Teaching about disability: an ethical responsibility?

Abstract

This paper claims that identifying, confronting, and changing ableist and oppressive views of disability through adult education is an ethical responsibility for educators. This can be construed as requiring changes to the kind of in‐service education currently provided for professionals in the fields of special education and disability support. It requires a context for both adult educators and students to examine and challenge their assumptions and participate in a process of change leading to the disestablishment of beliefs in ableist superiority. The paper illustrates the effect of some practices, which enable reflection and critique on ableist assumptions while promoting opportunities for disabled and non‐disabled people to get to know one another as both teachers and learners.

Acknowledgement

I would like to thank the anonymous referees for their constructive comments, and my colleague Roger Peddie for his helpful comment and discussion of drafts of this work.