Disability Pride Month

July is Disability Pride Month in recognition of the fact that the Americans with Disabilities Act was passed on July 26th, 1990. I missed the opportunity to write about Disability Pride Month last month, but saw this event: Centering Disabilities in the Classroom and felt inspired so figured a week late isn’t too bad. Also, with classroom set up and back to school looming, I know I appreciate reminders about setting up my classroom in the most accessible way possible and thinking about all the different voices and perspectives I want to showcase.

I share some resources and ideas below, but really, this event on Wednesday, August 16th from Lee & Low Books with Patty Cisneros Prevo (author of Tenacious: Fifteen Adventures Alongside Disabled Athletes as pictured above) looks fabulous and valuable on many fronts. 

As Emily Ladau says, “language is one of the most important signals that we have to demonstrate our acceptance or rejection of a person’s identity.” This quote is a great place to start with students as you work to examine your language, how your class wants to choose their words wisely and thoughtfully, and language practices in your classroom/school/community.

This exhibit Disability Rights from the National Museum of American History is also a wonderful resource and would work for artifact or analysis work.

I’ve used All the Way to the Top: How One Girl’s Fight for Americans with Disabilities Changed Everything by Annette Bay Pimentel with students, but with caveats. This Book Review from Social Justice Books does a great job summarizing my concerns. I feel like so many children’s books minimize movements and decades (or more) of work to one person or one action when this is not how organizing and change making works. It feels like we are setting kids up to believe that there will be a dramatic moment that will change everything instead of recognizing the reality of activism and incremental change. 

Here are two disability rights timelines to help with background about the disability rights movement:

Disability Rights Timeline | Temple University College of Education and Human Development, Institute on Disabilities

DISABILITY RIGHTS HISTORY TIMELINE

When working with timelines and students, I really recommend putting the time into perspective by thinking about when you were born or when students family members’ might have been born (this happened when your grandparents were kids, etc), of course being sensitive to the fact that not everyone’s grown ups are the same age. 

This New York Times article pairs the moments featured with photographs, which is always a plus:  ‘Nothing About Us Without Us’: 16 Moments in the Fight for Disability Rights

As I shared in our Disability Awareness Month post from last year, always remember that representation matters. I remember when, “We invited a brilliant storyteller to our school to introduce our storytelling unit: Anne Thomas. She happened to use a wheelchair and it featured in her story. She also talked to the students about how strangers sometimes perceived her and then treated her as voiceless and only saw her wheelchair. Our students made connections to the stories she shared for months afterward. Children understand what it is like to be denied a voice or only seen a certain way. Anne visited us as an expert storyteller, not as someone with a disability to “teach” us about what it is like and we intentionally framed her visit this way. She shared an anecdote about how at restaurants, wait staff often ask someone else what she would like to eat or ignore her. It’s as if the wheelchair is all people see about her, to the point that they do not register when she is speaking. One aspect of her visit that was challenging was that our school is not wheelchair accessible. We talked to students openly about this and had to make alternate arrangements. They were frustrated we could not host Anne in our own classroom as it was on the second floor and felt that the lack of accessibility was unwelcoming.”

Two other resources I share in that post that are always worth re-sharing are the Disability in Kidlit blog and this amazing database of young adult and middle grade books featuring disability representation. You can find it here: http://yadisabilitydatabase.com. Huge thanks to Struck by Stories ☕ for compiling it!

I also wrote a post for Deaf History Month with some resources and lots of book recommendations.

Happy (belated) Disability Pride Month!

Disability Awareness Month

Happy Spring! Before we move on to April, don’t forget that March is Disability Awareness Month. I also saw that both Developmental Disabilities Awareness Month and Students with Disabilities Awareness Month are in March as well. I recently discovered that March is National Noodle Month, too, so lots to cover this month. Disability Awareness Month has been celebrated since 1987, and like all awareness or heritage/history months, it really is just a reminder that disabilities are part of life and our teachings, materials, and classrooms should reflect that. So while we are close to the end of the month, the reminders and materials below are really for every single day. 

This year, I have been thinking a lot about people who are immunocompromised, at high risk for COVID and/or can’t safely get vaccinated and how mask mandates are ending and many people seem ready to move on. My child is not yet vaccinated and his daycare is closed today, again, because someone in the center has COVID. So while others are moving on (whatever that means), it is still real for us (even though this is, of course, only a minor inconvenience) and for so many other people. It really demonstrates who we value as a society. I won’t start talking about all of the related ageism because then this post will never end. 

Reminders for Disability Awareness Month:

• Disability should not be something you “study” once, but rather part of everyday life and teaching students about the world and everyone in it. We make choices with the people, books, videos, and language we use with students everyday. Some of those choices may be unconscious or mostly out of our realm (for example, materials you are provided with from the district etc), but they are still choices.

• Person first language vs. identity first language: the language we use often reflects our choices, attitudes, biases, and more. Different individuals and communities have different preferences. As much as you can, ask people how they like to be identified. I prefer person first language with children as I find it more humanizing and they do better with clarity instead of nuance, but there is no hard and fast rule.

