Ableism in Education: Rethinking School Practices and Policies

by Gillian Parekh

How we organize children by ability in schools is often rooted in ableism.

Genres: Education, Disability, Ableism, Audiobook, Nonfiction

177 pages, Paperback

Published May 10, 2022

Reviews

[Meghann Kenkel · Rating 2 out of 5]

Often the author took a very superficial approach to how to integrate disability into schools. The majority of the book focused on systemic issues that a classroom teacher wouldn’t be able to change. I wholeheartedly would support a full inclusion model in my classes but I think that just saying we should do it, or should just embrace things like random grouping and / or UDL into our classes is too simplistic of an approach. A lot of the ideas of the book could lead to educators, especially early career educators, think that inclusion should be much easier in the classroom than it is.

[Caconym · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tough reading.

I managed to slogan through this. I guess the mistake was mine, since I thought this is a good place to start learning about ableism. It isn't. This is intermeadiate-pro level text of a subject matter complicated enough that it'll give you headache in the best of times.

I guess I'll read a beginner book now, and then return to this one.

I'm only giving it three stars this time around. Such were the limits of my comprehension.

I'm sure it deserves better though.

[Eric Anderson · Rating 3 out of 5]

An in depth and very well researched volume on its titular subject and despite the academic and social science data shared still readable and clearly communicated for anyone familiar with education practices. My issue is the author's focus on the problem and relative lack of points on what to do about the issues. The penultimate chapter is a foray into some suggestions on inclusive practices but they are surface level and address specific concerns of larger integration in mainstream classrooms, which to be fair is her main goal- to promote less segregation into special classroom spaces. The book, on its back, is described as a "down-to-earth guide" yet feels like more of rant repeating the same, though crucial and much needed, critiques in different ways and with the same logic and not so much pointing out how to fill these holes.

Philosophically the juxtapositions of terminology is not highlighted either. The contention in the narrative is over a prevalence of ableism in schools and seeks to wage a war on education systems prioritizing ability. However the main vehicle for this criticism is Disability Studies in Education (DSE) and continually "disability" justice is invoked as the lens for which to look at school and teaching reform. So how do we use a term like disability, literally not-ability, to argue against using "ability" as the standard of academic and social achievement? I can't say I have a complete answer myself but the arguments in the book seem to have already moved past this or ignore it and don't grapple with the clear opposing realities in play, if only in terms of definition of language used.

The last line of the book is "Schools are an excellent site for this work and offer endless possibilities of what can be imagined" (p146). This statement almost feels like an apology for the negative and harsh criticisms layered over and over throughout the chapters as an almost too obvious tongue lashing and what even highly oblivious educators could pick up on as lacking in inclusive practices in schools. The thrust of the book simply does not reflect that sort of optimistic and imaginative theme as this concluding statement tries to display, perhaps the author is working on a follow up volume that will address earth and be down to it.

[Lisa · Rating 5 out of 5]

Make sure to read the part about modifications of curriculum. I did not realize that modifications need to be carefully considered.
I especially liked this quote, “We rarely discuss how disability identity can be included and reflected within the school curriculum and honored within classroom practices. Equity discussions involving disability seem to stall at whether students have access to accommodations and modifications. Accommodations may allow students to be successful in engaging with their academic studies, but accommodations, alone, do not produce inclusion— let alone justice.”

[Megan Healy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had to read this for work… it is in heavy academic language, and not particularly “readable”, especially for someone like me, with very little experience with special education. I have to give the author credit, though… I was challenged on a lot of my core beliefs about teaching through reading this, and I found her conclusions very convincing. If you are a parent of a child receiving special education services in school, you should absolutely read it.

[Lisa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good information about the need for promoting inclusion, but I'm already a proponent!

[Lacy]

Quite good. It was a quick and easy read and not too hight level to digest. Someone new to the topic wouldn't be scared off from the topic.

[Hanady · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned so much reading this! Always gasping with realizations.

[kimuchi (on Storygraph) child of the god of thunder · Rating 5 out of 5]

Clear and concise. Just wonderful.

[Niyomi · Rating 3 out of 5]

3⭐️ great summary but I wish it told me more I don’t know