DISABILITY DOES NOT MEAN INABILITY

Disability does not mean inability within each student

Brenda Armenta
T.E.A.C.H. Academy at Ed W. Clark High School

DISABILITY DOES NOT MEAN INABILITY

2
Abstract
This paper explores three articles that discuss the negative views of students with disabilities and the effect
that the negativity has on the students. Connie Horn (2012) in his article argues that the negative views
make people with disabilities see themselves as incapable. Kent L. Koppelman (2008) and Temple Grandin
(2012) discuss the outcomes of labels. This paper examines Horn (2012), Koppelman (2008), and
Grandins (2012) research in relation to beliefs regarding students with disabilities and it provides real-life
stories of famous people who overcame their disabilities to become successful. Harold Jones (2015) and
Helen Keller (2015) discuss the lives of two extremely successful people who overcame their disabilities
and lived their lives like normal people. Jordan Sabah El Khouly (2011) explains the need for people to stop
feeling pity for people with disabilities and to stop reminding them that they are vulnerable. People need to
treat people with disabilities as equal and they need to be given fair opportunities to succeed. Koppelman
(2008) discusses the importance of teacher intervention to make accommodations for students with
disabilities to help them do things for themselves.
Keywords: disabilities, negative views, labels, accommodations

DISABILITY DOES NOT MEAN INABILITY

3
Disability does not mean inability within each student
In our society there are a wide variety of learners with different capacities and despite their abilities
each one of them can be successful. However many people in the past believed that people with disabilities
do not have a chance of being successful; therefore, they place labels on these students pointing them out
as inferior and incapable of being successful. Based on success stories like James Robert Kennedy
(Jones, 2015) and Helen Keller (2015); they are as capable as any other person without disabilities. This
paper examines the mistaken beliefs about students with disabilities, the wrongdoings of labels, the teacher
role in the success of all students.
Disability not a barrier to success
In Horn (2012) the author argues that the biggest mistake a person can do is believe that students
with disabilities cannot live normal lives and their ignorance stops them from recognizing the potential that
these brilliant students have. The common myth that exists is that students with disabilities have a low
intelligence level and cannot learn but in reality students with LD must be average or above in intelligence
as measured by individual IQ test and have a significant discrepancy between their ability and
achievement (Koppelman, 2008). These types of judgments become the biggest barriers students with
disabilities can face and it has a deteriorating effect on their self-esteem. While people with disabilities need
accommodations to be made to help them complete a task, this does not mean that they are completely
incapable. People with disabilities can function normally in society and can even have a much more fulfilled
life than common people, it all depends on the different abilities of each individual and the willingness from
others to assist them in taking the first few steps.
Due to common belief that people with disabilities are not capable of caring for themselves most
adults in charge seek to keep them apart from society which makes matters worst. There is no need to

DISABILITY DOES NOT MEAN INABILITY

4
isolate or send people with disabilities to institutions; they may require the help from those that surround
them on a day to day basis, but they can still do things for themselves. Koppelman (2008) argues that
negative attitudes not only contributed to the institutionalization of people with disabilities but such
attitudes have also resulted in discrimination against people with disabilities when they are living in a
community. If everyone keeps on believing that people with disabilities will not be able to succeed in life,
the doors for them to show how talented they truly are will be closed and they will be left with no chance to
earn for themselves a living. In our society those that are seen as inferior, which are usually people with
disabilities, are usually faced with discrimination in seeking employment, with regard to issues of access
and mobility, in securing adequate health care and even in education despite legislation requiring
mainstreaming of students with disabilities (Koppelman, 2008). Even though people with disabilities can
learn to function normally, with a few accommodations, most people neglect to give them the opportunity to
prove to others that they are not any less then they are.
The problem with labels is that they place a barrier to the success of students with disabilities.
When teachers get students with disabilities they automatically think that they need to dumb-down the
information for those students and even when they do the students will never be able to understand it.
Grandin (2012) as a person who did not let the title of having autism stop her from being successful,
believed that a rigid academic and social expectations could wind up stifling a mind that- while it might
struggle to conjugate a verb- could one day take us to distant stars. She makes a reasonable point
because students with disabilities automatically get the title of being disabled in a way, shape, or form
which results in low expectations from them. Teachers and other people do bad neglecting students with
disabilities when they do not know the amazing things these children are capable of doing.
Instead of feeling pity for students with disabilities and lowering the performance bar it is crucial for
everyone to stop the labeling and take in consideration the accommodations that could be made to assist

DISABILITY DOES NOT MEAN INABILITY

5
students with disabilities to succeed. Everyone possesses different abilities, talents, interests, and
personalities and just like everyone else people with disabilities go to school, get married, work, have
families, play, do laundry, go shopping, eat out, travel, volunteer, vote, pay taxes, laugh, cry, plan and
dream (Sabah, 2011). Accommodations are necessary in many cases to help people with disabilities
adjust to a lifestyle that they live like normal people. The biggest problem that results from discrimination is
that in many jobs the employers fear hiring people with disabilities because they doubt that they will be able
to perform a job as efficiently as a person without disabilities. Everyone, regardless of ability, deserves to
be treated with the same dignity and respect (Sabah, 2011).
Success Stories
Despite all the limitations people with disabilities have to deal with they can use the
accommodations to their advantage and succeed in the outside world. It is completely possible for people
with disabilities to accomplish the same tasks and have the same experience as those without disabilities
(Koppelman, 2008). In our society there have being successful people who used their disabilities in favor of
doing things for others.
James Robert Kennedy
The movie Radio is based on the real life story of James Robert Kennedy, a mentally challenged
man who despite his disability managed to make a huge difference in T.L. Hanna High School. He showed
up in the football field of that high school and was taken in by Coach Patterson to help out with the team at
practice and at home and away games. At first he was mistreated but later was accepted by the team
players, staff at the school and by the whole community. This young man was not capable of expressing his
ideas clearly, writing or reading but after attending many football games he began to mimic the movements
and sayings of Coach Patterson. Coach Patterson made accommodations by always staying by Radios

