This paper showcases the knowledge learned throughout the semester about issues within the disability community and society. Students were to link course content to their own experiences, reflect on their past actions, and discuss actionable ways to improve these issues in the future.

1. Audrey Gruenhut
IHDD 4050
Zolinda Stoneman
30 April 2023
IHDD 4050 Final Reflection Paper
Connecting the Dots
As a Human Development and Family Sciences (HDFS) major on a pre-occupational therapy
track, disability studies have are a large emphasis on most of what I learn. My major’s main
objective is to learn about what the optimal development of humans looks like, both physically
and mentally, and figuring out how to create that opportunity for people to have within our
society.
While almost all of the topics covered in this course can be connected to my major studies,
the three main areas which have strong links are the social model, socially valued roles, and good
support systems or programs. The social model is the idea that disability does not reside within
the person, but rather the community creates it by not having proper accommodations. This can
be seen throughout society and presents itself in many different forms such as lack of physical
accessibility, lack of proper education for students with disabilities, lack of policies protecting
those with disabilities, and various other similar aspects of society. As an HDFS major, my goal
is to try and create a society where people are uplifted, encouraged, and given all of the proper
supports necessary to thrive as an individual. When looking through the social model, it is
obvious that society is not creating these opportunities for the disability community and is
making obstacles for optimal development for those individuals. Additionally, the ability to hold
a role which is valued by society is something discussed often within HDFS courses. A socially

2. valued role is one where the individual is a part of a community and respected and valued as a
member. This role is extremely normal within the population without disabilities, however much
more unlikely to be given when a part of the disability community. In my school courses, I have
learned that children should have opportunities to feel a sense of responsibility and importance to
prepare their confidence and levels of self-worth. Furthermore, I have studied that having these
communities where you are valued is important later in life as an older adult. When older adults
retire, there is often a sense of loss and confusion so having a place to visit where they are seen
as important is a great way to encourage positive self-image. When the opportunities for these
roles are not given to individuals with disabilities, it can cause lasting effects in these mental
health areas. Likewise, the support systems that surround individuals play a huge role on a
person’s development. My classes have shown me many times that support systems which push,
respect, and celebrate their people are the ones which people benefit and grow the most from.
Within the disability community, there are unfortunately many support systems which think less
of the individuals due to their disability and therefore do not create environments that promote
growth and resilience. While there are some systems that do a great job, society has let many
programs get away with too much and has failed the disability community in terms of fighting to
create equal opportunities for growth.
Not only do disability studies connect a lot to human development, but there is also a lot of
overlap between the discrimination the disability community receives and the other
discriminations that occur within this country. People are often shorted of opportunities due to
their sex, sexual orientation, socioeconomic status, and even age. Just because they might be the
minority, our society tends to treat these individuals with less value. When two of these
minorities intersect, it can cause a person to feel especially isolated within society. Someone with

3. a disability may not feel fully accepted in the disability community if there is homophobia but
may also not feel fully accepted in the LGBT+ community if there is ableism. When this occurs,
these individuals might not have a place to go where they are embraced and protected for all
parts of their identity, leading to further isolation and less community value. Likewise,
xenophobia is the fear and discrimination of people from another country and culture. Just like so
many minorities, society treats immigrants with less respect just because they are “different”.
Society seems to have been convinced that different equals bad and many communities continue
to teach this idea to their children. Someone who both has a disability and is from another
country or culture unfortunately will likely experience discrimination on both factors and will
have to work harder than someone without these identities to be respected in the community.
While this is wrong and hurtful to the people with these identities, it is the disappointing reality
of society within the US.
The disability studies course is one of the most important courses I have taken at the
university due to its relevance within the world today. Every person will likely meet someone
with a disability, and so it is necessary to learn about the community and pay attention to events
happening in society revolving around the matter. Two current issues within the country that link
to course content are the conditions of schools and laws being created about education, and the
different definitions of disability and how they are used in law. The country is going through
some major issues within public schools due to underfunding and understaffing. While these
issues affect all children in the US, they particularly hit kids with disabilities hard as special
education is already overlooked within public schools. As terms begin to end in different
political positions, our community must pay attention to the opinions and goals of new
candidates regarding education funds and the importance of supporting special education within

4. our nation’s public schools. Likewise, we must be vigil of how new policies define disability in
order to make sure that all people with disabilities are protected under our country’s laws.
Changing the wording in phrases with “and/or”, certain ages, timing of onset, or numerous other
factors can easily include or remove many people from being a part of these protection laws. For
example, in the medical field, different states have passed laws regarding equal accessibility to
organ transplants for people with and without disabilities. The language in these laws can be
dangerous, but this course has given me new knowledge in how to understand legal literature in
terms of who is protected and who is included when policy is written.
Looking at the Past
Disability history shows the immense resilience, strength, and courage that is held within
the community. Learning about the history is necessary to become a proper ally and
understanding the different issues faced within the community today. Much of the history is hard
to hear about, but one of the most saddening areas is the history of institutions. While there is so
much to educate on, the education of institutionalization is one of the most important pieces as
ignoring it could cause the horrors to be repeated. When we learn about how poorly people with
disabilities were treated in institutions, it is easier to recognize how dangerous it is for society to
see these individuals at a lower value due to their disability. Patients in these places were treated
like animals, and those in society who did understand these conditions tended to turn a blind eye.
It is easy to believe that society today would never treat people like that again, but when we look
at the history, these conditions were used only a handful of years ago.
Furthermore, understanding disability history helps individuals better understand the
current issues within the community. Learning about the mindsets that used to be common
practice in the medical field regarding patients with disabilities helps today’s individuals keep an

