The Intersections of Disability, Race, and Segregation

We often talk about school segregation from a racial and /or class perspective, but an equally concerning issue is the segregation of kids based on dis/ability. And while many disabled students are marginalized by our educational system, it is particularly true for students of color. It’s an overdue conversation for us on the podcast, and it’s an important one, because, as the conversation makes clear, all forms of oppression are linked together, and destroying one will require them all to fall.

We are joined for the conversation by Joyner Emrick, a disabled person with two disabled kids, and Shubha Balabaer, a non-disabled parent to a disabled toddler. They both offer insight and vulnerability about a subject that is often hard to talk about. From the choice for person or identity first language, to the medical vs social model of disability, the conversations lives in the nuance of a complicated topic.

We try to ground ourselves in the disability justice movement and its dedication to dismantling systemic oppression. It is clear that the fight for disability rights is inextricably linked to the fight for social justice and equity for all.

LINKS:

• Sins Invalid’s 10 Principals of Disability Justice
• Shelley Moore’s video about “the outside pins”
• Ableism Enables All Forms of Inequity and Hampers All Liberation Efforts– Truthout
• Incarceration and Ableism Go Hand in Hand – Truthout
• Dear Parents Who Want to Keep Their Nonspeaking Children Safe as They Go Out Into the World – Communication First
• A YouTube Playlist of “Lessons in Liberation” an abolitionist toolkit for preK- 12 education.
• Shubha’s incredible zine about their experience
• An episode of Prentis Hemphill’s Finding our Way podcast called “Reclaiming Ugly”
• An episode of the Groundings Podcast on ableism
• More from Shelley Moore on “scaffolding complexity”
• PBS Educators series, The Circle Makers
• You’re Going to Love This Kid!: Teaching Students with Autism in the Inclusive Classroom – Paula Kluth on creating educational spaces that can include everyone
• A helpful guide to person / identify first language from the NIH
• A study on identity vs person first language from autism stakeholders
• Disabled Activist, Imani Barbarin’s website
• Being Heumann: An Unrepentant Memoir of a Disability Rights Activist – Judy Heumann
• Dr. Susan Faircloth on our show

ACTION STEPS:

1. Normalize asking “What does your body need?” – the answer is never “nothing”, but it might be “all of my needs are being met right now”.
2. Ask if disabled people are involved in the creation of services, curriculum, and other supports for disabled people.
3. Make use of the resources in these show notes.

Use these links or start at our Bookshop.org storefront to support local bookstores, and send a portion of the proceeds back to us.

Join our Patreon to support this work, and connect with us and other listeners to discuss these issues even further.

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The Integrated Schools Podcast was created by Courtney Mykytyn and Andrew Lefkowits.

This episode was produced by Andrew Lefkowits and Val Brown. It was edited, and mixed by Andrew Lefkowits.

Music by Kevin Casey.