The importance of educating students on disabilities

“Live to learn, learn to live” is the motto that Princeton Public Schools strives to achieve every day, and being ranked within the top four percent of school systems in the country, PPS has had undeniable success in doing so. In recent years, there’s been an increase in awareness and education on Black History, LGBTQ+ rights, and Latinx heritage, all of which are steps in the right direction to produce a more informed and understanding student body. However, with around 17 percent of the PPS student body needing an individualized education plan (IEP) or learning accommodations, according to the PPS Comprehensive Special Education Review in 2021, awareness and education about disabilities rarely seem to be a topic of discussion within PPS.

According to the CDC, 26 percent of the total U.S. population currently lives with at least one disability — a physical or mental condition that limits a person’s movements, senses, or actions. Disability awareness is important for understanding the inequities that these individuals face in all facets of society and how to break down the barriers that are caused by an inherently ableist society.

In the PPS elementary schools, students, for the most part, learn side by side with their peers who have disabilities. While learning with peers with disabilities can help young students recognize what disabilities look like, students should be explicitly taught about what disabilities are and why people with disabilities should be treated with respect. This education can come in the form of assemblies or a “Disabilities Awareness Week” dedicated to disability awareness. Other districts around Princeton have already implemented these types of activities successfully. For example, at Brunswick Acres Elementary School in South Brunswick, there is an annual “Autism Awareness Month,” where the students learn about what it means to have autism, as well as the importance of treating students with disabilities the same as they would with other students despite the treatment that those students receive from the administration. Furthermore, there is an annual “Disabilities Awareness Week” where students can learn about the struggles of having a disability from special education educators as well as how to respectfully speak about the disabilities of others. This education helps students to not only be respectful peers, but also informed and understanding citizens of the world.

Teaching inclusion in elementary schools is only the first step in raising awareness about disabilities, though. When students advance through the grades, the focus on advanced classes and intense extracurriculars increasingly isolates students with disabilities who might not be able to thrive in those environments. As a result of this, students with disabilities may find their class options to be limited and struggle to fit in with others. However, this doesn’t have to be the case. For example, students could be provided with the option to take a musical appreciation course. Instead of focusing solely on perfection and excellence in music, the subject would be taught in a more inclusive and less competitive way. Not only would this allow students with disabilities to have a similar educational experience to students without disabilities, but it would also help students with disabilities to combat the isolation that can come with age.

Moreover, at PHS, ableist slurs such as the R-slur are so integrated into everyday speech that students don’t even seem to understand the implicated ableist undertones. If there is increased education and emphasis on the harmful effects of using such language, our school will be a much more inclusive environment for students with disabilities.

By initiating programs and activities to promote disability awareness, PPS can create a student body that respects students with disabilities and understands the harmful implications of ableist language. It’s clear that our academic achievements at PHS show that we “live to learn” every day, but by educating students about disabilities, we can be one step closer to “learning to live” in a more equitable world.