Overview
Communicating With a Student That Has a Disability
A teacher is concerned about what to say to a student with a disability. What if I say or do something wrong? Rather than worry, ask your student if there is a special way in which he/she would like you to refer to his/her disability. Be respectful as you would to all your students. Terminology changes frequently, but it is important to remember, it's the person first, then the disability.
Information from the National Collaborative on Workforce and Disability
"Positive language empowers. When writing or speaking about people with disabilities, it is important to put the person first. Group designations such as "the blind", "the retarded" or "the disabled" are inappropriate because they do not reflect the individuality, equality or dignity of people with disabilities. Further, words like "normal person" imply that the person with a disability isn't normal, whereas "person without a disability" is descriptive but not negative. The following information shows examples of "positive and negative phrases".
Positive Phrases that are appropriate. (Negative Phrases that should be avoided)
Person with an intellectual, cognitive, developmental disability. (Retarded; mentally defective).
Person who is blind, person who is visually impaired. (The blind).
Person with a disability. (The disabled; handicapped).
Person who is deaf. (The deaf; deaf and dumb).
Person who is hard of hearing. (Suffers a hearing loss).
Person who has multiple sclerosis. (Afflicted by MS).
Person with cerebral palsy. (CP victim).
Person with epilepsy, person with seizure disorder. (Epileptic).
Person who uses a wheelchair. (Confined or restricted to a wheelchair).
Person who has muscular dystrophy. (Stricken by MD).
Person with a physical disability, physically disabled. (Crippled; lame; deformed).
Unable to speak, uses synthetic speech. (Dumb; mute).
Person with psychiatric disability. (Crazy; nuts).
Person who is successful, productive. (Has overcome his/her disability; is courageous (when it implies the person has courage because of having a disability).
For more information visit: www.ncwd-youth.info/resources_&_Publications/disability_Basics/communicating_basics.html
A brochure from Courage Center:
"When Meeting, Writing or Speaking About a Person With a Disability"
Click on the link to go to the Courage Center website: www.couragecenter.org/images/documents/WhenMeetingBroch2008.pdf
Federal Civil Rights Acts
There are two civil rights acts that protect adults with documented disabilities. The overarching law is the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) of 1990. ADA gives persons with documented disabilities the right to compete fairly for jobs, to request accommodations, and to access public goods and services (including public buildings, transportation, and telecommunication).
For more information on ADA, see: www.ada.gov/
Because ABE is housed under Title II of the Workforce Investment Act (WIA) and therefore receives federal funding, Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 is also relevant. Section 504 protects the rights of people with documented learning disabilities or impairments who are attending programs or receiving services from agencies or organizations that receive any federal funds.
Links: www.hhs.gov/ocr/504.html
The primary purpose of these two laws is to prevent discrimination against persons with disabilities, not to guarantee success. According to Glenn Young, a learning disabilities advocate, [ABE programs have] “an obligation not to discriminate, bypass, or reject a person based on a disability, but to assure the person has an equal opportunity to participate and an equal opportunity to benefit from the program.”
In other words, ABE programs must provide access to persons with documented disabilities who can meet the academic intent of ABE. However, they do not have to continue service or as Mr. Young further explains, “keep teaching someone if they are not making progress because of the disability…”
He recommends that ABE programs clearly determine their essential function: i.e. basic skills development, GED preparation, ELL instruction. A “qualified individual”’ under ADA needs to be able to perform the essential function with or without accommodations. If they cannot improve basic skills, pass GED tests, or improve English skills despite best efforts to provide intervention, accommodation, and assistive technology, then they are not considered a ‘qualified individual’ and therefore not protected by ADA.
In summary, ABE programs must provide equal opportunity to persons with disabilities in compliance with ADA, but do not have to provide service to those who cannot meet the essential function of their program(s).
Links: www.nifl.gov/ld/reports/bridges_pt1.pdf