To Keep, to Thrive, to Build in Community

• In Event: Tracing the Bold Lines Drawn by Steven J. Taylor

Abstract

“We will thrive if we keep alive what is distinctive about us as a community that combines scholarship and advocacy in the service of social justice for people marginalized by disability.” –Steve Taylor
Steve Taylor was a scholar who used his academic cloak to engage in research that centered on making life better for people with what we now call ‘intellectual disabilities.’ He did this through a career-long focus on delving into articulating the meanings that people attached to labels of ‘mental retardation’ and related social policy: inclusion, “the continuum,” institutions, community living. His research was practical, relevant, ethical, and always accessible.
Steve was a humanitarian. He cared about people. With Bob Bogden, they were among the first to interview people with intellectual disabilities (Bogdan & Taylor, 1982). They also interviewed people with and without disabilities, focusing on their friendships (Taylor & Bogdan, 1989). From these and numerous field studies of people moving from institutions to various forms of community living they created a framework they called “The Sociology of Acceptance” (Taylor & Bogdan, 1989), a way of looking at data that showed how integration was working in various contexts (Bogdan & Taylor, 1990). From his numerous studies (e.g., Taylor, Bogdan, & Lutfiyya, 1995), to his final book focused on the role of Conscientious Objectors during WWII in making public the inhumane conditions in institutions (2009), Steve showed how everyday people can have a big impact on the lives of people labeled with intellectual disability.*
Steve was a researcher. He understood qualitative research methodologies and their importance in understanding people’s lives. Much of his field work was at a time when the ethics of working with people with disabilities was just beginning to be articulated. He played a role in thinking about these important issues, based on his experience, his humanity, his gentle nature, and his pragmatism (Taylor, 1987; 1991; Taylor & Bogdan, 1998).
Steve was an intellectual giant. He edited the journal of the American Association for Developmental and Intellectual Disabilities for over 30 years. Because he sought to understand the field from a variety of perspectives – self-advocate, parent, practitioner, policy-maker, sociologist, researcher utilizing various methods – he was able to support a wider view of the field and help others to see differing perspectives as well.*He clearly knew the importance of his influence and used it wisely. Ever humble, almost to a fault, he was nonetheless pleased that his role was acknowledged. In his final column as Editor of the AAIDD Journal, he wrote: “Nicest thing said about the journal in another journal: “Both represent the field of special education in all of its diversity, but whereas Kaufmann and Brigham view their roles as editors as arbiters of knowledge, Taylor sees his role as opening up spaces for new knowledge and dialogues to flourish.” (Ferri, B.A., Connor, D.J. & Gallagher, D. (2011). Pluralizing methodologies in the field of LD: From what works to what matters. Learning Disabilities Quarterly, 35[2])” (Taylor, 2011).

Author

• Nancy E. Rice, University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee