Disability—Introduction

One of the most frequently cited reasons that art educators do not feel competent in instructing students with disabilities is a lack of information or understanding of the disability. This part of the web site should provide the art educator with ample information on various disabilities and appropriate adaptations.

Disability Information is designed to give the art teacher immediate information about particular disabilities. The 13 categories of disability as identified by the Individuals with Disabilities Education Act (IDEA) are listed, along with two links that will provide information on the disability and instructional adaptations, respectively.

The second section, Disability/Education Organizations is included so that users will become more familiar with the resources these organizations have to offer. Each included site is rich with in-depth information on disabilities, instructional strategies for teachers, resources for parents and research articles.

Disability Awareness is a process of examining attitudes and beliefs about disability. This is a relevant topic for the art teacher, because images of disability in the media and film result in stereotypes of persons with disabilities. Often, artists with disabilities use their art to counter these inaccurate images of disability. This section of links will provide teachers with curricular resources to equitably introduce the topic of disability to their students.