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In This Issue:

New Book Coming: Your Life Experiences Wanted!

Featured Article: No, Not "Special"...They're ORDINARY NEEDS

The Disability is Natural Online Store

New Revolutionary Common Sense Articles

"Inspirational" or Evidence of Old Attitudes?

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New Book Coming: Your Life Experiences Wanted!

If you're familiar with my presentations, books, or articles, you're aware that my greatest teachers have been people with disabilities---they're the true experts. Specifically, adults with developmental disabilities have shared personal experiences of their lives---experiences from their childhoods and their lives today---and they've helped me become a better parent and a wiser human being. In turn, I've tried to share this wisdom with others. But I know there's much more wisdom out there, and I'm collecting the personal stories of adults with developmental disabilities in a new book---a book that can help parents, educators, service providers, and others learn what's really important to children and adults with developmental disabilities! Download the Request for Stories (pdf) for more information. Click here to download the plain text version for screenreaders. You can also retrieve the Request for Stories from the home page at www.disabilityisnatural.com, or write to me at kathie@disabilityisnatural.com and request the appropriate version of the Request for Stories---and please share this request with the adults with developmental disabilities in your life!

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Featured Article

No, Not "Special". . . They're ORDINARY NEEDS

To create this article, I needed a computer with the software that meets my needs. To learn to write and read, my son, Benjamin, has also needed a computer with the right software since the age of four.

To get to work every day, Richard needs a good set of wheels on his car. Holly also needs a good set of wheels to get from class to class on campus.

Miranda needs a clip-on wireless microphone before she can successfully deliver her keynote presentations. Jose needs a communication device before he can successfully express himself at home, at school, and in other environments.

Daniel, a doctor, needs voice recognition (VR) computer software to effectively dictate his daily notes. Samantha, an eight-year-old, needs VR software so she can write stories and book reports in third grade.

Kate spends 50+ hours at her desk, but couldn't do so without her ergonomic chair and curved desk that holds her multiple terminals. Amelia also needs a desk that meets her work needs---a height-adjustable, curved desk with desktop cubbys so everything is within arm's reach.

Acme Widget Company has risen to the top of its field because the individual differences---including some behavioral eccentricities---of all employees are supported and valued. Mrs. Dahl's classroom is viewed as a model of success and all students are learning, because she's created a caring environment where all students---including those with significant differences and needs---are valued and supported.

Tyrone is a great "honey-do" hubby at home. But he can't do everything for himself, so he occasionally hires a plumber or an electrician. Oscar is thrilled to have his own apartment, but he can't do everything for himself---including getting dressed and undressed---so his family and neighbors pitch in and he pays for other assistance.

Maria cannot sit through the Sunday morning sermon without rhythmically shaking her right leg as it's crossed over her left, and she also doodles on the Sunday program. Tony cannot sit through church without occasionally flapping his arms and rocking back and forth in the pew.

To be successful at home, school, work, and in other environments, to achieve our hopes and dreams, and/or to simply get through each day, everyone needs assistive technology (AT), accommodations, and supports. The examples above describe these ordinary needs of a variety of different people. And as you might have figured out by now, the second example in each description involves people with disabilities.

Too often, however, we say children and adults with disabilities have "special needs." In another article (The Case Against "Special Needs" available at www.disabilityisnatural.com), I describe the dangers of using this term to describe individuals with disabilities, as in, "She has special needs." This descriptor generates pity, segregation, and worse.

But we need to take an even closer look at the consequences of the "special needs" mentality. For it seems that identifying the needs of a person with a disability as "special" and using the term "special needs" leads to the perception that these needs are different, extraordinary, expensive, and/or abnormal. This perception, in turn, results in these needs not being met, and the negative chain of events ends with exclusion and segregation, loss of opportunities, the presumption of incompetence, and more!

We can believe what we choose.

We are answerable for what

we choose to believe.

