Blog #9 - Thomas Hehir, Eliminating Ableism in Education

 Thomas Hehir's article, Eliminating Ableism in Education, challenges the ways schools often try to "fix" students with disabilities instead of valuing their different learning needs. Ableism is the subtle yet harmful idea that it's always better to be non-disabled. This way of thinking affects deaf students, blind or visually impaired students, and those with learning disabilities like dyslexia. Forcing students to meet "normal" expectations, like reading print instead of braille or lip-reading instead of signing, hurts their education and stops students from being able to thrive in their own way. 

This article consists of many examples where students were denied the support they needed only because the system could not see beyond its ableist standards. Hehir states that deaf children were denied interpreters and early exposure to sign language. Blind students were denied the chance to learn braille and instead had to read large print text and dyslexic children were left to fail without early reading help. Hehir argues that special education should actually be specialized and that schools should actually provide meaningful, helpful accommodations rather than aim to make disabled students behave like their nondisabled peers. 

Hehir proposes a shift in mindset to truly eliminate ableism: include disability in diversity discussions, focus on students' strengths, and make education results-driven, not just placement-driven. He calls on educators to honor disability-specific ways of learning, as valid and powerful. Educators can do this by using assistive technology and sign language. Real inclusion means helping every students thrive, as they are, NOT as others think they should be.