Blog #9 Eliminating ableism in Education by Thomas Hehir

Hi welcome back to my blog! This week I will be discussing “Eliminating Ableism in Education” by Thomas Hehir

 Hehir defines ableism as “the devaluation of disability” that leads to societal attitudes favoring certain abilities over others. For instance, there is often an uncritical assertion that it is better for a child to walk than roll, speak than sign, read print than read Braille, or spell independently than use a spell-check. Such perspectives not only marginalize students with disabilities but also contribute to lower educational attainment and employment opportunities for these individuals. ​

When I read this article it opened my eyes to how people with disabilities are treated differently whether it be from using derogatory words or less access and mobility in any room or facility, we as a society need to destroy ableism.

In Hehir’s writing he discusses 7 proposals to eliminate ableism , one being to foster collaborative decision making. This proposal ultimately means you involve the student with a disability and their family to make decisions together regarding their education. 

Another thing I wanted to add was using person-first language. I learned about person-first language in my educational psychology class and I think it is really important to remember to use that then speaking about a person with a disability because when not using person-first language a person might feel discouraged or “less than” is described as “a disabled person”, rather than, “a person with a disability”.