John Henry Newman

For example, Julia, a child with a disability, is not talking and cannot write with a pencil. Based on formal assessments, she's said to have an IQ of 50 (and is presumed incompetent). As a result, her teachers and parents believe she must be in the special ed room where her "special needs" can be met. Speech and occupational therapists will attempt to help Julia learn to talk and write. Based on her IQ, it's believe she can't learn academics, so she'll be taught life-skills. (But are we sure the assessment is correct? If one doesn't talk or write, how can a traditional assessment provide an accurate picture of one's abilities?)

Would Julia's parents and teachers go without their computers for writing, along with their cell phones which they use to communicate with others? Then why should they deny these tools to Julia?

It's time to recognize that the needs of children and adults with disabilities are ordinary---just as ordinary as the needs of people without disabilities. Furthermore, AT, supports, and accommodations are the pillars upon which inclusion and success are built!

Because when Julia is provided with a speech output device and a computer for writing, she can demonstrate her competence and abilities; be included in an age-appropriate general ed classroom, as well as in typical community activities; make friends; and live a self-determined life of her dreams.

Stephen had been denied opportunities to get a real job because of "inappropriate behavior." But when he was provided with behavior supports and the environment was modified to meet his needs, his "inappropriate behavior" magically disappeared. There are certain work activities Stephen performs best with a co-worker, and others he does best alone. He needs the freedom to take frequent short breaks when stress builds up, and he needs only one "go-to" person when he needs help, instead of the multiple layers of staff used by co-workers. His employer is willing to do what it takes to ensure all his employees are successful---for that's what makes his company successful. Similarly, teachers in inclusive classrooms are doing the same for students who need behavior supports and other accommodations.

Assistive technology devices can be defined as anything that makes life easier or better---and they come in all shapes and sizes, and are used by everyone. A carpenter needs a good hammer; a busier carpenter needs a high-tech nail gun. A doctor needs the best and newest equipment---or would you prefer one who diagnoses with just a stethoscope? Look around your home and office. Could you get by without your computer, printer, cell phone, microwave oven, garage door opener, and . . . Make a list to see how dependent you are on all the AT devices in your life!

Supports---including behavior supports---come in many forms. Tobacco, caffeine, chocolate, shopping, daydreaming, whisker-pulling, crotch-rubbing, sports betting, hugs, sex, a comforting word, exercise, calling in sick when you're not, and many, many, many other things or activities help us get through the daily grind. Which of your supports would you be willing to go without? And haven't most of us exhibited "inappropriate behavior" when our needs weren't met?

Accommodations also come in a variety of shapes and sizes, including flex-time, a personalized workspace, music playing softly at bedtime, a boss or teacher who really listens and cares, an atmosphere that supports creativity, and much, much more. What type and how many accommodations do you use at home, at work and in other environments? And which would you be willing to go without?

Examine your own life with regard to needs that are ordinary, but crucial to your success. Now look at the individuals with disabilities in your life. Are inclusion and success in any environment being denied to them because their needs aren't being met? Can we continue to put the burden of failure on their shoulders? Isn't it time we took responsibility for our beliefs and actions, and our refusal to recognize that their needs are just as ordinary and important as ours?

It's time for swift and positive change to ensure children and adults with disabilities have the same opportunities and experiences most of us take for granted. And this will happen when their ordinary needs for assistive technology, supports, and accommodations are met. Can we afford to do anything less?

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Copyright 2006 Kathie Snow, www.disabilityisnatural.com. If you would like a handout (PDF) of this article, please send your request, along with the title of the article ("Ordinary Needs ") to: kathie@disabilityisnatural.com. You may share and/or distribute this E-Newsletter or the PDF version of the article (in its entirety and unedited) to other individuals and list serves (non-commercial use only). As a courtesy, please let me know how/when you use it. Do not violate copyright laws---request permission before reproducing the article in any format: in printed publications, on web sites, in chat rooms, etc.

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The Disability is Natural Online Store

Ready to share new ways of thinking with others? Check out all the great products at the Disability is Natural Online Store! You'll find the one-of-a-kind Disability is Natural book and video/DVD, along with T-shirts for children and adults, tote bags, note cards, badges, bookmarks, sticker sheets, bumper stickers, and posters in a variety of sizes----all available in your choice of 25 different designs that promote positive new ways of thinking about disability!

