The Theory Of Culture As A Disability - 2216 Words

Culture has the power to disable an individual. Once a person is unable to complete a certain task or is unable to handle a difficult problem, society labels them as disabled. The theory of culture as a disability focuses on the fact that disability is not always directly related to the individual, but rather the dominant culture in power. Ideals are created by the dominant culture and if an individual, or an entire race, does not meet those standards, then they are labeled as disabled and different. Throughout the years, African American students have been significantly over-represented in special education, particularly in the categories of emotional disturbance and mental retardation. In Houston, Texas alone, African Americans made up†¦show more content†¦Special education can include a range of support services, depending on the special needs of the student. Support services may involve physical assistance and therapy, counseling and psychotherapy, modified learning envi ronments and assistive learning devices, educational and psychological assessments, and behavioral modification techniques. Before 1975, children with disabilities were mostly denied an education solely on the basis of their disability. The Education for All Handicapped Children Act (EAHCA), along with some key Supreme Court cases, mandated all school districts to educate students with disabilities. Today, we know this law as the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA). In the 1998-99 school year, 1,111,650 African American children served in special education programs across the United States. A National Academy of Sciences study of ethnic representation in special education indicates that, in that year, across ethnics groups and disability categories, this number placed African American children at the highest risk of receiving a disability label. This was a risk index of 14.28% while Whites were at a risk of 12.10%. 13.10% for American Indians/Alaskan Natives, 11.34% for Hispanics, and 5.31% for Asians. These figures illuminated a pattern that was first pointed out by L. M. Dunn, who specialized in the department of special education at the University of Hawaii at Manoa, and further elaborated on by Mercer,