Unit 1: Introducing Disability

Lesson 2: What's in a Name?

Grades

6-8
9-10
11-12

Subjects

Literature
Social Studies
Sociology

Overview of Lesson Plan

Students examine the different language used to refer to people with disabilities in American Society.

Standards

1. Explain how information and experiences may be interpreted by people from diverse cultural perspectives and frames of reference.
2. Develop critical sensitivities such as empathy and skepticism regarding attitudes, values, and behaviors of people in different historical contexts.
3. Identify and describe the influence of perception, attitudes, values, and beliefs on personal identity.
4. Describe the role of institutions in furthering both continuity and change.

Objectives

1. Identify language used to refer to people with disabilities in different eras.
2. Understand the negative and positive implications of different language.
3. Recognize and understand that acceptable language used to refer to people can vary in different historical eras.
4. Recognize and understand how people with disabilities view language used to refer to them.

Questions to Consider

1. Why does it matter what we call people with disabilities?
2. Does changing language change attitudes?
3. Who should be able to decide what language is used to refer to any group of people?

Resources and Materials

NOTE: Some of these links may lead to external web sites.
1. Excerpts from historical source materials: Dorothea Dix memorial (paragraphs 1-6), Gallaudet sermon (paragraphs 13-15), Education of Idiots, 1849 (p. 1, paragraphs 1-2), A Brief History of the American Asylum 1893, Sketch of a Life 1863 (p. 1, paragraphs 1-2), Circus and Museum Freaks--Curiosities of Pathology, 1908 (paragraphs 1-3).
2. Reassigning Meaning - Excerpt from Simi Linton's, Claiming Disability.
3. Excerpts from Steven Gelb's, Scot Danforth's, and Kevin Walsh's articles on the name of the American Association on Mental Retardation published in Mental Retardation.
4. "The Language of Disability: Problems of Politics and Practice" by Irv Zola.
5. Michael Schwartz's "Terminology Used to Refer to Deaf People."

Activities and Procedures

1. Students divide into three groups. Each reviews two of the historical source materials and identifies language used to refer to people with disabilities. Each group writes terms on a blackboard. Teacher leads discussion. Which of these terms are still used today? What do these terms mean today? Are these terms positive or negative?
2. Students review Gelb's, Danforth's, and Walsh's articles. Students have class discussion or write one- to two-page essays on the following questions. How has the language used to refer to people with mental retardation changed over time? What terms were used in the past? What terms are used today? What might be better terminology? Does language matter? Will the negative meanings associated with old language eventually be associated with new language?
3. Students role play a meeting of the board of the American Association on Mental Retardation. The board is considering changing the name of the association. Students argue for or against the name change.
4. Students review Simi Linton's excerpt on language. Group discussion or one or two-page essays. Compare and contrast the terms "afflicted," "handicapped," and "disabled"? Do these mean the same thing? Does the acceptability of terms depend on who is using them? Should people have the right to decide on what they want to be called? What euphemisms are used to refer to people with disabilities? What's wrong with these? Compare and contrast language used to refer to people with disabilities and language used to refer to other groups in society (based on ethnicity, race or gender).
5. Students read the historical source materials and the essays and articles on language (Linton, Schwartz, Danforth, Gelb, Walsh). The class breaks into small groups. Each group is provided with a large sheet of paper. On a column on the left, students record out-dated terms. On a column on the right, they record more acceptable terms for each of the out-dated ones. If students are unsure of whether or not a term is acceptable, they record it on the bottom of the sheet. The class comes back together. Each group tapes its sheet to the blackboard or wall. The teacher leads a discussion comparing what the groups recorded.

