This is a fascinating podcast episode that I want to share with you for several reasons. 1. The controversy over whether or not a university for deaf students should be led by a deaf person is an important event in the history of the disability rights movement. Its an event we should know about because it impacts the way that disabled people interact with the organizations and institutions that serve us. The conflict between approaches to how deaf people should be taught reminds me of current disagreements about the education of autistic students. 2. This story reflects my own struggles as an autistic educator trying to work with some schools. There was an idea that a deaf person was simply not competent to teach others by virtue of deafness itself that echoes the discomfort some teachers and administrators show when asked to take an autistic professional seriously, or even be in the presence of one. If you want to understand the hard parts of my life now, this will do a better job of explaining them than I can do directly. 3. The hosts of this program explain issues related to ableism and disability clearly and respectfully. The approach they take to disabled people is an excellent model for other writers to follow. This might be a good introduction for people unfamiliar with the civil rights aspects of disability.
Posted on: Fri, 30 May 2014 11:45:47 +0000
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