5. eye and ear out for any of that mindset which may be left over. For example, considering not
giving a patient with a disability an organ due to believing they have lower quality of life than
someone without a disability is a current scenario happening where someone with disability
history knowledge can step in and advocate. Likewise, many of today’s disability advocates are
fighting hard for more physical accessibility throughout the country. Knowing the efforts it took
for the community to fight and receive any public accessibility would help individuals
understand the fight it will be to gain more. The knowledge about disability history does not just
help the disability community, but also helps people understand issues faced by other
marginalized groups. One of the main aspects it can aid in is realizing that just because someone
is different does not make them any less of a person in society. Seeing the harm that placing less
value on someone can do from the disability community encourages people to ensure that all
marginalized groups are receiving the value they deserve. This knowledge also helps people
understand that different groups need different help. To be an ally, one must actively listen to the
needs of the group and support them in the ways they are asking.
When I first learned about disability history, I was shocked. I felt angry that I was not
given the opportunity to learn about this history prior to my college education. It upset me that
history was a required class through all my formal education, but the disability movement was
not mentioned a single time before the specific disability studies course. While the history makes
me sad and hurt by how badly society treated this community, it also has given me a strong
passion for teaching others about the history as well as making sure it never happens again. I feel
encouraged by society’s progress and pushed to keep creating change for the better until people
with disabilities are fully respected in society.
Self-Reflection

6. This course poured so much important knowledge into its students. While various topics
will stay with me, the three most important topics throughout the semester to me are the
importance of teaching children about people with disabilities, the importance and necessity of
socially valued roles, and the realities of abuse and neglect within the disability community.
As a child, my knowledge about people with disabilities was very limited. I had a few
students in my school with disabilities, but they were separated from my class for the majority of
the time. I knew of one woman with intellectual disabilities who would swim at the community
pool, but my extent of understanding was just that she was different from me. Seeing how it took
me until I was nineteen years of age to immerse myself in the disability community and learn
that people with disabilities are just people, I find the idea of teaching children about these topics
extremely important to the goal of social understanding and inclusion. I hope that as society
evolves, parents will learn the damage that silencing children’s questions can cause. Children
often understand that being silenced means their question was “bad” which in turn can lead to the
children correlating those “bad” questions with the people they asked them about. Instead,
parents should truthfully answer these questions in respectful ways. Explaining that a person has
a disability is not a bad thing and by refraining from doing this, this misconception is only
getting pushed further into the harmful cycle. A quote from Misa on Wheels sums this idea up
perfectly as she stated, “Parents, don’t hush your kids when they ask why someone is in a
wheelchair. Questions lead to answers. Answers lead to understanding. And where understanding
exists, ignorance cannot survive.” Additionally, the answers to children’s questions should be
formed in a way that prompts inclusivity. Whether at school or in another social setting teaching
and reminding children that people with disabilities are still people can help to create friendships
and relationships that might otherwise not come about.

7. When working at Extra Special People, I began to understand how having a social roll
provides confidence, structure, and importance in an individual’s life. When working, a group of
older adults with disabilities was in charge of taking group attendance and keeping track of group
scheduling. When one of these adults was sick for a day, our group felt the extra load on our side
to complete attendance and keep up with the schedule. Upon returning and seeing our
appreciation for their work, it was clear that being in a role which our team truly appreciated
filled the individual with pride and motivation. In this course, I have now learned that this is
referred to as a socially valued role and is something that our society often withholds from
people with disabilities. My eyes have been open as a to acting in a way in which I am creating
opportunities for social valued roles to be made.
While a somber and harsh topic, abuse and neglect within the disability community is just
as, if not more, important to talk about than all of the other topics taught throughout this
semester. There are various reasons for abuse and neglect rates being so high in this community
that more of society should be educated on. People with disabilities are often isolated, making it
easier for abuse and neglect to take place without anyone there to call it out. Also, many people
with disabilities rely on others for care making it hard to escape abuse coming from someone
helping with everyday needs. Furthermore, many times people with disabilities are not trusted
when they report abuse and are considered to not understand what happened to them. These acts
are horrible and extremely dehumanizing to these individuals, yet society does not hear about it
as often as it occurs. One big reason for this is the “revolving door” concept taking place in
communities created to care for people with disabilities. Often, if abuse is reported, companies
will fire or move their worker so that the business does not get caught up in legal action. When

