Ableism and Changing Teacher Approaches in English Classrooms


Image result for ability awarenessAbleism has a lot of umbrellas and it is hard to pinpoint exactly where it stems from within our culture as a whole. Keith Storey points out that ableism may stem from negative stereotypes that is particularly rooted in the lack of understanding disabilities issues. Two prominent issues are efficiency (ability to roll around a hallway as one can walk) and difference (obtaining information from Braille instead of print). A great to combat ableistic viewpoints is to eliminate stereotypes through, “ability awareness in which students and teachers without disabilities take part in simulated activities regarding having a disability” (Storey). 
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Storey points out that multicultural education celebrates diversity in ethnicity and women, but when it comes to disabilities it is very rare. This caused me to think of disabled characters that are talked about in school. Lenny from Of Mice and Men, the phantom from Phantom of the Opera, Mr. Rochester and his wife from Jane Eyre, and Quasimodo from The Hunchback of Notre Dame. These characters are portrayed as harmful to themselves or others against their own will because they can’t help it (Lenny, Rochester’s wife) or in need of a savior the phantom and Quasimodo. These approaches to characters with disabilities embody ableist perspectives that fit the time of the past and if those viewpoints are not addressed as teachers then we are continuing to perpetuate damaging stereotypes that are already ingrained in our students’ minds. As educators who could be teaching an inclusive classroom with one or more student with a disability they should be respected and the novels that portray them as incapable of stopping their actions or needing to be saved are conversations that need to be had because they enhance and encourage the talk for ableism to be challenged in our students’ young minds.
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Positive portrayals of characters with disabilities in literature is incredibly important. Novels such as The Lightning Thief, Wonder, and The Story of My Life (Helen Keller) are a couple of novels that offer positive viewpoints on dyslexia, facial deformity, and deaf-blindness. There are probably more but I personally couldn’t pinpoint any from the lists I was looking at that could be taught in school (I would greatly appreciate suggestions). Teaching novels like The Story of My Life by Helen Keller represent a strong historical figure who overcame her time period’s lack of help for the deaf and blind and became an advocator for those like her. Her story is not about being saved from her disability or being miraculously healed from it because that seems to be the only way to become treated as a normal human being. Her story is about inner strength, perseverance, and a boldness that can inspire many children.  
36576608Susan Nussbam wrote a blogpost for the Huffington Post about disabled characters in fiction and she points out, “Here is the truth: Disabled people barely ever even think about our disabilities. When we do think about them, it’s usually because we are dealing with an oppressive, systemic problem, such as employment discrimination.” This is important because disabled people do not think about their disabilities unless someone points them and makes them feel inferior. As educators it is important to remember this in the classroom. We have to be encouraging and the students we have with disabilities are students first. Yes, they may have a disability, but they are not defined by that disability. It does not hinder them from functioning unless someone doesn’t allow them to grow and takes that ability away (which happens quite often when people make remarks like, “WOW! I can’t believe you are so good at math. I wouldn’t have thought that,” to a person in a wheelchair). Nussbaum further expands upon how fiction treats disabled people with this analysis, “The vast majority of writers who have used disabled characters in their work are not people with disabilities themselves. Because disabled people have been peripheral for centuries, we’ve been shut out of the artistic process since the beginning. As a result, the disabled characters we’re presented with usually fit one or more of the following stereotypes: Victim, Villain, Inspiration, Monster. And the disabled character’s storyline is generally resolved in one of a few ways: Cure, Death, Institutionalization.” Literature is usually not written by people with disabilities. It wasn’t encouraged hundred of years ago, but today it is and there are authors out there who are disabled and write literature that represents people with disabilities outside of the four aforementioned stereotypes of victim, villain, inspiration, and monster. As educators, I’m not saying we have to pull books who show these stereotypes and can potentially hurt others, I’m saying that we have the power to steer our classroom discussion to why the author was wrong in presenting a person with a severe learning disability as someone who needed to be cured and turned into a genius only to degenerate to an even lower IQ and die (I’m looking at you, Flowers for Algernon). 
One of my favorite YouTubers named Jen Campbell has a great discussion on villains and deformity and disability. Her essay is absolutely amazing. It deconstructs film as well as literature (particularly fairy tales). She is a credible source as she has a disability, is a writer, and essayist. I think this video and others like it on YouTube made by people with disabilities and relating to ableism in media are important to show in classrooms and tie to discussions. This is a great example of brining in real life opinions and experiences to challenge long thought beliefs. As educators, we need to bring awareness to these discussions and issues regarding our students.

Works Cited:
Campbell, Jen, director. Let's Talk | Villains & Deformity. YouTube, YouTube, 21 Mar. 2017,
www.youtube.com/watch?v=lEmVZfChzuQ&list=PLlRIaAzTjWi5onpjRQzypc_yNfpRtnPVy&index=9.
Nussbaum, Susan. “Disabled Characters in Fiction.” The Huffington Post,
TheHuffingtonPost.com, 23 Jan. 2014, www.huffingtonpost.com/susan-nussbaum/disabled-characters-in-fiction_b_4302481.html.
Storey, Keith. (2007). Combating Ableism in Schools. Preventing School Failure. 52. 56-58.
10.3200/PSFL.52.1.56-58.

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