Hehir Quotes

A. Hello class, today I'm doing a quotes analysis on Hehir. 

B. The first quote I'd like to put out there is the main one we discussed the meaning of during class...“Disability is not a tragedy, (however) society’s response to disability can have tragic consequences for people who have disabilities.”...I was really glad we discussed this because it could mean so many things. To me, this is remarking on the unfortunate reality on how society views disability as one of two extremes; either something that makes someone completely incapable, or something "fake" that a person uses as an excuse to be difficult/lazy. 

The second quote I'd like to remark on is "disability only becomes a tragedy for me when society fails to provide the things we need to lead our lives — job opportunities or barrier free buildings”. I wanted to remark on this because it is so true. If society listened and adhered to the accommodations and needs of disabled individuals, it could very well be less stigmatized as a tragedy. By normalizing disability, it becomes "less sad/tragic". 

The final quote I'd like to remark on is “Studies of deaf children whose parents are deaf are revealing. These children start school with vocabularies comparable to their hearing peers and have higher levels of educational and occupational success”. I find this important. It really shows and sticks a hand in the idea that disability is not always a disadvantage. Students who are disabled may not be "behind" but rather just need assistance to keep them moving forward.

C. One question I'd like to leave with the class is whether they have experiences surrounding disability and the themes suggested that could shed light into societies need for change? The article I'm including remarks on the overwhelming need of society to work to destigmatize disability. 

Destigmatizing Disability Article