Diving into Diversity
The Standards for Inclusive Schools is a groundbreaking roadmap for building inclusive schools. This blog post is focused on Diversity — the first domain within the Standards.
The Diversity Domain is grounded in this belief: Diversity has a prominent significance within the disability community, as disability intersects with everyone’s other backgrounds, experiences, and beliefs. This means that to build anti-ableist schools, we must honor and celebrate diversity, believing that every human experience is unique, worthy, valid, and valuable.
This domain centers how every experience, background, and belief contributes to the richness of our classrooms and school communities. Understanding how educator and student experiences inform actions and belief systems is a critical first step in building schools that respect and honor diversity. To build anti-ableist schools, a foundation of reflection and respect is important. There must also be an understanding of ableism and anti-ableism — two structures that work against each other. By recognizing their effects, schools can begin the transformation required to create systems rooted in anti-ableist beliefs.
How this works:
Educators can learn about euphemisms by reviewing resources, such as this blog post.
Educators can provide access to a rich selection of materials and experiences, so students can see themselves reflected in their learning. To get started, you might consider reviewing resources in our Rylan Gelb Memorial Resource Library.
Students can share about themselves — their experiences, backgrounds, and beliefs that make them who they are.
Students can practice empathy by listening to and learning from others, and asking questions about the discrimination their classmates might face.
Educators who are interested in honing in on this domain or learning more about the Standards can learn more by visiting our Standards webpage.
About The Nora Project
The Nora Project is a nonprofit organization on a mission to promote disability inclusion by empowering educators and engaging students and communities. We provide school-wide professional learning for educators, and Disability Studies-informed curricula for students in preschool through high school. Our ultimate vision is a new standard in education where diversity is expected and valued in every classroom.