And if you think it's time to celebrate, value, and share the many strengths, abilities, hopes, and dreams of children and adults with disabilities, check out the Abilities Box! Use it at IEP/IPP meetings or in other settings!

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New Revolutionary Common Sense Articles

The following articles have been added to the Revolutionary Common Sense page at www.disabilityisnatural.com. Check 'em out---ponder---embrace new ways of thinking!

Separate and Unequal - On the continuum of change, we should be moving toward more and more inclusion for people with disabilities across all areas of life. But segregated sports and other community activities are taking us backwards---and like segregated education at the time of Brown v. Board of Education, these segregated activities are separate and unequal.

Inclusive Recreation: A Passport to Real Life! - In contrast to segregated activities, Mark Ohrenberg, an expert on inclusive recreation and a person with a disability, shares the strategies to make inclusive recreation possible for all!

Trading Places - No, this is not about a new TV show! Instead, it takes a look at who we would trade places with, who we wouldn't, and why. Be prepared for an insightful and mind-tingling paradigm shift!

The Set-up for Grief - Parents and family members: did you know we've been "set up" to grieve? But we can choose not to be taken in by this nonsense!

Ask and You Shall Receive - Wondrous things can happen when children and adults with disabilities learn to ask for the help they need from a variety of different people. Good-bye, Dependence; Hello, Interdependence!

Hierarchy of Insults

"Idiot," "crazy," and "retard" are just some of the disability descriptors that have been turned into favorite insults. What does this say about societal attitudes about disability and what can we do about it? Each of us can do our part!

Beware the Retarding Environment - What do the experts say about "retarding environments"? And where do such environments exist? Only in institutions---or in our homes, schools, and other typical settings? Beware....

Annie in Disabilityland - Annie's life was turned upside in a moment---just like Alice when she fell down the rabbit hole. What can we learn from her experience?

Beyond High School: Post-Secondary Ed and More - Yes, yes, yes!!! The dream of college, trade school, and/or employment for young adults with disabilities can become the reality! And it's never too early or never too late to move in this direction.

Home, Sweet Home and Other Welcoming Environments: In the Bedroom - If a person's home is her castle, then surely the bedroom should be the most welcoming room in the house. Check out these handy tips to make it so.

Curriculum Modifications: Making History, Civics, and Social Studies Come Alive! - There are lots of ways students can learn and enjoy these subjects when we put on our thinking caps! We can turn these "heavyweights" into real-life learning experiences.

No Responsibility? No Real Life - Personal responsibility enables us to be in control of our lives. But what about children and adults with disabilities? Shouldn't they also enjoy the opportunities and benefits of personal responsibility?

The Value of Being a Skeptic - What can happen when we wonder and ask questions about diagnoses, prognoses, treatments, and more? What great things can happen when we don't believe everything we're told?

Identity Theft - Has it happened to you? Hope not. But I bet a different---more harmful---type of identity theft has happened to a person with a disability that you know. And we all have the power to stop this "crime"!

If It's Written, Is It Done? - We write IFSPs, IEPs, IHPs, IPPs, and lots of other "PP" plans---but just because they're written, does that mean they really get done???

No More Sacrificial Lambs - Parents often go to great lengths when attempting to ensure their children's schools follow special ed law. But in the process, our children may become sacrificial lambs. What if we explored other options so we don't sacrifice our precious kids for a principle or law?

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"Inspirational" or Evidence of Old Attitudes?

Like millions of others, I recently watched, read, and listened to the extensive media coverage of Jason McElwain's feats on the basketball court---and just this week, President Bush took time out to meet Jason in front of reporters. As you probably know, Jason, a 17-year-old senior with autism, was the team manager, who was "allowed" to suit up for the last game. (The coach reported that, at 5 feet, 6 inches, Jason was considered too small to make the team.) With a large lead over their opponents and with four minutes left in the last home game, the coach sent Jason in. You know the rest: Jason scored a two-pointer and six three-pointers, and the home video that displayed his abilities and the wild celebration by his teammates captured the attention of the media, film producers, and the President of the United States.

Again, like millions of others, I was thrilled for Jason. But I am also dismayed and disturbed.

