PHI2000_W_7_Disability Theory
docx
keyboard_arrow_up
School
Capella University *
*We aren’t endorsed by this school
Course
2000
Subject
Philosophy
Date
Jan 9, 2024
Type
docx
Pages
7
Uploaded by MagistrateLyrebirdMaster967
Disability Theory
Name
PHI2000 ETHICS
Capella University
May 2023
2
Disability Theory
In the early mid-nineteenth century, disability was used to justify inequality (
Davis,
2013).
The great debates on slavery, discrimination of women and minorities, civil rights, and
immigration restriction used the concept of disability as a significant factor for oppression
(
Davis, 2013).
People who were emotionally, mentally, or physically weak or deviated from the
male norm physically, intellectually, and psychologically were considered disabled (
Davis,
2013).
Therefore, people with disabilities were excluded from society. Disability theory
emerged from critical theories hoping to bring awareness for change and freedom from historical
oppression (
Davis, 2013; Bohman, 2005
).
Over the past three decades, people with disabilities and those who advocate for them
have rallied against oppression and exclusion (
Davis, 2013).
Historically, being disabled meant
that a person was physically or mentally impaired, which had substantial and long-term adverse
effects on a person's ability to carry out normal day-to-day activities (
Davis, 2013).
The meaning
of disability has changed over time and has expanded meanings in different models of disability
(
Davis, 2013).
In today’s social model, disability is used in terms of social exclusion, whereas
impairment describes a physical limitation (
Davis, 2013; Greenstein, 2020
).
A disability is
characterized as society’s response to individuals, and consequently, people with disabilities
were oppressed (
Davis, 2013).
According to the article by Davis (2013), the social model
suggests that people are not disabled because of their bodies; they are disabled by society.
Identifying social barriers has been instrumental in liberating disabled people by bringing these
concepts to society’s awareness (
Davis, 2013).
On the other hand, the social model has weaknesses that should not be ignored (
Davis,
2013).
Although people with disabilities want to be treated as not impaired, neglecting
3
impairment can have significant medical and emotional repercussions (
Davis, 2013).
An
individual’s impairment affects every aspect of their life (
Davis, 2013).
The social model aims to
consider an impairment as irrelevant, but the reality is that impairment and illnesses place
legitimate limits and restrictions on someone’s abilities and everyday activities (
Davis, 2013).
In
order to work against in concept of disability, an individual should find a way to integrate their
impairments into their life for their emotional and physical well-being (
Davis, 2013).
Disabilities in education proliferated in the 1990s by encouraging learning environments
to change how people understood education, rehabilitation, and children's rights (Lupold, 2020).
Disabilities in education focused on more inclusive education to minimize social oppression,
practices, attitudes, and beliefs by understanding that students are diverse (Lupold, 2020).
Diversity in education requires various services, resources, and practices that enable all students
as well as those with learning disabilities to participate and engage in the classroom (Greenstein,
2020).
Hypothetical Scenario
A female student at a high school in Ohio notices that another student with documented
learning disabilities is receiving accommodations.
She noticed they get more time to take their
tests and assigned note takers. She feels this is unfair.
She complains to the school, saying she
should have all the same accommodations as the other students.
She does not have a
documented learning disability or any other disability.
Once other student’s parents found out
about the complaint, they rallied at the school and protested in agreeance with the student’s
complaint.
The parent wanted fairness for all students, with or without learning disabilities.
Stakeholders
The primary stakeholders in the scenario are people with disability or impairments, the
parents, and family members.
Their interests being they would like to be socially accepted and
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
- Access to all documents
- Unlimited textbook solutions
- 24/7 expert homework help
4
included as well as the accommodations and resources needed for them to thrive.
Insurance
companies, employers, institutions, and advocacy organizations are secondary stakeholders.
These stakeholders have a social responsibility to uphold accommodations and resources to
allow people with disabilities to engage and participate in society without oppression.
Ethical Conflicts
The ethical conflicts in this scenario are about fairness.
Someone born with an
impairment may not be able to do things that people without disabilities can do (
Davis, 2013).
Accommodations exist for people with impairments so they can have a chance to succeed
(Nappi, 2017).
States are required to have standardized tests for students to determine what a
non-disabled or non-impaired student is capable of (Nappi, 2017).
Accommodations and extra
resources are given to those students who do not start at a “baseline from which a normal learner
operates” (Nappi, 2017). The accommodations are not intended to make things "easy" for the
students.
If all students were awarded accommodations, they would not be challenged (Nappi,
2017).
Students, people in society in general, need growth.
If schools gave every student extra
accommodation, no one would have to learn new skills, challenge themselves or feel proud of
their accomplishments (Frey, 2018).
Being "fair" to students without disabilities would do them
a disservice to students as they will have a school diploma handed to them without having to put
in the hard work to gain feelings of pride and accomplishment (Frey, 2018).
