Embedded Files
Introduction
Introduction
Educational systems have always been sites of violence against disabled students - from segregated special education to the school-to-prison pipeline that disproportionately targets disabled students of color. Current attacks on educational accessibility and inclusion aren't new, but they're escalating. This module examines how educational ableism operates while exploring alternative models of learning that center disabled students' liberation rather than forced compliance.
Learning Intentions: Analyze educational attacks on disabled students, create accessible learning alternatives, understand education as a site of resistance, and explore liberatory pedagogy.
Content
Content
Core Content (Essential Reading/Viewing)
Core Content (Essential Reading/Viewing)
Academic Ableism - Jay Dolmage - University of Michigan Press E-Book Collection
The School-to-Prison Pipeline for Probation Youth with Special Education Needs - Bo-Kyung Elizabeth Kim et al. - The American Journal of Orthopsychiatry
How to Create a Neurodivergence Affirming Classroom - The Autism Helper
Diving into Special Education's Most Complex and Pressing Debates - DiveIn
Supplementary Content
Supplementary Content
Educational Violence:
Students with Disabilities and the Use of Restraint and Seclusion in K - 12 Public Schools - U.S. Department of Education
3 Forms Of Gaslighting Disabled People Experience Most Often - Andrew Pulrang - Forbes
A History of Individuals With Disabilities Education Act - U.S. Department of Education
Alternative Learning Models:
Teaching Strategies for Neurodivergent Students - The Editorial Team - Resilient Educator
Inclusive democratic education: a question of social discrimination and inaccessible pedagogical training - Diego Bernaschina - Practical Peadgogy Studies
Disability Justice in the Classroom - Digital Promise
Higher Education:
Disabled Students Need Equity, Not Just Access - Amanda Kraus - Liberal Education
Accommodations vs Universal Design - CultureAlly
Navigating Graduate School with a Disability - Dhruv Jain et al. - ACM Digital Library
Reflection & Engagement Options
Reflection & Engagement Options
Journal Prompts
Journal Prompts
Reflect on your educational experiences. When did you feel supported to learn in ways that worked for you? When did you feel excluded or apathologized?
What assumptions about "normal" learning do you carry? How might these assumptions be ableist?
If you could redesign education from a disability justice perspective, what would it look like?
How do grades, standardized testing, and academic competition perpetuate ableism and other forms of oppression?
Discussion Questions for Learning Communities
How does the "school-to-prison pipeline" specifically target disabled students, particularly disabled students of color?
What's the difference between accommodation, inclusion, and disability justice in educational settings?
How can educators and students work together to resist academic ableism while navigating institutional requirements?
What would truly accessible and liberatory education look like?
Creative & Artistic Engagement
Visual Arts:
Design accessible learning environments and classroom spaces
Create artwork challenging standardized testing and educational violence
Make visual guides for educational accessibility and inclusion
Performance & Movement:
Create performances about educational trauma and healing
Develop accessible teaching methods that work for multiple learning styles
Write and perform pieces about alternative education models
Music & Sound:
Create audio learning resources and accessible educational content
Write songs about educational justice and liberation
Design sound installations about different ways of learning
Digital & Tech:
Build accessible educational platforms and learning tools
Create apps that support neurodivergent and disabled learners
Design virtual learning environments using universal design principles
Community Art:
Start community education programs outside traditional institutions
Create learning circles that center on disabled people's knowledge
Organize skill-sharing events that challenge academic hierarchies
Writing & Documentation:
Write guides for educational advocacy and student rights
Document alternative education practices in your community
Interview disabled students about their educational experiences
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