I'm dismayed that Jason was not "allowed" to simply be on the team---he obviously has the talent. So why wasn't he on the team? Was it his height (the "official" reason) or because he has autism? We may never know. News reports indicated that since he only played in one regular season game, he was ineligible for post-season games. And where was Jason educated? Was he "allowed" in regular ed classes, alongside basketball team members and other students without disabilities, or was he segregated in a special ed classroom?

I'm disturbed at the hoopla generated. For if Jason had been a regular member of the team, routinely scoring three-pointers, this story would have never made the news! The media coverage left the impression that Jason scoring 20 points in the last few minutes of the game was some sort of miraculous occurrence (the story was repeatedly billed as "inspirational")! But, according to news reports, Jason routinely sunk three-pointers during practice. (So, did anyone else wonder why reporters didn't press the coach or other school personnel about why Jason wasn't allowed to be on the team? Did reporters not ask because they assumed they knew the answer: "Because he has autism.") Lest anyone think I'm being a Scrooge here, let me repeat that I'm delighted Jason was finally able to strut his stuff during a game---and I wish that this "proof" of his abilities led to his being a member of the team!

But the extraordinary press coverage, most of which focused heavily on Jason's diagnosis and some of his "problems," and which did not use People First Language, has perpetuated the "inspirational hero" disability stereotype so prevalent in news coverage and Hollywood productions like Rudy, Radio, Rainman, and other films. And would President Bush's handlers have set up the meeting with Jason if he wasn't a young man with a disability? If one of the actual team members had scored 20 points in the last four minutes, would the President have taken the time to meet with him?

The flip side of the "inspirational hero" is, of course, the "pitiful victim" stereotype, as depicted in Million Dollar Baby, the 2005 Academy Award-winning Best Picture, along with Sling Blade, I am Sam, and others. These deceptive portrayals ---like "Jerry's Kids"---reduce people with disabilities to objects who are used to pull at our collective heartstrings. In some cases, the intent is to generate pity-dollars; in others, it seems the intent is to enable people without disabilities to "feel good" about themselves as they compare their lives to the life of the inspirational hero/pitiful victim. (I once worked as a TV producer/director, and news people just love to put out "feel-good" stories, and the ones with people with disabilities often top the list as the "best" heart-wrenchers.) During a televised interview, Jason's parents expressed concern that a movie made about Jason should be handled the right way. Their reaction seemed to reflect an awareness that producers could turn Jason's story into a less-than-desirable and perhaps less-than-truthful portrayal---a "feel-good" movie---at the expense of Jason and others with disabilities.

Jason's story made the big-time news because it was extraordinary: a student with autism who had never been "allowed" to suit up scored 20 points the first time he was permitted to play in a real game. In contrast, there are other children with disabilities who are playing on regular sports teams, performing in community theater, and participating in other typical activities alongside children who do not have disabilities. Yet there's no news coverage of these children with disabilities. Why? Because their inclusion in schools and communities has become ordinary and their stories would not generate any "inspiration" or "pity." And that's something to quietly celebrate: children with disabilities are classmates, actors, team members, etc.---and their disabilities are irrelevant.

I anticipate that some will soundly criticize my observations. Some will respond with, "Shouldn't we all be grateful that Jason was allowed to play at all?" Others might say, "These things take time...look at the progress we're making....be patient." And others will simply be angry at my comments, in general. No, I am not grateful when people with disabilities are "allowed" to do anything---that smacks of tokenism! And patience with a snail's pace of progress? I have little patience for attitudes that continue to marginalize people whose bodies or minds happen to be different by virtue of conditions we've labeled "disabilities"---what century are we living in? I will, however, be very happy when the Jasons of our world are real players on real teams and no one takes any notice because it will have become the norm.

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Thanks for your interest in new ways of thinking! Feel free to print and share this E-Newsletter and/or forward to other individuals and list serves (non-commercial only). But, as mentioned above, please request permission before reproducing any portion of this newsletter in any printed publications, on web sites, in chat rooms, etc.

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And thanks for all you do to create an inclusive society where everyone belongs!

Kathie Snow

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