Focusing on the Ability,
not the Dis/ability
Katelynn Malecha (’18 Exercise Science and Pre-Occupational Therapy) and Sarah Aldrich (’18, Spanish Education and TESL) presenting at the Upper Midwest Regional Honors Conference in Brookings, SD.
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Have you ever wondered where the misconceptions of disabilities stem from?
Misconceptions take root in early childhood. To break this cycle, our children’s book encourages young minds to move beyond the disability to focus on the ability of an individual. The link to our website, where the book pdf can be downloaded for free, can be found here. |
RESEARCH ABSTRACT
According to the United States Census Bureau, one in five people has a disability in the US (“Newsroom Archive”). Although disabilities are common, many individuals harbor misconceptions about people with disabilities, leading to stereotypes and stigmas. The purpose of this research is to combat the misconceptions of those with disabilities and produce an educational tool for use with children. In order to learn about misconceptions of disabilities, we studied various academic articles drawing out the connections made by society between a person’s ability and his/her disability. To address this social issue, we created a fictional children’s book encouraging children to see beyond the label of “disabled.” In the future, this book will be available to teachers in an electronic format for free, with donations going to a charity of choice. We also plan to implement this book into both of our fields, as we intend to work with younger individuals.
"Newsroom Archive." Nearly 1 in 5 People Have a Disability in the U.S., Census Bureau
Reports. U.S. Census Bureau, 9 Sept. 2014. Web. 24 Mar. 2016. <https://www.census.gov/newsroom/releases/archives/miscellaneous/cb12-134.html>.