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• Featured Article: The Moral Imperative of Inclusion

New Revolutionary Common Sense Articles

A variety of insightful and thought-provoking articles—from inclusive ed to employment and more—have been added to the Revolutionary Common Sense page at www.disabilityisnatural.com. Check 'em out!

In The Dental Patient, human services director Roy Gerstenberger temporarily became acquainted with the "provider/recipient" experience while sitting in the dentist's chair. The lessons Roy learned about power and control—combined with a new insight—are eye-opening. Roy asks us to question what we currently take for granted in the human service system. It's a "must-read" for everyone, regardless of which side of the "provider/recipient" fence you're on!

Self-employment guru Cary Griffin shares his extraordinary experiences and effective strategies in Becoming a Business Owner. Yes—people with disabilities can become self-employed business owners, and Cary can show us how!

Goals, goals, goals—we're fanatic about goals! Two different articles provide new ways of thinking about goals. Activity-Based Goals focuses on IEP goals for students who receive special education services, and Goals: Meaningful and Relevant or Garbage? includes strategies that can be applied in any setting, at any "I" meeting, and to any person of any age!

Parents, educators, and other school personnel will find Inclusive Education: A Primer and Writing Curriculum Modifications in the IEP enlightening, interesting, and helpful, especially at this time of the year.

And if you're a fan of the Lord of the Rings movie trilogy, check out the Gift of Fellowship!

These are just some of the articles that are currently available on the Revolutionary Common Sense (RCS) page at www.disabilityisnatural.com —and one or more will certainly be helpful to you and those in your sphere of influence! Each article can be downloaded and shared with others, and information about reprinting the articles is available on the RCS web page. New articles will be added on a regular basis, so check back often to see what's new!

"Sometimes Just Asking Works"

That phrase was in the subject line of an Email I recently received, and the text of the message did my heart good! In July, I presented at a conference for parents of children with disabilities. During part of my presentation, I focused on the importance of using the natural supports and generic services in our communities to meet the needs of people with disabilities and their families. Specifically, I gave examples of how children are often turned into "perpetual patients" via years of physical and occupational therapies (PT/OT) and other interventions. In the process, they often miss out on the typical opportunities of other children their age, the family's schedule revolves around therapy/interventions, and other less-than-desirable consequences occur. During a lively discussion, I shared ideas about how children could participate in typical activities that would meet their needs—activities in which they could receive "therapeutic-like" benefits—but they would also be included and would be doing fun things with their friends or families. As the discussion continued, some parents were excited about the possibilities, but others weren't so sure about this new way of doing things.

Then we got specific, as some of the parents asked about their children's situations, and we brainstormed some ideas. Several parents realized that if their children attended the health club/gyms in their communities, they could do the stretching and strength training which was currently being done by PTs. The light bulbs in parents' heads were going off, and they could picture their children and their families enjoying this inclusive activity. But concerns arose when one parent recalled that she had tried this and had been turned down, because the health club she checked out restricted use of the exercise machines to people over the age of 18. Excited parents turned somber, thinking this idea wouldn't work. In turn, however, I related that when my children were younger than 18, they were able to use the exercise equipment as long as my husband or I were with them. So I suggested that before giving up on the idea, any parents who were interested should call their local health clubs and ask.

A week or so after the conference, I received an Email with, "Sometimes just asking works" in the subject line. Sally Flaschberger, one of the parents described above, wrote, "I just wanted to let you know that I approached my health club as you suggested, about Matthew using the equipment to exercise. They had expressed concern that if other parents saw Matthew using the equipment, they would expect their young children could use it, too [in violation of their policy]. But they called today to say they would be happy to let him use the Sports Rehab equipment which is located in another area of the club. So it was a good compromise, and I think Matthew will be excited about working out at the club! It never hurts to ask..."

Just think: Matthew will probably be exercising alongside sports jocks—what fun that could be for a boy who is into sports! Matthew will get to know his fellow sports buffs, and they'll get to know him. Who knows what will come from this experience? Community inclusion—where children and adults with disabilities lead Real Lives—can happen when we believe it will happen, and then take the steps to make it happen. If Sally hadn't made that call, Matthew would miss out on this wonderful opportunity!

Back-to-School Time

Where did the summer go? Wow—time really does fly when you're having fun, especially in the summer! So now it's time for back-to-school: new schedules, new clothes, new teachers, and more. It's both a happy and a stressful time! Educators also have to get back in the groove. And students who receive special ed services and their families may face even more changes (and stresses!) when having to deal with the IEP process and all that it entails. If you're a parent or an educator, my Disability is Natural book can be a helpful tool this school year. Special education, inclusive education, early childhood, and young adult issues are covered in detail. Improved parent-educator partnerships, curriculum modifications, and a variety of other topics important to parents and educators are also included. Disability is Natural: Revolutionary Common Sense for Raising Successful Children with Disabilities is unlike any other book on the topic. It questions conventional wisdom and promotes positive new ways of thinking and doing!

Some parents are starting their children off to a great school year by clothing them in bright, colorful Tees with positive messages from the Disability is Natural Store. Tees with the "Children with Disabilities are Children First" and "AIl Children Learn, Succeed, Dream, and Belong" logos have been popular. There's no doubt these students are also teaching others new ways of thinking! Check out all the other great messages that are available on note cards, T-shirts, sweatshirts, tote bags, posters, badges, and key rings! (And the note cards with "Presume Competence" and other powerful sayings are a great way to get your message across. Some parents have used the note cards as party invitations, too!) Finally, if parents or teachers are ready to educate others, the Disability is Natural video is a great tool. Learn more about it at www.disabilityisnatural.com.

