A Conversation Worth Having: A Response to Anastasiou and Kauffman

• In Event: Intersections of Disability Studies Theory and Policy in Education

Abstract

In this paper, we analyze articles critical of the social model of disability recently appearing in prominent special education journals. We reveal, among many other difficulties, that the authors of these articles base their analysis on a very narrow selection of scholarship, consequentially misrepresenting the social model. Second, we elaborate on the implications of what we view as a significant conceptual shift in their thinking, one that somewhat ironically signals a move toward rather than away from the social model. Finally, we discuss why we view this development as presenting fruitful possibilities for future dialogue.

Authors

• Deborah J. Gallagher, University of Northern Iowa

• David J. Connor, Hunter College - CUNY

• Beth A. Ferri, Syracuse University