Samples and summary of faculty scholarly activities - St. John Fisher ...

Reading 10: Exploring Disability in Young Adult Literature
Introduced by: Jennifer Ashton, Ph.D., University of Rochester
As an alternative to the dominant deficit-oriented representations of disability in our society,
Disability Studies in Education (DSE) recognizes the value of human diversity and foregrounds
the socially just tenets of inclusion in educational settings. Having recently completed my
dissertation on co-teaching using DSE as a theoretical framework, I see the need for this type of
re-conceptualization and often think about how we can broaden DSE’s reach and improve
inclusive education for all students. Dr. Ware and Ms. Wheeler’s work illustrates the potential
impact of infusing DSE principles into standard curriculum and transforming perceptions of
disability among students and teachers alike. This chapter presents a practical model of
conceptual transformation that highlights the spaces for administrative support for teachers
and students as they negotiate a re-conceptualization of disability, human diversity, and inclusive
education.
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