Eras

1961-1980
1980-Present

Disability

Deafness
Developmental Disabilities
Intellectual Disabilities
Mental Retardation
Physical Disabilities

Topics

Language

Copyright

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CHP	Disability Studies for Teachers
Center on Human Policy
Welcome About Us Lessons Search Essays Evaluation Differentiated Instruction Contact Sitemap There have been 3555 unique visits to this page.	Unit 1: Introducing Disability Lesson 2: What's in a Name? Grades 6-8 9-10 11-12 Subjects Literature Social Studies Sociology Overview of Lesson Plan Students examine the different language used to refer to people with disabilities in American Society. Standards 1. Explain how information and experiences may be interpreted by people from diverse cultural perspectives and frames of reference. 2. Develop critical sensitivities such as empathy and skepticism regarding attitudes, values, and behaviors of people in different historical contexts. 3. Identify and describe the influence of perception, attitudes, values, and beliefs on personal identity. 4. Describe the role of institutions in furthering both continuity and change. Objectives 1. Identify language used to refer to people with disabilities in different eras. 2. Understand the negative and positive implications of different language. 3. Recognize and understand that acceptable language used to refer to people can vary in different historical eras. 4. Recognize and understand how people with disabilities view language used to refer to them. Questions to Consider 1. Why does it matter what we call people with disabilities? 2. Does changing language change attitudes? 3. Who should be able to decide what language is used to refer to any group of people? Resources and Materials NOTE: Some of these links may lead to external web sites. 1. Excerpts from historical source materials: Dorothea Dix memorial (paragraphs 1-6), Gallaudet sermon (paragraphs 13-15), Education of Idiots, 1849 (p. 1, paragraphs 1-2), A Brief History of the American Asylum 1893, Sketch of a Life 1863 (p. 1, paragraphs 1-2), Circus and Museum Freaks--Curiosities of Pathology, 1908 (paragraphs 1-3). 2. Reassigning Meaning - Excerpt from Simi Linton's, Claiming Disability. 3. Excerpts from Steven Gelb's, Scot Danforth's, and Kevin Walsh's articles on the name of the American Association on Mental Retardation published in Mental Retardation. 4. "The Language of Disability: Problems of Politics and Practice" by Irv Zola. 5. Michael Schwartz's "Terminology Used to Refer to Deaf People." Activities and Procedures 1. Students divide into three groups. Each reviews two of the historical source materials and identifies language used to refer to people with disabilities. Each group writes terms on a blackboard. Teacher leads discussion. Which of these terms are still used today? What do these terms mean today? Are these terms positive or negative? 2. Students review Gelb's, Danforth's, and Walsh's articles. Students have class discussion or write one- to two-page essays on the following questions. How has the language used to refer to people with mental retardation changed over time? What terms were used in the past? What terms are used today? What might be better terminology? Does language matter? Will the negative meanings associated with old language eventually be associated with new language? 3. Students role play a meeting of the board of the American Association on Mental Retardation. The board is considering changing the name of the association. Students argue for or against the name change. 4. Students review Simi Linton's excerpt on language. Group discussion or one or two-page essays. Compare and contrast the terms "afflicted," "handicapped," and "disabled"? Do these mean the same thing? Does the acceptability of terms depend on who is using them? Should people have the right to decide on what they want to be called? What euphemisms are used to refer to people with disabilities? What's wrong with these? Compare and contrast language used to refer to people with disabilities and language used to refer to other groups in society (based on ethnicity, race or gender). 5. Students read the historical source materials and the essays and articles on language (Linton, Schwartz, Danforth, Gelb, Walsh). The class breaks into small groups. Each group is provided with a large sheet of paper. On a column on the left, students record out-dated terms. On a column on the right, they record more acceptable terms for each of the out-dated ones. If students are unsure of whether or not a term is acceptable, they record it on the bottom of the sheet. The class comes back together. Each group tapes its sheet to the blackboard or wall. The teacher leads a discussion comparing what the groups recorded. Eras 1961-1980 1980-Present Disability Deafness Developmental Disabilities Intellectual Disabilities Mental Retardation Physical Disabilities Topics Language Copyright ©Syracuse University, 2004. All rights reserved. Evaluate this lesson Lesson for printing Lesson as PDF

Copyright © Syracuse University 2004. All Rights Reserved.