Disability Justifies Exclusion of Minority Students: A Critical History Grounded in Disability Studies

Abstract

From a disability studies (DS) perspective, the authors analyze how the historical conflation of disability with other identity factors and the ideology of normalcy contribute to the disproportionality problem in K–12 special education. They argue that this conflation and ideology make labeling and segregated education seem natural and legitimate for students carrying the high-incidence, legally defined labels Learning Disabled (LD), Mentally Retarded (MR), and Emotionally Disturbed (ED). The authors then apply their insights to the scant literature on college access for students labeled LD. Although it appears that disabled students are succeeding at increasing rates, the overall picture obscures the continued effects of the historical legacy embedded in the intersections of race, class, gender, and disability for K–16 students