Getting Down to Learning
Thoughts on education and accessibility from Qudsiya, host of Down to the Struts
As a child, back-to-school shopping was something I always looked forward to with a particular zeal. I’m probably dating myself, but there’s nothing like cracking open a brand new composition notebook and lovingly stroking the pages, blank and full of possibility. I adored the smell of new books and the scratch of lead pencils. I waited eagerly for the English class syllabus to find out the new stories I’d be diving into.
While I loved all of these things, back-to-school also meant another year of other kids making fun of me when I dropped things and calling me “blindy.” Another year of social isolation, struggling to figure out who I would sit with in the cafeteria at lunch. Another year of never seeing myself in the books I so loved to read. Another year of being totally unaware of that others struggled too.
Still, school remained my refuge. I could immerse myself in learning to drown out the sadness and isolation. And I was one of the “lucky ones.” So many disabled children lack meaningful access to education and are punished in school because of their disabilities (especially if they are students of color). Disabled children are further stigmatized and erased by non-disabled students, and the cycle continues.
It’s been more than a decade since I graduated from law school, but I now have a new reason to be excited about September. This year, I’ve joined CUNY Law School in New York City as a visiting assistant professor in the Immigration and Noncitizen Rights Clinic, where I’ll be lecturing on immigration law and leading a group of students in a project dedicated to understanding the barriers that disabled immigrants experience in the U.S.
Alongside the strangeness of being referred to as “professor,” I am incredibly humbled as I walk in the shoes of “teacher.” CUNY is an institution that was built to create opportunities for students of all backgrounds as an accessible pathway to higher education for under-resourced and marginalized communities. My students come from all walks of life, and many are immigrants themselves. I know I’ll learn just as much from them as I hope they will learn from me.
I’m still finding my way as a teacher, but there’s one thing I know for sure—I will do everything in my power to make my classroom an inclusive, welcoming place that creates space for all ways of being and learning. I will strive to create a culture of access where students find the physical tools they need to succeed, and feel a sense of belonging in that process. I want to manifest the openness and kindness that I often did not experience as a disabled student. I humbly ask that you, my podcast community, hold me accountable for my pledges as I embark on this journey.
And to all those who are starting a new school year—whether you are a parent, a teacher, a student, a friend, or a mentor—may this be a year of possibility, where everyone can learn in a space of curiosity and wholeness.
Building Your Knowledge
Here are two great articles about disability and education.
Academic Ableism: Fighting for Accommodations and Access in Higher Education (Disability Visibility Project)
When it comes to the barriers disabled students face in higher education, Krys Mendez Ramirez lays it all out on the table in this powerful essay. From their imposing physical structures—tall marble staircases and ivory towers—to their onerous systems for seeking accommodations, institutions of higher education, by their very design, leave little space for disabled students to thrive. I immediately identified with Krys’s experiences of being expected to shoulder the burden of seeking and proving that he deserved accommodations, and the utter failure of universities to support disabled students into employment.
Like Krys, I often found myself shying away from disability services offices until it became absolutely necessary, because I was loathe to navigate what I knew would be a complex, unending bureaucracy. But, like Krys, I feel hopeful that the movement for disability justice has brought greater consciousness of the need to dismantle these ableist structures. In one of my first teaching meetings at CUNY, we discussed how to design an accessible hybrid learning space in the face of the ongoing pandemic. It’s not simple—it takes creativity and a commitment to access, but it is non-negotiable for truly inclusive education.
How Automated Test Proctoring Software Discriminates Against Disabled Students (Center for Democracy and Technology)
Reading this fascinating piece by former podcast guest Lydia X. Z. Brown reminded me how critical it is to consider disability when implementing new technologies, especially in education. Lydia describes the risks to mental health and privacy that arose as schools and universities stumbled to establish remote mechanisms for administering exams. As we move into what will likely be another COVID fall and winter, we should definitely track the fate of these automated test proctoring platforms.
Down to the Struts on education
On the podcast, I’ve been honored to speak with innovators and researchers in the education and accessibility space. Catch up on these episodes from season two, with Roger Ideishi and Alan Holdsworth.
Designing Access for Disabled Students (with Roger Ideishi)
This episode of Down to the Struts takes us into the classroom, and to the crossroads of disability and education with Roger Ideishi, Director of Occupational Therapy and Professor of Health, Human Function, and Rehabilitation Sciences at The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences. Qudsiya and Roger discuss breaking down barriers faced by disabled children, and how small design changes can build diverse educational environments with accessibility and adaptability in mind. We learn how practitioners, healthcare providers and educators can help students achieve their own goals, not those set by an ableist system.
Disability Positive Education (with Alan Holdsworth)
This episode features a conversation with disability civil rights activist Alan Holdsworth. Qudsiya and Alan dive into Alan's work as Director of Disability Equality in Education, a non-profit dedicated to eradicating disability stigma in schools. Listen to learn how and why disability should fit into the K-12 curricula, fighting disability stigma on college campuses, and the surprising number of U.S. presidents who have been disabled.
I’ve also written about my own experience and thoughts on eradicating ableism in education for the Oxford University Press blog:
Taking action
For the educators and parents out there, check out Tim Villegas’s newsletter, The Weeklyish for a one-stop shop on inclusive educational practices (with thanks to Crip News for this and other fantastic back-to-school resources).
It’s finally here! Go out and get yourself a copy of Alice Wong’s new memoir, The Year of the Tiger, and sign up for one of her Tiger Talks.
Thanks for reading our newsletter this month. Please feel free to share your thoughts, feedback, and ideas in the comments or email us at downtothestruts@gmail.com. We’ll be back in your inboxes next month with more news from the podcast and the disability community!
In solidarity,
Qudsiya