Caroline Blumer discusses disability in the classroom based on her experience working on an inclusive spectacle. In a workshop I attended, Caroline discussed why it is important to talk about disability in the classroom and the difference between the medical and social models of disability. Aligning with an article written by Joseph Abramo about disability in the classroom, it was concluded that the medical model is diagnostic in nature and the social model is placed upon individuals based on their medical diagnosis. We were asked to close our eyes and listen to a video of a violin player. Once we opened our eyes we saw that the performer had a disability and had to play the violin in a nontraditional way and the class discussed their initial assumptions and reactions to the video. Next, the group talked about the terms ‘disabled’ and ‘special needs’. It was concluded that teachers should ask students for their identification of which term they prefer. The group discussed terms that are inclusive and briefly talked about people-first language.
The workshop ended with an example of an activity that allows for inclusivity. I was interested in the final activity and how it deals with multiple disabilities at once. I liked how a hat was used for students to know when it is their time to be the leader especially for those who are visually impaired. Another adaptation was adding the option of not screaming at the specific time of the song for students who are nonverbal. I liked seeing practically how to apply these concepts and just how aware a teacher has to be when there is a student with special needs in their classroom.
I was frustrated with the discussion about disability vs special needs. The conclusion was to ask the student what they prefer to be called. I would rarely need to refer to a student in regards to their disability. The only case might be with other staff members or if parents initiate a conversation. In which case I would follow the assigned term on the student's IEP. Their disability should not be more than what is medically assigned. From the medical diagnosis, I then adapt my class and focus on what the student can do not what they can’t do. The disability has to be acknowledged and respected to the student's wishes. I think there should be less focus on the specific term when it would be very rare to ever call a student disabled or a similar term in class. A student's disability should not be something that a teacher keeps coming back to.
Even with this frustration, I had some assumptions challenged. The presentation opened my eyes to the different types of disabilities that may be in my classroom. When envisioning my future classroom it usually had people like myself and the people in my high school band. Through the presentation, I was challenged to think about what I would do to support a student with a disability. The activity opened my eyes to how detail-oriented and thought out lesson plans have to be to include students with disabilities. As a teacher, I want to have an accessible classroom where everyone feels accepted and welcomed. In my mind, the idea of inclusion has now expanded beyond the kids who socially do not fit in, but kids with disabilities, lower-incomes, or different family types. As teachers, we have to constantly be adapting to make our classroom inclusive which “shifts the responsibility from the students and their physical impairments to the educational environment that might inhibit the students from reaching their full potentials” (Abramo, 2012, 45). My worldview has been expanded to think of others who are different from myself, and it has been very humbling.
References
Abramo, J. (2012). Disability in the classroom: Current Trends and Impacts on Music Education. Music Education Journal, 99(1), 39-45. https://doi.org/10.1177/0027432112448824
