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Values and ethics in teaching young people with SEN & Disabilities: Dr John Cornwall

In this session, my general understanding of helping individuals with a disadvantage, was challenged through our use of terms and for the matter of whom we in reality are helping.

»The slovenliness of our language makes it easier for us to have foolish thoughts« Orwell, G.(1945) Animal Farm.

By this quote, the English novelist and journalist George Orwell, argues that a public, who does not pay attention to how the language is being used, will produce a fundament of lazy thinking, and by extension will easily overlook more important things. 

To begin with, I would like to look closer at the definitions: Impairment, disability and handicapped, as these are all frequently used terms in our everyday life. 
According to Dr. John Cornwall´s lecture the 24/1 2013, the three words can be separated from each other with; Impairment meaning a physical deviation, Disability as the limitation of the individual and their environment and Handicapped as the disadvantage imposed by an impairment.
The three terms all share an inherent of impairment to a certain norm, that take base in the “not-adapted individual”. Is this seen from a medical model, the problem lies solely in the individual, and therefore any inclusion must take place by changing the individual to the system or the norm. In that case the individual would experience the forced process of being normalised. In that matter the three aforesaid terms, would have a great use to help dividing between the normal and abnormal individual. First of all, -How do we measure a “normality” within humans? -Should it be done by qualitative or quantitative measurements, and with what focus? And most important, who will benefit from such an devision?

My answer is short, I do not think anyone would benefit from a divisional medical view. I would rather use a social model, and deal with the relations between the individual and its environment, and the individual and itself.
In the social model, I find it essential to describe any social-context through the individual, instead of labelling and adjust the system/social-arena rather than the individual.

In practice that would be “making the school for all”, instead of “forcing everyone into a predesigned school”.

In my point of view, a change in society is therefore essential. Through the school-system I think we have the power of affecting the surrounding society.  

The stairs didn´t go anywhere
»You want to walk better, don´t you?« Is one of the replies from the physical therapist, when the labeled ´disabled´ Norman Kunc asks why, he is supposed to walk back down from the stairs, that literally goes nowhere.
I find this reply comprehensive for the way Norman, is being treated through his physical therapy.

First of all I think it is relevant to draw a parallel to the Medical-model of disability. Norman has no choice, and therefore no voice. The therapist is not putting himself in Normans place, instead of listening to what Norman would like, he replies with a self-referential meta-sentence.
It is nonsense if we look, at the negation of the question or the answer to it for that matter. What person in the whole world, would not like to walk better? Said in another way, who would like to walk worse?
I think the quote reflects the logic, of the physical therapist work. In that matter I think the terminology a ´Physical therapist´, reflects the logic from the institution among. The word ´Therapist´ has it origin from greek, meaning a “Treatment”, so to say a cure. 

So instead of trying to cure persons from our perspective, we should instead help persons from their own view. 

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