Lessons from and for "Disabled" Students

Abstract

The traditional understanding of "disabled" means to have a physical, mental, or emotional limitation. It is unfortunate that the word has negative connotations because we all have the ability to do some things and not others. An individual's disabilities, traditional or otherwise, do not diminish the person or detract from the universal tenet that all people are inherently equal and entitled to be treated with dignity. Generally, it is unproductive to compare the circumstances of one group with another for the purpose of discerning which group has it better or worse. Struggles by different groups to achieve equality have different concerns and are entitled to be "recognized" independently and within broader contexts. Struggles for equality are just that: we all want to be equal human beings before the law.

Keywords: disabilities, IEP, individualized educational program, discrimination

JEL Classification: K00