“Introducing Global Perspectives on Disability in the Classroom”

Presented by Ashley Holben, Project Coordinator Mobility International USA (@MobilityINTL) “Introducing Global Perspectives on Disability in the Classroom”

Poll: Do You Have Students with Disabilities in Your Classroom? • Yes: I teach a specialized class, so my students are mainly students with disabilities. • Yes: I teach a mainstream class, so I sometimes teach students with disabilities alongside those without. • Not to my knowledge. • I am not a teacher.

Disability in Education • Access to education for students with disabilities • Specialized schools, mainstream schools, inclusion, universal design for learning (UDL) • Disability history and awareness instruction in public schools

Laws and Policies to Know • Americans with Disabilities Act in the United States • UN Convention on the Rights of Persons with Disabilities worldwide • What are the laws in your country?

Key Terms to Know • Disability (including non-apparent) and identity • Social vs. medical model • Universal design • Inclusion vs. segregation • Mainstreaming vs. specialization • Disability rights and independent living movement

Disability Around the World • Same disabilities, different way of doing things • Attitudes ranging from fear to pity to acceptance to inclusivity • Independence, family-oriented, professional service • Expectations of careers • Advocacy groups and organizations • Sign languages of the world

Disability Around the World • 1824: Louis Braille, a blind man, developed Braille code in France at the age of 15.

Disability Around the World • 1995: First International Symposium on Issues of Women with Disabilities in Beijing, China.

Disability Around the World • 2006: The CRPD is adopted by the United Nations

Disability Around the World • 2007: Lenin Moreno becomes Vice President of Ecuador.

Disability Around the World • 2013: WBU event in Marrakesh calls for broader access to books for people with print disabilities.

Disability Around the World • 2014: Malawi’s president to host the first African Leaders Forum on Intellectual Disability

What are Other Teachers and Students Doing? • iEARNCollaboration Project: “Friends Book: Lets go.. together!” (Belarus) • Cross-disability • Participants with and without disabilities draw and exchange pictures of themselves and their lives

What are Other Teachers and Students Doing? • "YES to English" program in Sarajevo • Students who are blind or visually impaired learn English • Started by a returned exchange student who is blind

What You Can Do • Include disability as part of your diversity curriculum. • Partner with a school in another country so students can share experiences with one another.

What You Can Do • Plan a celebration for International Day of Persons with Disabilities (December 3rd). • Recognize the achievement of local and other people with disabilities all year.

Keep in Mind • Emphasize mutual respect, not charity; everyone has something to contribute • Encourage or model creativity when working through access barriers • Be cautious about disability simulation activities. • Accessibility!

Resources • iEARN • Smithsonian exhibit, http://everybody.si.edu/ • Disability history timeline: http://www.ncld-youth.info/index.php?id=61 • Curriculum and ideas for teaching disability awareness for students of various age levels: http://disability.mo.gov/pdf/HistoryAwareness.pdf • Universal Design for Learning: http://cast.org/ and http://www.udlcenter.org

Videos • Emmanuel’s Gift • Including Samuel • Signs for a Good Education (Human Rights Watch), youtu.be/WwksMw6Ar_s • Lives Worth Living documentary (PBS)

Questions? Email me at: aholben@miusa.org Visit MIUSA at: www.miusa.org

“Introducing Global Perspectives on Disability in the Classroom”