Challenging the Achievement Gap by Disrupting the Concept of “Normalcy”: The Complete Essays

Using a Disability Studies in Education lens, we will share position papers and discuss strategies to guide preservice and inservice teachers to challenge the paradigms, policies, and practices that lead to presumptions of failure of America’s Pre-K-12 children. In this volume, professionals who prepare future teachers in general and special education and communication sciences and who work with children and adults with disabilities share their observations and concerns about their respective disciplines. We argue that a Disability Studies in Education (DSE) perspective offers a way to (a) ground policy and practice in the experiences [and] perspectives of people with disabilities, (b) challenge practices and policy that isolate and de-humanize individuals, and (c) lead to new questions to pose