Degree Type
Honors Capstone Project
Date of Submission
Spring 5-1-2018
Capstone Advisor
George Theoharis
Honors Reader
Thomas Bull
Capstone Major
Teaching and Leadership
Capstone College
Education
Audio/Visual Component
no
Capstone Prize Winner
no
Won Capstone Funding
no
Honors Categories
Professional
Subject Categories
Disability and Equity in Education | Education | Special Education and Teaching
Abstract
Beginning with the institutionalization movement, where children with intellectual and physical disabilities were put in institutions because they were deemed to be hopeless and uneducable, and continuing today, intellectual and physical disabilities have been a cause for discrimination and inequality in the world of education. In the current education system, students with disabilities still face segregation, but are increasingly being included in classes with their peers who do not have intellectual and physical disabilities.
Through the passage of legislation such as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act, students with intellectual or physical disabilities have been guaranteed a free and appropriate education in the least restrictive environment possible (20 20 USC CHAPTER 33, SUBCHAPTER I: GENERAL PROVISIONS). This has sparked a new understanding of disability as professionals in the world of education have attempted to create environments where individuals with and without intellectual and physical disabilities can achieve academic and social success.
As a teacher candidate in a college program that emphasizes inclusion, the courses and fieldwork experiences that I have completed have focused on including students to the maximum extent possible through learning and implementing different theories on education and instructional strategies and techniques. This autoethnography details how my understanding of disability has changed starting from before high school with my involvement in Special Olympics and ending with my current understanding of disability having completed the Inclusive Elementary and Special Education program in the School of Education at Syracuse University. This autoethnography will also connect my evolving understanding of disability with my experiences teaching in inclusive classrooms.
Recommended Citation
Bradley, Connor, "A Journey Toward Better Understanding Disability in the Classroom" (2018). Renée Crown University Honors Thesis Projects - All. 1281.
https://surface.syr.edu/honors_capstone/1281
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.
