conversation topic for most.” Commentary: This excerpt is from a disability free write at the beginning of my research. Looking back, my view of people with disabilities was mainly from an outsider’s perspective and very superficial. Now that I’m nearing the end of my course, I have a better understanding of how art, (dis)ability, and education intersect. People are only disabled if society is structured in a way that hinders their abilities. Understanding the needs and emotional rollercoaster of living with a disability in society is the first step in their complete inclusion into society. 

Excerpt:  “For Dewey the human animal was intelligent, but intelligence was not a faculty of the mind— that is, an element or factor, or a part among parts, or a platonic essence. Nor was intelligence a quantity of ‘something’ of which some people had more and others less.” (Sarason, 1988) Commentary: I found Dewey's notion of intelligence to be very resonant. The term "intellect" has historically been applied negatively to students with disabilities. People with disabilities are frequently perceived as being unintelligent and incapable of achieving their full potential. The opposite is true, as you can see. By using Dewey's concept of intelligence, people are no longer judged by academic standards but rather by their capacity to be impactful, proactive citizens. This new perspective on individuals with disabilities would treat them as equals rather than as outsiders. Citation: Sarason, S. (1988). Chapter 2: Worldview, intelligence, and psychological tests. In The cha...

Excerpt:  “There was Devin Foster, whose teacher told him he ‘wasn’t smart enough for her class,’ and Spencer MacArthur, whose peers said, ‘just didn’t want to learn.’ There was Anthony Gustafson, who stopped participating when his elementary school teachers would ask, ‘Does anyone else have anything to say?’” (Baines, 2014) Commentary: I couldn't help but think of a close friend of my brother after reading through a few of the case studies. I'll use the pseudonym Garrett for him. Since he was a small child, Garrett, who has autism, has struggled to integrate into the K–12 educational system. He was enrolled in special education, where pupils with disabilities were frequently the subject of disappointment and sympathy. After doing some reading, I've come to see how oppressive and limiting the special education system is. Disability-related pupils are isolated with their own educational programs and informed they aren't smart enough to stay in class with the other studen...

Excerpt: “At the time, the comment offended me because of the value laid on beauty. But many years later during another wakeful night I lay in the dark and worried that she might be grotesque. I immediately experienced great shame. How could I think this about my own child?”  (“Rethinking Beauty & Visibility: Navigating Society’s Beauty Standards While Raising My Disabled Child”)  Commentary: I am motivated by the mother in the post because I can only imagine how difficult it must be to deal with other people's stupidity on a regular basis. I adored the fact that she stopped caring about the crude remarks made by outsiders when she discovered how gorgeous her daughter really is. I am aware of how challenging it is to ignore other people's viewpoints. Anyone who doesn't fit the stereotype of a typical human being is subject to judgment from society. The stunning diversity found in each community is unaccounted for by this destructive worldview. Jude should develop into a...