Talk Point # 9: Kliewer

“Now we know that people with disabilities can learn and have a full’, rich life. The challenge is to erase negative attitudes about people with developmental disabilities, get rid of the stereotypes and break the barriers for people with disabilities.”

This quote stuck out to me, because of how powerful it is. People with learning disabilities are capable of learning and having a full life, they just have to approach it in a different way then someone without a learning disability would. People need to move past the stereotypes and realize a person is not different just because they have a disability and having that disability does not make the incapable of learning. It is hard enough as it is for someone to learn so why add to the problem by forming stereotypes against them. People should be helping someone who needs the help, not causing more problems.

“Success in life requires an ability to form relationships with others who make up the web of community.”

I believe that success in life does require forming relationships with others. No one can be successful on their own. People have to go through life with the help of others whether they realize it or not. That is not to say that a person must depend on others, but they must receive some help in life.

“Such acceptance is the aim when children with Down syndrome join their nondisabled peers in classrooms, and many schools and individual teachers have entered into this effort, which seeks and finds community value in all children.”

I think this is a very important factor. When putting a child with Down syndrome into a classroom with nondisabled children there is always that fear that they will not be able to keep up or fit in. Acceptance amongst all students is very important and it is important that teachers try to help make the transition easy. All children are important and help to make up the community in a classroom. When a child is taunted, teased, or unaccepted because of circumstances they have no control over it causes a barrier in the classroom amongst the students. Acceptance is the most important thing to teach all children in a classroom together.

I found this article to be interesting and to make good points. I like that it put an emphasis on accepting people with disabilities and that it is not that they are incapable of learning it is that they learn differently. They may struggle, but they are still capable and time should be taken to help these students learn. They should be accepted by all, because they really are no different they any other person.