DISABILITY DOES NOT MEAN INABILITY

6
side and as time passed by James Robert Kennedy was helping in the lunchroom keeping students from
cutting the line, cleaning off tables and taking out the trash ( Jones, 2015). Just like James Robert
Kennedy people with disabilities can accomplish day to day tasks without difficulty and become a big
influence in the lives of others.
Helen Keller
The famous world-speaker, Helen Keller, overcame the adversity of being blind and deaf to speak
out the importance of not letting disabilities interfere in ones day-to-day life. At a young age she lost her
sight and lived her life without manners due to the ignorance of their parents who did not take the time to
help her out. Once they hired Anne Sullivan, Helen was able to learn how to do things on her own without
depending on others. Anne Sullivan took the time to teach her sign language and made accommodations to
fix the obstacles that came along with Helens fear of her. Some of the accommodations that Sullivan made
where changing the learning environment and using tangible material to show what the word she was
signing. Thanks to Anne Sullivans patience Helen was able to learn sign language and later on attend
college. Her disability did not stop her from fighting for improving the welfare of blind people and [became]
one of the 20th centurys leading humanitarians, as well as co-founder of the American Civil Liberties Union
(ACLU) (Keller, 2015).
Temple Grandin
Temple Grandin is now the most accomplished and well known adult with autism in the world
(Grandin, 2012). Grandin was diagnosed with Autism at the age of two; therefore, her speech development
was delayed and she did not start speaking until the age of four. She managed to get through her
elementary school years and beyond thanks to the help of her mentors. There were teachers who did not
believe in her abilities, but other teachers noticed how her unique qualities helped her see things from a

DISABILITY DOES NOT MEAN INABILITY

7
different angle. After she graduated she attended a boarding school and moved on to three other colleges
to get her degree in psychology and animal science. She did not let the negative commentary stop her from
studying what she liked and develop her own device to help those who felt anxiety when surrounded by
many people. Her determination helped her use her disability to see the different perspectives on animal
behavior and how to improve the slaughterhouses. Despite the challenges she faced, she presently works
as a Professor of Animal Science at Colorado State University. She also speaks around the world on both
autism and cattle handling (Grandin 2012).
The Role of a teacher
When working with students with disabilities teachers need to make certain accommodations to
suit the needs of students. Some may require extra attention and extra time so teachers need to be
considerate and give them the time they need to complete a task without pressuring them to complete it in
the regular time that is expected from students without disabilities. There is no need for teachers to dumb
down the material when all they need to do is break learning into small steps (Grandin, 2012) to make
sure that they understand every part of the lesson. The teachers who take time to assist each student
individually and give them the quality feedback that is necessary for them to improve are those that make a
difference in those students lives. Students with disabilities progress depends on the help that they receive
and the effort that the person assisting is giving them. Some students may require a focus on individual
achievement, individual progress, and individual (Grandin, 2012). A teacher working with students with
disabilities should not compare the students progress to any other, for each student learns and improves at
a different rate than all other. When a teacher makes the necessary accommodations a student needs they
will be truly satisfied to see each student progress.

DISABILITY DOES NOT MEAN INABILITY

8
Conclusion
People with disabilities face distinct challenges with their own limitations and the judgments others
make against them. Some may require more accommodations from their teachers than others, but overall
they are capable of succeeding. If people with disabilities get lulled into believing that disability is a virtually
impenetrable barrier to success (Horn, 2012) then they will believe that they do not matter and will give up
on their lives. Many famous people with the support from those close to them were capable of overcoming
all obstacles of their disabilities. The biggest issue students with disabilities face has to deal with labels
which result in lower expectations from them. Negative attitudes automatically put a barrier on the kinds of
things that people with disabilities can accomplish and if their doors are close down without being able to
prove their talents they have few chances of being recognized. Teachers play a big role in the lives of
students with disabilities for they shape a students possibilities to be successful.

DISABILITY DOES NOT MEAN INABILITY

9
References
Grandin, T. Featured Conference (n.d.). Retrieved May 7, 2015, from http://www.templegrandin.com
Helen Keller. (2015). The Biography.com website. Retrieved 08:27, May 07, 2015, from
http://www.biography.com/people/helen-keller-9361967References
Horn, C. (2012, May 8). Does Disability Mean Inability? Retrieved May 7, 2015, from
https://bethesdablog.wordpress.com/2012/05/08/does-disability-mean-inability/
Jones, H. About Us (n.d.). Retrieved May 7, 2015, from http://www.radioandcoachjones.com/
OurStory.html
Koppelman, K. (2008). Ableism:Disability does not mean Inability. In Understanding Human differences
(2nd ed., p. 285). Boston, Massachusetts: Pearson Education.
Sabah, J. (n.d.). Disability doesn't mean inability We don't need any pity Sabah El Khouly. Retrieved May
7, 2015, from http://www.jp.onkyo.com/braille_essay/2011/as01.htm