Social Justice

Emma Helvie, Lexi Frazier, & Mikayla Ryan

Systems of power: institutionalized able-bodiedness

Abled bodied people are in the majority of positions of power. Disabled people are underrepresented in government and society so much of society is inaccessible to them.

Damage from Hurricane Katrina

False Accessibility

Social Capital for people with disabilities is lacking. Lack of accessibility alienates people with disabilities because it doesn't allow for a sense of belonging or security. It also prevents disabled people from building networks and being active participants in their community. Examples of this include: building an accessible ramp to the front or back of a building, but having a step into a business. Doors having round handles - making it harder for people with hand mobility problems to open doors - instead of a "hook" handle. Having transcripts at tourist locations in multiple languages except English for Deaf/Hard of Hearing individuals, as well as no captions on videos played in these environments.

Education Failure

History of Education in Mississippi - US News' civic rankings have Mississippi coming in at 49/50 in overall rankings. For education, Mississippi ranks 46th in the nation (US News, 2019). This is a general assessment of how states are educating their students, and sadly these rankings have stayed consistent since 2017. Quality community schools and public education is essential for every child to learn. Yet, there is often dispute and controversy about this in federal and state governments. The No Child Left Behind Act and the Every Student Succeeds Act are some of the laws that have been implemented by previous presidents. Now, Republicans are proposing a slightly different approach based on private schools funded and maintained more by the public. This puts a lot of pressure on parents to choose to go with public or private schools and how it will be funded (US News, 2019). Recently Betsy DeVos, the US Secretary of Education, was questioned and criticized for her proposed budget that would cut federal funding for the Special Olympics (Huffington Post, 2019). An estimated 272,000 kids would be affected. The proposed budget would also cut 29 programs that are proving important and fundamental in learning for children and students with disabilities. The budget has gone viral and is deemed "anti-disability".

Pipeline to Prison - The Pipeline to Prison refers to the idea that children and young adults with disadvantaged backgrounds are more likely to be imprisoned and are on a path or "pipeline" straight from school to incarceration. This is due to harsh school and disciplinary policies, criminalizing youth, and removing these students from their learning environment. The Pipeline to Prison theory was brought up in a discussion with Disability Rights Mississippi and is believed to impact children with disabilities in schools. Due to misunderstandings and lack of awareness of their disabilities, these students are being suspended or expelled, put in contact with law enforcement, and are being pushed out of school and into prisons, with little-to-no fault of their own. This leads to major inequities and unequal opportunities in education.

References:

These U.S. States Have the Best Education Systems. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/rankings/education

Klein, R., & Klein, R. (2019, March 28). Betsy DeVos' Proposed Education Cuts Go Way Deeper Than The Special Olympics. Retrieved from https://www.huffpost.com/entry/betsy-devos-special-education_n_5c9cf2c2e4b0523d87119bf5