Wednesday, September 19, 2007
Interview with Dr. Richard Keller
Dr. Keller was very engaging. I wonder, does he often give presentations for other education classes at TC? His insight was very enlightening, I had never considered the opposing needs in regard to city sidewalks. I acquired a great deal of information from this interview including the "true" definitions and distinctions of assistive and adaptive technology. I agree, adaptive does imply that the technology is being altered to better serve the individual. Individualizing is the underlying idea of UDL. I also particularly appreciate Dr. Keller's definition for a disability, "The disability is not within me, it is somewhere between me and my interaction with whatever it is I am trying to do". This statement could be a motto for the disability rights movement paradigm. Finally, in regard to the two versions of "Points to Remember", the second version was far superior. The large print, prominent photographs, and bright colors made the information much more memorable.
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6 comments:
Hi!
I completely agree with you that the interview between Dr. Keller and Chris Pawelski was incredibly enlightening. For those of us who don't live everyday with a disability, we tend not to consider how much of an impact little things like curb-cuts on a sidewalk, have on people with a variety of disabilities. I, too, appreciated Dr. Keller's definition of a disability, that was, "The disability is not within me, it is somewhere between me and my interaction with whatever it is I am trying to do". I commented a little about this in my blog too... He really does a nice job of saying that he is who he is and his disability does not define him as a person it just impacts how he performs some tasks.
I definitely agree with your sentiments also, in particular about Dr. Keller's definition and description of a disability. I think it's a really important distinction to make, that a disability isn't an inherent problem with a person, a disability only comes into play when a person is interacting with a particular environment. I also wondered whether Dr. Keller does presentations for others because I think it could be so beneficial for other potential teachers to hear his perspective, as well as for students with disabilities to hear about how someone who has accomplished as much as Dr. Keller felt about himself and his disability in earlier stages of his life and how he feels about himself now.
I too really loved the saying that "The disability is not within me, it is somewhere between me and my interaction with whatever it is I am trying to do". I feel like to often we characterize people by one thing about them as opposed to them as a whole person. we need to remember that disabilities do not define people. This statement clearly shows that he does not let his disability define him.
I too was very enlightened by this interview, especially when he told us the difference between adaptive and assistive technology. I had been using these two terms interchangeably without any sense of what the difference was between them. Dr. Keller opened my eyes to the difference between the words assistive and adaptive and I had never even considered the connotations behind them! Though he did say that it does not bother him as much when he heard those words being used interchangeably, it is important for us to be able to make that distinction as teachers.
Dr. Keller's definition of a disability also resonated with me because it is a testament to the progession and empowerment that is occuring within the special needs community(at least so in my mind). And truth be told, I felt a lot of pride permeating from his ideas and words throughout the entire interview.
Stephanie . . . thx for your insites. 1) yes Dr. Keller frequently speaks w/ classes at TC and holds his own lectures as well.
2) I don't want to take anything away from Dr. Keller but he will tell you this himself. What Dr. K, is describing is what is known as a "Handicap." This term has been associated negitivly but the UN defines a "Handicap" as follows: A disadvantage for a given individual, resulting from an impairment or disability, that limits or prevents the fulfillment of a role that is normal, depending on age, sex, social and cultural factors, for that individual.
Handicap is therefore a function of the relationship between disabled persons and their environment. It occurs when they encounter cultural, physical or social barriers which prevent their access to the various systems of society that are available to other citizens. Thus, handicap is the loss or limitation of opportunities to take part in the life of the community on an equal level with others. Here is the source: U.N. Decade of Disabled Persons 1983-1992. 1983. World Programme of Action Concerning Disabled Persons. New York: United Nations.
The way is defined means a great deal.
Thank you for weighing in on the two version of the "Points to Remember" document. I invite you to read some of the other blogs to find out what others are saying. The bottom line is that if it works for you then super; however, I would like to ask you a question. Are there inherent pitfalls to both documents? If so, what are they?
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