Early Childhood Education Commons^™

The Power Of Inclusion: Deconstructing “Normality” In Primary Education, Madison Smith 21

Honor Scholar Theses

The goal of this thesis is to critically analyze the structures currently present within the education system that exclude individuals possessing certain brains and bodies from the socially constructed “norm.” The lens of critical disability studies is utilized to shed light on the spatial, curricular, historical, and disciplinary elements of the education system as we know it. Specifically, this thesis focuses on the primary education classroom, since students solidify many of their biases and schemas about the world and people around them at this juncture. After reviewing the ableist rhetoric that manifests itself in schools and society as a result …