• Representation matters. Make sure students see people with disabilities going about their lives through your guest speakers, media, books, and more. We invited a brilliant storyteller to our school to introduce our storytelling unit: Anne Thomas. She happened to use a wheelchair and it featured in her story. She also talked to the students about how strangers sometimes perceived her and then treated her as voiceless and only saw her wheelchair. Our students made connections to the stories she shared for months afterward. Children understand what it is like to be denied a voice or only seen a certain way. Anne visited us as an expert storyteller, not as someone with a disability to “teach” us about what it is like and we intentionally framed her visit this way. She shared an anecdote about how at restaurants, wait staff often ask someone else what she would like to eat or ignore her. It’s as if the wheelchair is all people see about her, to the point that they do not register when she is speaking. One aspect of her visit that was challenging was that our school is not wheelchair accessible. We talked to students openly about this and had to make alternate arrangements. They were frustrated we could not host Anne in our own classroom as it was on the second floor and felt that the lack of accessibility was unwelcoming.

• Make sure the books and media you share with students are humanizing stories and not ableist framing or representation. Think carefully about who is telling the story and if it is their story to tell. The Disability in Kidlit blog is a really great place to start and to find more books. I recently learned about this amazing database of young adult and middle grade books featuring disability representation. You can find it here: http://yadisabilitydatabase.com. Huge thanks to Julie (@StruckbyStories) for compiling it!

• Ask students (and yourself) to answer the question: What is a disability? You can look up a dictionary or legal definition or try something more creative or investigative. We asked our students and they worked in groups to come up with a list of disabilities and an overall definition. It led to some very interesting discussions and realizations. They had reflections on who and what skills or abilities we as a society value.

A Few Book Recommendations (but make sure you peruse the sites I shared above):

Out of My Mind by Sharon Draper: this is such a good book! It is one of my favorite book club books and would also make a great read aloud. It’s consistently popular with students as an independent reading book. One student said this book changed the way he thought about disabilities. Also, as an added bonus, a sequel came out recently. It’s titled Out of My Heart. The main character, Melody, has cerebral palsy and uses a wheelchair and a communication device. 

The Girl Who Thought in Pictures: The Story of Dr. Temple Grandin by Julia Finley Mosca. There is so much to learn from Dr. Grandin and this lovely picture book gets that process started. The book also includes a timeline which is such a great tool for young (but really all) learners.

King For a Day by Rukhsana Khan. I haven’t actually read this one, but it is on my list! It is set in Lahore and features a child who is determined to win a kite fighting battle during Basant, the festival of Spring. He also happens to be in a wheelchair, but the story is about his quest to become the King of Basant as a kite fighting champion and how he tries to defend another child from a bully along the way.

All the Way to the Top: How One Girl's Fight for Americans with Disabilities Changed Everything by Annette Bay Pimentel. This is a true story from Jennifer Keelan-Chaffins’s life (she is the author of the foreword to the book) and her activism in support of the Americans with Disabilities Act. My students loved it, especially the suspense and identified strongly with the injustice of being denied rights or access. The book includes a glossary and a timeline, which are always helpful tools.

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Deaf History Month

Happy (almost) spring! It definitely feels like spring here in DC, and with that, comes Deaf History Month! I actually had never heard of Deaf History Month (March 13- April 15) until very recently, so wanted to write and spread the word as well as share some ideas and resources. You can read more about the origins of Deaf History Month here. It dates back to 1997, with other holidays and recognition before that.

I’ve included some books below, but sadly, there weren’t as many as I had hoped. Also, it is important to make sure we are showing students how there are a wide variety of people who are Deaf, deaf, or hard of hearing. Make sure you understand the difference in terminology before talking about it with students. I found this resource from the NAD (National Association of the Deaf) very helpful. Another great resource and significant institution to teach students about is Gallaudet University which is right here in Washington DC! Gallaudet is the only university in the world that is a signing community. Many students and staff members speak English as well, but everyone signs or learns American Sign Language (ASL). 

I remember reading a chapter book as part of a series as a child and there was one character who was deaf. She was able to sign, but also lip read, and speak English, and the plan was for her to go to high school and lip read when teachers were speaking. However, her teachers often forgot that she needed to see their faces to lip read and kept turning around to write on the board so it wasn’t working out. Then, another student revealed that both of her parents were Deaf and she knew ASL, so she signed what the teachers were saying while they were talking, and everything was solved. While this is the only Deaf representation I remember from all of the reading I did in my childhood (which was a lot!), many of the details in this story are wildly inaccurate. This story also portrayed Deafness as something that you try to “fix” instead of delving into the complexity and richness of Deaf culture. 

ASL interpretation (like all simultaneous interpretation) is hard, requires special training, and is tiring. In graduate school, one of my classmates was Deaf, and would have two ASL interpreters come to class with her. The two interpreters took turns as it was a 2 hour class and too long for someone to simultaneously interpret without a break. I loved watching the interpreters sign. So many things about ASL are intuitive and part of the way we communicate as human beings. For example, you use your face to show tone or if you are asking a question. Often, you conjugate by pointing. These examples are based on my limited understanding and exposure to ASL (I took an evening class in college, but it was only a basic introduction), so apologies if I’m not explaining it correctly or oversimplifying. 

