Hehir and the "Examined Life" video discussed the different types of stigma and ableist assumptions that surround their disability. Similarly, the video from Matt's Foundation deals with the concepts of stigma against those with Down syndrome. Reflecting on the Hehir reading, many of the main points reflect how the negative connotations around disability in a classroom setting prevent students who have disabilities from receiving the proper support and accommodations that allow them to succeed within a classroom setting. In "Examined Life" Judith Baker and Sanuara Taylor speak about Taylor's perspective and experiences about being disabled and how it impacts the way she is perceived by the outside society. As soon as I read and watched the reading and video, I immediately remembered the video from Matt's foundation discussing the stigma around people with Down syndrome.
The video talks about how the girl in the video is perceived as unable to do all the things someone her age can be doing (drinking at a bar, living alone, etc) because society perceives her as unable to do that. It leads to her never even trying to attempt to do any of these things because people have always been telling and treating her as if she can’t. She encourages people instead to expect that she can so she will. It relates to Hehir’s writings about ableist assumptions within the classroom as he discusses how because of the assumptions made about students with disabilities within the classroom prevent them from their disabilities being properly accommodated and properly addressed. Due to this, those students are never given the same opportunities to succeed within a classroom setting. Baker and Taylor in “Examined Life” expand upon the stigma of disability within society and how the idea of assistance within our society and we as a society neglect the idea of assisting others.
The main connection all three of these pieces of media possess is they deal with the idea of addressing the various stigmas that surround their disabilities. They all share how they are perceived as not as capable as able-bodied individuals. They are looked at as problems to fix rather than actual individuals who just need a little help within a society that perceives them as not actual people.
It’s here that we can ask ourselves how we have contributed to this stigma. In one way or another, all of us have had ableist assumptions about members of the disabled community. So how can we start to hold ourselves accountable when we start having these ableist assumptions? I think it’s important to start with what Baker said: “Do we or do we not live in a world where we help each other with basic needs ...and when did our needs need to be decided upon as a social issue?” We need to tackle the issue of thinking that people with disabilities won’t accomplish or live the same lifestyles as able-bodied people just because some people need a little more help than others. We are a society that is built off centuries of support from our peers and it's time we start acknowledging it.
Maddie, I like what you said at the end of your post, that we need to start supporting our peers. Like you said able-bodied people tend to see disabled people as incapable of doing "normal" things. I think for us to move forward as a society we need to realize that disabled people can do the same things as able-bodied people, just differently or with accommodations.
ReplyDeleteI like when you mentioned "when did our needs need to be decided upon as a social issue". I'm not sure if this analogy is the best, but I imagine it like...society doesn't shame someone in crutches, in my high school teachers and students would do whatever they had to do to help someone injured out without even batting an eye, even though their needs were now not like everyone else's. It's a societal double standard.
ReplyDeleteMaddie, I completely agree with you when you said that we need to support our peers. No matter what, in order to succeed we need support from others to know we aren't alone. I know I definitely could have used the support from my peers though out k-12, instead I was picked on and made fun of for my struggles with reading. Everyone has their strengths and struggles. Just because someone needs extra help or accommodations doesn't mean they can't succeed like everyone else and doesn't give others the right to judge.
ReplyDeleteHi Maddie! I love your connections at the end. You're so right - we need to support our peers and let them receive the extra help they need without judgment. Everyone is capable and we need to start realizing that as an entire society; the best way to do that is educating others!
ReplyDeleteHi Maddie! I love how detailed your description of the links you provided was. I agree that we need to address the stigmas society has created about disabilities. Society should not let disabilities define a person and what they are and are not capable of.
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