Module 3: Dominant (nondisabled) Ideas of Disability
“As to the exposure and rearing of children, let there be a law that no deformed child shall live.” ~ Aristotle, Politics
Overview
A Message From Shaheen
Now that you understand normalcy, it’s time to examine disability. In Module 3, you will explore dominant ideas of disability. Dominant ideas of disability generally come from nondisabled people. These ideas can be found in the popular media, the law, and the medical field.
One of the dominant ideas of disability that you will explore is Eugenics. Eugenicists want to breed humans the way people breed animals; their goal is to create the most perfect humans possible—humans that have all the characteristics they deem desirable and none of the characteristics they deem undesirable (e.g., disability). If you are interested in how Eugenic ideas persist in the 21st century, check out the optional Engage sources.
Pro Tip: This module has three optional Engage sources for you to explore if you are so inclined. If a source seems interesting but you do not have time to explore it at the moment, consider starting a to-be-read (TBR) list. In Unit 5, you will select most of the Engage sources you explore. If you already have a TBR list, you can explore those sources during Unit 5.
Musical Moment
Mallavora – Disorder [OFFICIAL MUSIC VIDEO]
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Component |
Estimated Time to Complete |
|---|---|
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Engage |
1 hr-1 hr 40 mins |
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Reflect |
1 hr |
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Chat |
1-2 hrs |
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Self-Assess |
10-15 mins |
Engage
Required
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Source |
Summary |
Estimated Time |
|---|---|---|
|
Mendel’s Law: A Plea for a Better Race of Men By Joseph Spencer DeJarnette |
This poem argues for the eugenics movement. |
2-5 mins |
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Show Me A Sign by Ann Clare LeZotte Book Trailer by Scholastic |
In this short video, Deaf author Ann Clare LeZotte introduces the plot of her book Show Me A Sign. |
1-2 mins |
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Show Me A Sign, Chapters 12, 14 and 17, By Anne Clare LeZotte |
In this book excerpt the characters discuss the merits of curing deafness, and how a cure would impact Deaf communities. |
12-15 mins |
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This PDF provides the legal definitions for the 14 categories under which students can qualify for “special” education services in Illinois. |
4-6 mins |
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Crowd Sourced Definitions of Disability |
Find out how people in your life view disability. Identify 3 people in your life who are not reading the Guidebook. Ask each person:
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30-40 mins |
Optional
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Source |
Summary |
Estimated Time |
|---|---|---|
|
Eugenics Today: Where Eugenic Sterilization Continues By Robert A Wilson |
This magazine article discusses the role of eugenics in several countries throughout time, and how aspects of eugenics typically target racial and ethnic minorities and disabled people. |
8-14 mins |
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Eugenics and Francis Galton: Crash Course History of Science #23 By Crash Course |
This video explains the history of eugenics and the impacts of the movement over time. |
7-14 mins |
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Should We Euthanize Severely Disabled Children? Peter Singer vs Andy Bannister By Premier Unbelievable? |
Philosopher Peter Singer explains his pro-eugenics stance in this video. |
2-5 mins |
Reflect
Use the prompts below as a jumping off point. Do not let the prompts confine your reflection.
- Document the crowdsourced definitions of disability you gathered. To protect the identity of the people you interviewed, give each person a pseudonym (pretend name).
- Reflecting on your crowdsourced definitions: What did you learn about how the people in your life view disability? How are their ideas similar or different from one another?
- Show Me a Sign: How do you think Andrew would define disability? What, if any, similarities do you observe between Andrew’s conception of disability, Aristotle’s conception of disability, and DeJarnette’s conception of disability? What is your reaction to these conceptions?
Chat
Use the prompts below as a jumping off point for a conversation with others in your class or community.
Respond to Aristotle’s quote at the beginning of the Module. Compose your response using a format of your collective choice (e.g., a written/recorded debate, a poem, a collage, a playlist, song lyrics, a drawing, a dance).
What is your collective position? Would you agree or disagree with Aristotle?
- Agree: If you would agree, how would you extend his point? What evidence could you and Aristotle gather to support your position? What rebuttals could you offer to people who refute your points?
- Disagree: If you would disagree, how would you refute Aristotle’s position? What evidence or arguments could you use to respond to the rebuttals he and his friends might offer?
Self-Assess
- What idea/concept from this module was the CLEAREST to you?
- What idea/concept from this module was the MUDDIEST to you?
- Rate your knowledge on the ideas discussed in this module
- Expert
- Mastered
- Competent
- Still Developing
- Undeveloped
FAQ
Q1: How come some of the dominant ideas of disability are so negative?
A1: Remember Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie’s TED Talk from Module 1 about single stories? The dominant ideas of disability come from the dominant group in our society (i.e., nondisabled people) who often have limited knowledge of disability. As Adichie explained in her TED Talk, a narrow understanding leads to single stories. When nondisabled people imagine being disabled, they assume a disabled life would be awful because seeing, hearing, walking, reading, etc. is central to their nondisabled life. But research indicates that disabled people are as happy as nondisabled people (see Weinberg & Williams, 1978).
Keep in mind that some nondisabled people, who have a broader understanding of disability, have more positive conceptions of disability. For example, Shaheen has a blind friend whose sighted son asked: “when will I get to be blind like dad.”
Q2: How do disabled people feel about the dominant definitions of disability?
A2: Disabled people, like other identity groups, have a wide range of opinions and ideas. Some disabled people have the same conception of disability as nondisabled people. For example, Hellen Keller, who you probably know was DeafBlind, was a eugenicist. Other disabled people think dominant ideas, like eugenics and the medical model, are harmful. And still other disabled people fall somewhere in the middle. Ask the disabled people in your life what they think about some of the ideas from Module 4 and Module 5.
