ESS 30625 - Language and Difference: The Vocabulary of Disability and Inclusion

Institution:

University of Notre Dame

Subject:

Education

Description:

The language we use to describe an idea or item helps define our feelings toward it. Referring to a person with a disability as a "disabled person" implies a pervasive overall lack of ability, whereas a "non-disabled person" seems, by definition, to be more capable, productive, and independent. The term "disabled person" suggests someone in need; the term "person with a disability" might call to mind a brilliant physicist (Stephen Hawking) or a brilliantly successful wartime president (F.D.R.). Students may never have thought deliberately about the vocabulary used in their schools to describe students at different levels of mastery of academic skills. They may never have thought about the vocabulary pundits use to describe those with autism, ADHD, or the range of other disabilities and diagnoses. It is important to be aware of the social consequences of such vocabulary. Language from the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 will be placed alongside other statutory language such as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, the Americans with Disabilities Act, and No Child Left Behind. These legal terms will then be dissected in the broader social context of language about disabilities and inclusion or disability services.

Credits:

3.00

Credit Hours:

Prerequisites:

Corequisites:

Exclusions:

Level:

Instructional Type:

Lecture

Notes:

Additional Information:

Historical Version(s):

Institution Website:

www.nd.edu

Phone Number:

(574) 631-5000

Regional Accreditation:

North Central Association of Colleges and Schools

Calendar System:

Semester

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