Everybody Belongs: Changing Negative Attitudes Toward Classmates with Disabilities

The evil prosthesis of Captain Hook, the comical speech of Porky Pig the bumbling antics of Mr. Magoo, the sinister hump of Richard III, and the pathetic pleas of poster children are all examples of images in our culture which can be the basis of negative attitudes and subliminal prejudice towards persons with disabilities. These attitudes influence and underlie discriminatory acts, resulting in negative treatment and segregation. A teacher’s ability to recognise and counter such images may well determine the success of inclusion and mainstreaming programs in our schools and society. The focus of this book is to stress the importance of changing these negative attitudes and to develop a rationale for fostering positive attitudes towards persons with disabilities in school settings. It is a sophisticated and challenging examination of the concept of disability and attitudes towards disability. The author begins with a discussion of why attitudes ate important and why educators should seek to change them. He then goes on to explore issues of terminology and exposes the pathological nature of the language that is used to describe disabilities. He also offers a detailed analysis of the ‘minority group’ and medical paradigms for conceptualizing and responding to disabilities, and examines the ‘common sense’ approach. Finally, he suggests how critical education practices can work to change negative attitudes in the classroom. Well-researched and well-written, this book offers practical guidance as grounded in solid research to schools that are wrestling with how to mainstream children with disabilities.