Despite a growing acknowledgement among social justice educators about the need for anti-bias education, issues related to disability are not typically taught in schools. In its place, there exists a silence around the topic of disability and ableism in the classroom. This reinforces the idea that disability is irrelevant to nondisabled people, perpetuates stigmas, and allows ableism to go unmentioned. Beginning in 2020, NJ law requires that the topic of disability be infused in appropriate places in the curriculum. Therefore educators need to be equipped with necessary tools and strategies to meet this mandate.
This webinar will cover a conceptual understanding of ableism and the multiple ways it plays out in schools and society. Problematizing the silences around disability in schools, we will consider ways to introduce students to anti-ableism content and disability as a natural form of human diversity. Questioning society’s narrow definitions of normalcy, we will learn ways to recognize and disrupt ableism and position ourselves as agents of change in building inclusive communities.