The parents are also doing a disservice to their children by allowing them to think they
should have the same accommodations as students with learning disabilities (Frey, 2018).
A
learning disability such as ADHD can significantly impact mental cognition (Frey, 2018).
Students with ADHD are unable to focus and therefore do not retain or intake the same
information as other students (Frey, 2018).
Special accommodations, such as audiobooks, note-
takers or extra time on a test do not mean they get an easier test (Frey, 2018).
They are getting
5
accommodation to finish their test just like all the other non-disabled, non-impaired students
(Frey, 2018).
Without accommodations, a student with ADHD has a tough time in school, which
can affect their mentality (Frey, 2018).
Consistent failure can lead to depression, feeling
unworthy, not good enough, and failure (Frey, 2018).
Ethical conflicts also arise from whom to listen to regarding accommodations.
According
to Davis (2013), accommodation recommendations should be advised by those with a disability
or impairment because they have firsthand knowledge and expertise on what accommodations
and resources could be required. In this scenario, students and parents without disabilities,
without disability experience, are the ones fighting for accommodation.
On the other hand, solutions to fairness in the classroom can be traced back to the
diversity on an educational spectrum (
Davis, 2013).
Students learning abilities and skills are
primarily based on ableist concepts (
Davis, 2013).
How one learns and acquires knowledge is an
essential skill that every student and educator should recognize (Nappi, 2017).
According to the
article by Nappi (2017), metacognition involves the awareness of one’s thinking or thinking
about thinking and can lead to deeper understanding.
Incorporating a variety of modalities and
diverse educational methods can accommodate non-disabled, non-impaired students who have a
more challenging time learning (Frey, 2018).
Normative Ethics
Virtue ethics, deontology, and consequentialism in normative ethics attempt to create or
evaluate moral standards to assess the moral consequences of a given situation before a decision
is made (Jankowiak., n.d.).
The ethical theory of consequentialism states that actions are good or
bad based on outcomes (Jankowiak., n.d.).
Education accommodations are put in place for those
who do not possess the ability to succeed as students without disabilities or impairments
(Lupold, 2020).
No amount of change will ever be able to create a barrier-free world (Lupold,
6
2020).
In this scenario, the consequences of providing accommodations to those who do not
necessarily need them can have detrimental outcomes on the future of society (Lupold, 2020).
The ethical theory of deontology states that actions are good or bad based on clear rules
(Jankowiak., n.d.)
.
Students take screening measures each year to measure their levels of
education (Frey, 2018).
Students who do not make adequate progress are monitored and receive
accommodations to help those struggling with their learning (Lupold, 2020).
These clear rules
are implemented for the student's benefit and are intended for students to grow up to live an
independent, fulfilled, and happy life in the future
(Jankowiak., n.d.)
.
Conclusion
Disability theory awareness trails behind other movements such as feminism, queer
theory and postcolonialism (Davis et al., 2012). There is still work to be done in understanding
the challenges in all models of disability. The social model of disability has proven to be
effective in the psychological aspects by improving self-esteem, confidence, positive sense of
identity, and the power of changing perception of people with disabilities (Davis, 2013).
However, disowning relevant impairments and disabilities is not the answer, not is providing
accommodations to those who do not need them (Davis, 2013). We need to acknowledge, accept,
and understand those with disabilities to accommodate them so they too can live a happy,
fulfilling life.
Your preview ends here
Eager to read complete document? Join bartleby learn and gain access to the full version
- Access to all documents
- Unlimited textbook solutions
- 24/7 expert homework help
7
References
Bohman, J.
(2005).
Critical theory.
The Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/critical-theory/
Davis, L. (2013).
The Disability Studies Reader.
In
Routledge eBooks
.
https://doi.org/10.4324/9781315680668
Frey, B. (2018).
The SAGE Encyclopedia of Educational Research, Measurement, and
Evaluation.
SAGE Publications, Inc. eBooks
.
https://doi.org/10.4135/9781506326139
Davis, L., Goodley, D., & Hughes, B. (2012).
Disability and Social Theory: New Developments
and Directions
.
Springer.
Lupold, E. (2020). The SAGE Encyclopedia of Children and Childhood Studies.
SAGE
Publications, Inc. eBooks
. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781529714388
Greenstein, A.
(2020).
Disability studies.
SAGE Publications, Inc. https://sk-sagepub-
com.library.capella.edu/reference/the-sage-encyclopedia-of-children-and-childhood-
studies/i7414.xml
Jankowiak. (n.d.).
Immanuel Kant: 5.
Moral theory.
Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy.;
Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy.
http://www.iep.utm.edu/kantview/#H5
Nappi, J.
(2017).
The Importance of Questioning in developing critical thinking skills.
The
Delta Kappa Gamma Bulletin, 84(1).