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Increasingly, disabled people were shut away in single sex institutions for life or sterilised. Separate special schools and later nurseries were set up that denied non-disabled people the day-to-day experience of living and growing up with disabled people adn vice-versa.
The last 25 years have seen the growth of the Disablity Movement arguing for an end to segregation and a strong push for human rights from parents. Disabled people make a distinction between impairment and disablement.
"Impairment is the loss or limitation of physical, mental or sensory function on a long-term and permanent basis."
"Disablement is the loss or limitation of opportunities to take part in the normal life of the community on an equal level with others due to physical and social barriers." - Disabled People's International, 1981.
The dominant view is the Medical Model. Here disabled people are seen as a problem to be cured or 'fixed' by therapy, medicine, surgery and special treatments. It becomes a personal tragedy when this can't happen. Powerful and pervasive views are reinforced in the media, books, films, art and language. Institutions are organised to segregate and exclude. The environment, in general, prsents many barriers, as we are not expected to be anywhere but in specialist environments.
The Social Model of disablement focuses on the barriers in the environment. People are disabled by their environment - the attitudes of others and the policies, practices and procedures of organisations. Not much can be done to change impairments. A great deal can be done to get rid of barriers and create a more equal society in all aspects of life. This is the struggle for disabled people's rights.
- Parents and professional should be allies to young disabled people.
- Empowering disabled children to have a strong sense of self as disabled people.
- Struggling to stop segregative practice.
- Building strong peer relationships with disabled and non-disabled peers.
- Getting rid of barriers in the environment. Do an access audit.
- Challenging negative attitudes and low expectations.
- Challenging sterotypes and developing postive images of young disabled people.
- Develop teaching and learning strategies where all pupils maximise their potential.
- Developing professional preactice that develops the above.
- Struggling in your locality to get a choice of inclusive provision.
Build parent support groups to empower parents to become allies in their children's struggles for human rights. Link with the disabled people's movement in your area and use their knowledge and expertise to develop inclusion. Have training for Inclusion delivered by DEE trainers to school staff, governors, LEA staff and parents. Set up parents support groups at your school.
About the author: Disability Equality in Education is a UK charity that supports the inclusion of disabled people in mainstream education through the provision of training, consultancy and resources.
next: What a Whole School Policy on Disability Equality and Inclusion Should Cover
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