I find children also find basic ASL intuitive. We taught our baby some signs when he was very young and he used the sign for “more” and “all done” frequently until he started talking a lot. For more information on teaching babies ASL, see resources from Michigan State University here. I also use sign language in my elementary school classroom as a communication tool that can help with classroom management, collaboration, communication, and more. Sign language also is a great tool for literacy instruction with hearing students. I learned a little about this when I student taught in a first grade classroom, but wish I had explored it more!

In all of my years teaching, I have had one student who was deaf and used a cochlear implant. I learned so much being her teacher. She was a brilliant student with so many ideas and so much to share. Teaching her was also a valuable reminder about how minor accommodations can go a long way and help others. For example, we watched videos with subtitles on, but this benefited everyone so much that we continue to do so in my classroom to this day! It really helps with new vocabulary and spelling, among other things. As a hearing person, most of my interactions with the Deaf community have been with people who are deaf and use a hearing aid or cochlear implant. I try to make sure I’m not only sharing that one aspect and an ableist narrative with my students, but it is challenging as that is overwhelmingly the message reflected in the media as well. 

The good news is that children often love learning about ASL as they find it intuitive and exciting. They are so often told to be quiet so being able to communicate silently is like a superpower! One way to introduce students to a snippet of Deaf culture is through ASL poetry. I would suggest starting with Clayton Valli, the renowned ASL poet (and linguistics scholar). He describes how ASL poetry is more visual and can be a more vibrant form of communication than simply speaking, as you have two hands instead of just one mouth. I’ve used ASL poetry as part of a storytelling unit and a poetry unit, but there are many other ways to incorporate it into your classes. Plus, it is beautiful to watch and will hold your students spellbound. 

Newsela does not have a text set for Deaf History Month, but they do have a text set called “Exploring Deafness” which could be another great place to start.

Here are some books to share with students or read aloud for Deaf History Month:

Hands & Hearts by Donna Jo Napoli - picture book about a mom and daughter at the beach, includes words in ASL (American Sign Language) and instructions on how to sign them. I haven’t read it, but it’s on my list.

Dina the Deaf Dinosaur by Carole Addabbo is a picture book that is somewhat autobiographical. The author has been Deaf since birth and is an ASL teacher. Again, I am not familiar with this book myself, but it sounds promising.

Charlie & Frog by Karen Kane is a middle grade mystery and the first book in the series! It features two spirited young detectives, one of which happens to be Deaf. The mystery involves a message in American Sign Language and there is a school for the Deaf which sounds delightful and many other introductions to Deaf culture.

Feathers by Jacqueline Woodson is a middle grade novel with a signing character who is Deaf. I was thrilled to discover a new Jacqueline Woodson book and have already requested it from my library! It sounds like the character is written thoughtfully and sensitively and that Jacqueline Woodson did extensive research before writing this book (which is what I’d expect after reading many of her other books!).

El Deafo by Cece Bell is an amazing graphic memoir that will make you laugh out loud and a Newbery Honor book. It is impossible to keep it on the shelf in our classroom library and the themes of the book like starting a new school, being nervous about making new friends, and worrying about being different are highly relatable. Every time I recommend it to someone, it is a huge hit.

Hello Universe by Erin Entrada Kelly, winner of the 2018 Newbery Medal, is a beloved read aloud with so many great themes for our classroom and the end of 3rd grade. One of the main characters happens to be deaf. She uses a cochlear implant and in one part of her story describes the difficulties she has with communicating with others and what she needs to make sure she understands what someone is saying and how this impacts her socially. It’s just one aspect of her story and many of my students empathized with struggling to explain to friends or teachers exactly what you need.

Wonderstruck by Brian Selznick is two stories happening at once (fifty years apart) one in pictures and one in words. One of the main characters was born deaf in one ear. This is a long, big book so some younger middle grade readers find it intimidating at first and others love that they are reading such a long book, but either way, the dual stories and the illustrations pull them in.

Show Me a Sign by Ann Clare LeZotte is one I haven’t read yet, but hope to read soon! It’s historical fiction middle grade set in Martha’s Vineyard in the early 19th century. I have heard about the Deaf community in Martha’s Vineyard and would love to learn more! The author is Deaf and the story is based on true events.

Song for a Whale by Lynne Kelly is another one I haven’t read yet, but it looks like a very promising middle grade realistic fiction novel. The main character is the only deaf person at her school and feels overlooked often. She learns about a whale who cannot sing to others whales and decides to create a song for him.

This is Kind of an Epic Love Story by Kacen Callender is a young adult romance novel with queer, Deaf/Hard of Hearing, and brown representation and a cute, fun love story!

Mooncakes by Suzanne Walker is a graphic novel that could be late middle grade or early young adult, also with lots of representation (queer, non-binary, Chinese, and hearing aid). Definitely worth putting into the hands of some middle schoolers!

Please comment below if you have other books or resources you’d recommend. We’d love to add to our list!

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