Disability Perspectives
You may use the articles in a variety of ways to enhance the ways that disability is understood and included in your classrooms and beyond.
Here you will find articles and short videos that follow the social model of disability, those that provide insight into experiences of ableism and inaccessibility, sources about disability history as well as those that deal with disability culture.
If you know of a source that would make sense in this collection, please submit it using this Google form or emailing it to us at info@DisabilityEqualityEducation.org
Helen Keller Accomplishments Students Don't Learn in School - December 2020
Helen Keller Accomplishments Students Don't Learn in School
https://time.com/5918660/helen-keller-disability-history/
Article covers the issue that historically, when students learn about Helen Keller, they mostly learn about her efforts to communicate as a child, and not about the work she did as an adult and how this limited focus impact how students perceive people with disabilities.
For Blind Internet Users, the Fix Can Be Worse Than the Flaws - July 2022
For Blind Internet Users, the Fix Can Be Worse Than the Flaws
https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/13/technology/ai-web-accessibility.html
Companies say their A.I.-powered tools are the best way to fix accessibility problems online, but many blind people find they make websites harder to use.
The poet John Lee Clark Translates the DeafBlind Experience to the Page - December 2022
The poet John Lee Clark Translates the DeafBlind Experience to the Page
https://www.wnycstudios.org/podcasts/tnyradiohour/segments/poet-john-lee-clark
Although many hearing and sighted people imagine DeafBlind life in tragic terms, as an experience of isolation and darkness, the poet John Lee Clark’s writing is full of joy. It’s funny and surprising, mapping the contours of a regular life marked by common pleasures and frustrations. Clark, who was born Deaf and lost his sight at a young age, has established himself not just as a writer and translator but as a scholar of Deaf and DeafBlind literature. His new collection, “How to Communicate,” includes original works and translations from American Sign Language and Protactile. He speaks with the contributor Andrew Leland, who is working on a book about his own experience of losing his sight in adulthood. This interview has a transcript.
When I learned my child was autistic, I was devastated. But reading about autism from autistic adults changed my whole perspective. - December 2022
When I learned my child was autistic, I was devastated. But reading about autism from autistic adults changed my whole perspective.
https://www.insider.com/my-child-is-autistic-autistic-adults-changed-my-perspective-2022-12
The article is a personal account of a parent whose perspective on autism was changed after interacting with autistic adults. The parent learned that the misconceptions they had about autism were not accurate and that autistic individuals have unique talents and abilities. The parent's experiences with autistic adults helped them to see the importance of inclusion and acceptance in society.
He Works Against Institutions: Former Patient Becomes Advocate for Rights of the Handicapped - July 1995, updated 2021
He Works Against Institutions: Former Patient Becomes Advocate for Rights of the Handicapped
The article is about Bernard Carabello who was once a patient at Willowbrook Institution but has since become an advocate for the rights of the disabled. He worked against institutions that do not support or adequately serve disabled people. Through his advocacy efforts, he strives to ensure that disabled individuals are able to live fulfilling lives with dignity and respect, free from discrimination and bias.
* This article uses the word handicapped to describe disabled people. At the time this word was more commonly used and accepted but is no longer considered appropriate.
'It's Who I Am': Why Name Signs Matter in ASL - July 2021
'It's Who I Am': Why Name Signs Matter in ASL
https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2021/07/16/arts/kamala-harris-name-sign-language.html
The article is about the use of American Sign Language (ASL) and the importance of name signs. It begins talking about the process to come up with a name sign for Vice President Kamala Harris. Kamala Harris, the first female, first Black and first South Asian Vice President of the United States, has a unique name that poses a challenge in ASL, as there is no specific sign for her name. The article explores the different ways ASL users have attempted to spell out her name, including using the signs for each syllable, or using a modified version of the sign for "justice." The article highlights the creative and adaptive nature of sign languages, as well as the importance of representation and inclusion for deaf and hard-of-hearing communities in politics and other public spheres.
Cerrie Burnell: 'I wasn't surprised people complained about me' - May 2015
Cerrie Burnell: 'I wasn't surprised people complained about me'
https://www.mirror.co.uk/tv/tv-news/cerrie-burnell-i-wasnt-surprised-5785077
The article is about the television presenter Cerrie Burnell and her reaction to the recent controversy surrounding the representation of disability on children's television. Burnell, who has a disability herself, expressed that she was not surprised by the backlash, as she has personally experienced a lack of representation and sensitivity towards disabilities in the media. She called for greater diversity in children's television and for disabled actors to be given more opportunities to play lead roles. The article highlights the importance of having positive representation of disabilities in the media, as it can have a significant impact on how children view and understand disabilities.
What moves some people with disabilities to become disability activists? - September 2021
What moves some people with disabilities to become disability activists?
The article discusses the reasons why some people with disabilities become disability activists. It highlights that for some individuals, the experience of facing discrimination and prejudice due to their disability is a driving force behind their activism. Others may become activists as a way to advocate for better accessibility and support services for the disabled community. The article also notes that for some individuals, their activism is a form of self-expression and a means of challenging societal attitudes towards disability. Overall, the article suggests that disability activism is a means for people with disabilities to assert their rights and claim their place in society.
Dwarfism and fantasy - December 2022
‘Hardly seen as human at all’: will fantasy ever beat its dwarfism problem?
https://www.theguardian.com/tv-and-radio/2022/dec/13/fantasy-dwarfism-problem
This article discusses the issue of fantasy-based entertainment such as films and TV shows portraying dwarves or people with dwarfism in a stereotypical or insensitive manner. Some individuals and advocacy groups within the dwarf community are calling for greater representation and sensitivity in these productions. They argue that these portrayals can perpetuate negative stereotypes and contribute to discrimination against people with dwarfism in everyday life.