Overview
A holiday job as a ‘Mental Retardation Nurse’ in a huge institution resulted in a life-defining traumatic experience. Determined to do something to improve the lives of people with disability, the author took on a number of roles, and as he progressed through each of the different roles over several decades, he reflected on his participation in the devaluation of people with disability as a service provider, even though that was the opposite of what he intended. These reflections resulted in a growing awareness of the systemic nature of the devaluation of people with a disability and how the narrative of the whole society was supporting this, while claiming benevolence and care. Evidence was hidden in plain sight, but once seen, could not be unseen. Research as an academic showed that all children with disabilities could be included in the mainstream classrooms and lessons with significant gains, academic and social, for them and their mainstream peers. If they were fully included through their education, a rich ordinary life with community relationships was common, with their peers learning that individual difference was not a barrier to deep friendships. The author concludes that to change the current situation for people with a disability, we have to change at an individual, service and societal level. It is a choice.
Dr Bob Jackson is currently Adjunct Associate Professor at Curtin University in Perth and continues to research and support the inclusion of people with disability in school and society.
Details
238 pages
Weight 520gms
Postage included in Australia
Also available on Kindle at Amazon.com
| Weight | 0.260 kg |
|---|---|
| Pages | 238 |
| Kindle | Also available on Kindle at Amazon.com |
Dr Rhonda Galbally AC –
Reflections of a recovering segregator: A disability journey. By Robert Jackson.
Review by Dr Rhonda Galbally AC, Commissioner on the Royal Commission into Violence, Neglect, and Exploitation of People with Disability.
We are all aware of the terrible injustices that were experienced by people with disability last century. Many were institutionalised and segregated for life to protect society from the possibility of them ‘breeding’ and undermining the whole society as a result. Education was completely denied for most as they were considered ‘ineducable’ or even ‘untrainable’ and education that did occur was mainly around teaching basic skills in a segregated environment.
Things are so much better now – or are they?
In this book the author describes a lifetime of working in disability service, starting as a ‘Mental Retardation Nurse’ in a huge institution and going on to positions as institution psychologist, institution superintendent, senior bureaucrat in disability services and senior academic in special education. As he progressed he reflected that his attempts to improve the life of people with disability were in fact ensuring that they remained at the margins. The narrative had changed from ‘segregating people with disability to protect society’ to ‘segregating people with disability so that they could get their special needs met and be protected from a rejecting society’. Same outcome, different narrative. A look at research on segregated education and the life outcomes indicated that it was preparing people for a life apart and teaching their non-handicapped peers that they were ‘not like us’ and needed to be treated in ‘special ways’.
The systematic analysis of the book forces us to look at what is hidden in plain sight. The law changed in1992 to ensure all students could join the regular classroom with support but a large majority of families report that discrimination regularly occurs without consequence. Why would schools change if the law is not enforced? Minimum standards for disability education were established in legislation 20 years ago but no official assessment of any school or education system has been reported. Why would schools bother? New segregated education facilities are built at the cost of millions of dollars when the research over 50 years shows students who are segregated do significantly worse academically and socially with life-defining consequences. This is public money that is contributing to lost economic potential for society and thousands of individuals. Where is the accountability for this? Australia has signed and ratified international agreements to phase out segregated education whilst increasing segregation and falling further behind internationally. Why doesn’t this matter?
The analysis is confronting and discomforting but it also shows there is another narrative possible. A narrative of how building inclusive schools helps build a more inclusive society and teaches each new generation that despite our differences, we all belong. A narrative that shows we all have a part to play in transforming the lives of people with disability as children and adults.
Senior leaders in education or government can change the life outcomes of thousands of children, with and without a disability. It is a choice to see the unseen and act, or ‘walk on by’.