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Google Forms

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The Questions Asked of the Exceptionality Poll Participants:

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The Questions Asked of the Exceptionality Poll Participants:

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1. In your opinion or experience, what types of students with disabilities are commonly educated in regular education classes?

2. How do you think students with disabilities should be educated?

3. What do you think are the benefits of having students with disabilities in inclusive classrooms?  The challenges?

4. React to the following statement:  "Having a disability can enrich a person's life."

5. React to the following statement: "The biggest problem faced by people with disabilities is the attitudes of other people."

6. How do you feel about the following statement: "People should try to overcome their disabilities".

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Comparisons and Contrasts Associated with the Poll Responses and How They Relate to the Social Model of Disability: 

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Comparisons and Contrasts Associated with the Poll Responses and How They Relate to the Social Model of Disability: 

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After reading responses to the six questions asked of the 10 participants, a word bubble that displays the most frequently used words relating to the social model of disability was created. The larger the word, the more times it was used by our participants. The words “inclusion”, “access”, and “accommodate” were the words incorporated more frequently relating to the social model of disability. As you can see, there are largerer words included within the medical model of disability, as our poll participants support students with disabilities within the general education setting; which provides equal access to education opportunities and appropriate accommodations to students with disabilities. Most of the participants' responses suggest that teachers should support students with disabilities with the best suited accommodations, modifications and/or considering the least restrictive environment (LRE) for their curricular placement, while following the necessary supports outlined by their IEPs to increase their academic performance and for curricular mastery to be obtainable  (D. Smith et al., 2021).

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Comparisons and Contrasts Associated with the Participants' Poll Responses and How They Relate to the Medical Model of Disability

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Comparisons and Contrasts Associated with the Participants' Poll Responses and How They Relate to the Medical Model of Disability

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After reading responses to the six questions asked of the 10 participants, a word bubble was created a word bubble that displays the most frequently used words relating to the medical model of disability. The larger the word, the more times it was used within survey responses. The largest word, with over half of our participants responding, was “overcome”. In many responses, they believed students should “overcome” or “see past” their disability in order to accomplish the things they would like to do. The issue with this is that students with disabilities are seen as having a problem or an intrinsic struggle that they can just get past in order to participate with the general education class and one day in the community  (D. Smith et al., 2021).

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Critique of How Differing Perspectives Could Affect Education of Students with Disabilities:

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Critique of How Differing Perspectives Could Affect Education of Students with Disabilities:

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Differing perspectives can possibly affect education for students with disabilities as the medical model limits students with disabilities from being able to fully participate in school and society as a whole. The medical model suggests that students with the disabilities are limited based on their physical, emotional and or mental abnormalities. This mindset is negative and discouraging, as students with disabilities are being undermined for the strengths and unique abilities they can provide within their individual classrooms and the school setting as whole (D. Smith et al., 2021).

Therefore, perspectives that encourage and support the strengths and abilities of students with disabilities such as the social model of disability, is more likely to not only increase the outlook and performance of individual students with disabilities, but also their peer’s outlook and acceptance within the school setting. As a result, remediating change in the interaction between students with and without disabilities can be made obtainable when students consider each other as equal regardless of having a disability or not.

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Maureen L. was interviewed upon completion of her exceptionality poll on 9/4:

Brooke - “Maureen, would you mind telling me more on your perspectives of how you feel students with disabilities should be educated within the public school setting?”

Maureen- “Sure! I believe that students with disabilities should be included within the same classes as students without disabilities. As long as there are adjustments made to the individual needs of every student with disabilities, I believe it is important that these students are exposed to the day in and day out occurrences of the life of a student who both does and does not have a disability. ”

Brooke - “Maureen, could you tell me why you feel this way?”

Maureen- “Yes, I have a nephew who is 34 years old who happens to have Autism, and I believe it is through the exposure he experienced in school from age 3-21 that helped him acquire the support and understanding of what it is like to be among students without disabilities that made him strong and motivated in life. This also allowed my nephew to see past his disability and to embrace a life with challenges, yes, but also  the determination to fit in and excel with support from an inclusive environment. As a result, he currently has a job, friends with and without disabilities, and loves to be around people who enjoy the similar interests that he enjoys, like going out to lunch, walking the mall and going to see a movie at the movie theatre.”

Brooke- “As a future educator to students with disabilities, this is very insightful to hear. I hope I have the opportunity to help students with disabilities to feel included and motivated to be a part of their community both inside and outside of the realm of education. Thank you for your time and input today!

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"Take-aways" from the Exceptional Poll Assignment

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"Take-aways" from the Exceptional Poll Assignment

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Based on the studies learned from readings in unit one, for too long people with disabilities have been treated as second-class citizens. Suggestions such as their disabilities are limitations and/or that their inability to participate fully in society is because of them and their disability (D. Smith et al., 2021).

Therefore, seeing the responses that our participants who primarily saw students with special needs as students who belong in the LRE along with their peers in order to embrace their abilities and strengths has been both refreshing and encouraging. This suggests that we must move away from the medical model, which states that the person with the disability is the problem, towards the social model, which emphasizes that society itself has a responsibility to create inclusive communities within our school systems, places of work and all other settings.

As more and more people share and understand the differences between the medical and model models of disability, the goal is for people with disabilities to gain support and understanding from others in society; including politicians, medical professionals, educators and/or individuals within the community, in order for people across the world to accept that disability, like gender, age, and/or race should not be a barrier to participation. As a result, what is intended to be achieved is for our world to become an inclusive society where people with disabilities are seen for their abilities rather than their disabilities (D. Smith et al., 2021).

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D. Smith, D., C. Tyler, N., & G. Skow, K. (2021). Introduction to Contemporary Special Education: New Horizons, Video-Enhanced Pearson eText -- Access Card by Smith, Deborah Deutsch, Tyler, Naomi Chowdhuri (March 25, 2013) Misc. Supplies (2nd ed.). Pearson. https://ncsu.vitalsource.com/reader/books/9780134516455/epubcfi/6/2[%3Bvnd.vst.idref%3Dcover]!/4/2[010ab210-e267-43b8-e9c8-716d899fa1fb]%4054:87