Fifty years ago, parents who were fed up with the discrimination and prejudice directed toward their children because of skin color initiated and won right-to-education cases, which resulted in the landmark Brown v. Board of Education of Topeka Supreme Court decision issued on May 27, 1954: “...separate educational facilities are inherently unequal.” Two decades later, another group of parents followed, initiating and winning right-to-education cases. This time, however, the characteristic was disability, instead of skin color—but the issues were similar. And in one of the disability-related cases (PARC v. Commonwealth of Pennsylvania) the parents’ attorney presented this similarity to the Court, and the parents prevailed.

Today, many recognize the similarities between the Civil Rights and the Disability Rights Movements. The issues are the same: prejudice and discrimination; invisibility, isolation, and segregation; and second-class citizenship, based on a characteristic (skin color for one group, disability for the other). The disability-related right-to-education cases ultimately led to the passage of federal special education law (P.L. 94-142) in 1975, which mandates a free and appropriate public education, in the least restrictive environment, for all students with disabilities.

Fifty years later, the promise of the Brown decision has not been fully realized. Similarly, almost 30 years since P.L. 94-142 was enacted, the promise of special ed law has not permeated the majority of our nation’s public schools. The intent of both legal mandates is the elimination of segregation and the promotion of inclusion in the public school system, but segregation still exists.

So it seems the impetus for inclusion, in all areas of our society, must go beyond laws and Supreme Court decisions: inclusion is a moral issue. In writing the Court’s decision in the Brown case, Chief Justice Earl Warren indicated as much in the following excerpt. (The words in parentheses are additions to clarify or are substitutions for descriptors that are archaic and possibly insulting; italics have been added for emphasis.)

Warren’s message reflected a profound understanding of the lifelong harm of segregation based on skin color in 1954. Aren’t his words applicable to children and adults with disability labels today?

Fifty years ago, there was no evidence or proof to indicate that children with different colors of skin could not be successfully educated together. Racially-segregated schools were the result of prejudicial perceptions and attitudes. Today, the same is true in the disability arena. There is no proof that people with disabilities cannot be successful in the typical environments most Americans take for granted. The segregation of children and adults with disabilities in “special” settings—at schools, in workplaces, and living arrangements—is an outcome of prejudicial perceptions and attitudes. And circular logic allows this prejudice to continue, in both theory and practice. In theory, when a person is in a segregated setting, it’s assumed that’s the “correct” place for him to be, so there he remains. Conversely, if people with disabilities are not visible in everyday environments, it’s assumed they’re unable to succeed in those environments. In practice, placing people in segregated, dependent settings often prevents them from learning how to be successful in typical environments. And again, conversely, their absence from typical environments (in school classrooms and elsewhere) prevents others from learning how to welcome them, how to “be” around them, how to provide the supports they may need, and so forth. People with disabilities can’t win! (And, yes, many people with labels may need supports, accommodations, and/or assistive technology, but so do people who don’t have labels.)

Contrary to the notion that inclusion isn't a "realistic" possibility are countless examples of success:

Despite these successes—and despite the fact that educators and professionals have access to strategies which can lead to the inclusion of children and adults with labels—social isolation and physical segregation continue. Why? Excuses, rationalizations, and justifications abound: "they" are not ready, "we" are not ready, we've never done that before, we don't have the resources, we don't have the money, it won't work, and more. But the successes just described prove that whatever reasons are given for the lack of inclusion appear to be erroneous assumptions, at best, or mean-spirited excuses, at worst.

It seems that social isolation and physical segregation continue because inclusion within the mainstream of American society is not a moral imperative for those who exert control (professionals, parents, educators, and a host of others). Instead, many operate from a legal perspesctive, going no further than following the "guidelines" of special ed law, the ADA, and other laws, which prohibit discrimination. Even with legal imperatives, however, segregation and isolation continue. So until we go beyond the law and make inclusion a moral imperative, the status quo will most likely continue.

Going back to Earl Warren’s eloquent and insightful words, is there not a moral imperative to stop the harm of segregation which may affect people’s “hearts and minds in a way unlikely ever to be undone”?

With what authority do we inflict second-class citizenship on our fellow citizens who happen to have disability labels? Who empowered us to push others to the margins of society simply because their bodies or minds might be different from our own? What crimes have they committed that result in their incarceration in the segregated settings of special ed preschools, “resource rooms” of public schools, adult day programs, or congregate living settings? Within the framework of the “helpful special services” provided in these settings, men and women and boys and girls are isolated from the fabric of their communities. Are we so ignorant or arrogant to believe that people with disabilities are immune from feeling the devastating pain of exclusion? And shouldn’t we care how they feel? Under God, or whatever moral code we embrace, do we not have a responsibility to treat others the way we want to be treated?

Laws offer important legal protections. But until moral outrage infects our hearts and minds, we’re likely to continue inflicting harm on the hearts and minds of others. Can’t we do better?

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© 2004 Kathie Snow. Permission is granted for non-commercial use of this article: you may photocopy to share with others. As a courtesy, please tell me how/when you use it: kathie@disabilityisnatural.com. Please do not violate copyright laws: request permission before reprinting in newsletters or other publications.To learn more new ways of thinking, to sign up for the Disability is Natural Email newsletter, or to learn about Kathie’s book, Disability is Natural: Revolutionary Common Sense for Raising Successful Children with Disabilities, visit www.disabilityisnatural.com

If you would like a handout version of "The Moral Imperative of Inclusion," please contact us with your request or write to kathie@disabilityisnatural.com.

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