Charlie Crist (D., Fla.) announces his running mate, Karla Hernández-Mats in Hialeah, Fla., August 27, 2022.
"Karla Hernandez-Mats, teachers’ union heavyweight and running mate of Florida Democratic gubernatorial nominee Charlie Crist, was caught at a campaign event Tuesday claiming that her experience working with special needs children prepared her to contend with the state’s Republican-dominated 'dysfunctional legislature.'"
-Caroline Downey, National Review
Regardless of politics, nobody should equate Special Education students with "dysfunction" to score cheap points. The irony is, Casey DeSantis coming to the defense of disabled students is laughable when, as Governor, her husband actively refused to enforce mask mandates that would have allowed many of those same students equal access to education.
Zooming out for a moment, I want to talk about language around disability. There is nothing "special" about a disabled student getting the tools, resources, and accommodations they need to succeed academically and I personally cringe when I see the words "special needs" connected to equity and access for disabled people. To borrow a phrase from my friend Emily Ladau, "My only 'special' needs are that I occasionally enjoy being fanned with grapes."
In academia I would love to see a shift toward reframing Special Education as Accessible Education because that's really what it is. Similarly, in the workplace, Reasonable Accommodations can be seen as Productivity Enhancers.
The needs of disabled people are not "extra" or "special", or anything else that would suggest an undue burden on society. We get enough of that feeling on a daily basis simply existing. We don't need it negatively reenforced with language that perpetuates that myth.
Some may see this as splitting hairs. Language is powerful and can and should be a part of how we emphasize, teach, and talk about Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Access.
#DEIA, #DEI #diversityequityinclusion #accessibility #education #specialneeds #specialeducation #disability #inclusion #accommodations