8. this happens, these workers are employed elsewhere, and the cycle of abuse continues with no
one stopping them.
One topic discussed in class made me slightly uncomfortable in terms of looking at
programs I have been a part of and seeing where these programs wronged people with
disabilities. While Extra Special People is an amazing and important place, there is a lot that can
be changed to make it better. The biggest aspect where I found myself reflecting my time at
Extra Special People is the idea of age-appropriate activities for adults with disabilities. In my
experience, there were many times where leaders would plan to sing kid-like songs, plan
activities with markers and crayons, or plan other activities with similar childish aspects. While
there are parts of this program that treats adults with disabilities with respect, it is important to
acknowledge these areas which need improvement. Activities should be implemented that better
suit adults such as art with clay or paint and music that adults without disabilities listen to.
These important topics, along with many others, have shifted my perspective of what
kind of adult I want to continue growing into. While I have learned so much about the disability
community, I must remember that I need to continue this education and learning more from
individuals with disabilities to get a better understanding. Just like my thoughts about age-
appropriateness in programs I have participated in, I must keep an eye and ear out for other areas
where programs fall short and be able to stand up and fight for a change. As I grow older and one
day become a parent, I want to ensure that my children understand what disabilities are and not
silence their questions but rather help them to understand. Furthermore, I hope to instill
inclusivity in my children and show them that people with disabilities can be friends just like all
other people. Lastly, in my career I want to emphasize the importance of creating socially valued

9. roles for my patients. This will look different as I work with different ages, but I hope that this is
an area where I continue to further my learning about and see integrated into society more.
Stepping into the Future
Since working as a staff member at Extra Special People in the summer of 2021, I have
planned on trying to become an occupational therapist and one day work with pediatric patients
with disabilities. Although I already had this goal, deciding to participate in the Disability
Studies Certificate has pushed me tremendously further into my passion for this career. I hope
that I can be an ally to disability advocates, especially when fighting to create equal socially
valued roles for people with disabilities that people without disabilities have now. While the
main objective of my line of work will to help individuals gain independence in functional and
social daily activities, I cannot accomplish this without also working with people who do not
have disabilities. Education for society must be a priority of mine to ensure that my patients are
being treated with respect. Furthermore, this must be done so that my patients have opportunities
to use the skills that they will work so hard to gain.
Before my college career, I had never been taught the history of the disability community
and the fight that is still being fought for equal treatment, opportunity, and value in our society.
Learning this has made me aware of the importance of continuing my education about this
community so that I can be the kind of ally the movement needs. While I have gained loads of
knowledge in just two courses of Disability Studies, there is much more content and
continuously changing factors that I plan to lean into as I grow closer to my career goal and still
after I meet it.
As for next steps in my learning journey, I plan on participating in Destination Dawgs as
a student mentor in my final year of college. I hope to learn more about the disability movement

10. and community from someone who is actually in it and has experienced what I am studying.
Learning and actively listening to what a good ally acts and looks like from someone
participating in the fight is the best way to understand what my part is. Additionally, I am
planning on speaking with the parents of the boy I caretake for to learn more about what their
experience as a family in the disability community has looked like. As parents who decided Extra
Special People was not a good fit for their child, I want to learn what the program could have
changed to make their experience better for James and how I can do my best to ensure that those
things do not happen in other programs in my future.
Making a Difference
Society has come a long way in terms of accepting and respecting the disability
community, however there is still so much more than needs to be done to create equality in all
areas of life for people with disabilities. Three main areas I hope to be a part of creating change
in are creating more education for children about the disability movement and community,
supporting better legal policies in relation to disability, and helping programs for adults with
disabilities that need guidance.
The disability movement is a huge piece of American history that gets left out of
curriculum in so many schools. Childhood is the best time to teach kids acceptance as they are
still figuring out the world and the people around them. One small step I plan to take for this
factor is teaching my younger cousins about the disability community and their fight for civil
rights. While I hope that one day, I can make a larger impact and create change in education
curriculum, talking with my own cousins about this is a step I can take while in college and still
learning more and more about the history. Likewise, I have discovered my lack of knowledge on
legal policy concerning the disability community from my time in this course. It was extremely

11. helpful to have the policies broken down throughout the semester and to understand the history
behind these laws being put in place. One step that I can take right now is taking the time to learn
about different candidates’ opinions on policy regarding the disability community and their plans
for changing or keeping these policies. While doing this, I can also encourage my friends to do
the same or educate them myself on what each candidate beliefs and plans to do. Lastly, my time
in this course has opened my eyes to the harmful ways many disability programs treat the adults
who participate. While it often is not purposeful, treating adults as young children is hurtful to
these adults’ opportunities for socially valued roles in the community and how the community
views them in general. A step I can take in my own community is speaking to staff members I
know at Extra Special People about the songs sung in the adult program during music class.
While I may not be able to make a change, I hope that by saying something there will be a
conversation started within the program. I think it is an amazing program that has done
wonderful things for the community, so I hope that this conversation would only serve to
improve it.