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Lesson 1: Understanding Diversity: Chapter One: Foundations of Special Education

This document discusses diversity and ability/disability as dimensions of diversity. It defines diversity as differences between people in characteristics like physical attributes, beliefs, values and more. It describes Marilyn Loden's Diversity Wheel model which categorizes diversity into primary/core dimensions like age, gender, race which strongly influence identity, and secondary dimensions like location, education which are more changeable. Finally, it defines ability and disability, noting disability is an interaction between health and environment, and people should be understood and accepted as having unique abilities rather than being discriminated against.

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784 views

Lesson 1: Understanding Diversity: Chapter One: Foundations of Special Education

This document discusses diversity and ability/disability as dimensions of diversity. It defines diversity as differences between people in characteristics like physical attributes, beliefs, values and more. It describes Marilyn Loden's Diversity Wheel model which categorizes diversity into primary/core dimensions like age, gender, race which strongly influence identity, and secondary dimensions like location, education which are more changeable. Finally, it defines ability and disability, noting disability is an interaction between health and environment, and people should be understood and accepted as having unique abilities rather than being discriminated against.

Uploaded by

Jewel Sky
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© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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CHAPTER ONE: FOUNDATIONS OF SPECIAL EDUCATION

LESSON 1: UNDERSTANDING DIVERSITY

I. DEFINITION
If a group of people were asked to list down their characteristics and compare them, the chances of having a god number
with exactly the same characteristics will be zero. Even twins will have different personalities and characteristics. There are many
factors that make one person different from the other person.
There are marked differences that are visible. These are physical characteristics like the colour of skin, colour of hair,
shape of eyes, nose, height, weight, gender, age, socio-economic class, occupation, and many others. These characteristics are
quite obvious and noticeable. There are other differences brought about by one’s beliefs, mind-sets, values, sexual identity,
intelligence, personality, and others that are not easily evident or are invisible. These characteristics are not seen but are manifested
through behaviour, decisions made, and words spoken. You will need to get to know a person closer to be able to observe that
he/she is different from you or other people. Visible and invisible characteristics of diversity are not necessarily connected because
there are times when a visible characteristic like skin colour will easily be related to a disposition or trait. For example, people from
Africa who have a dark skin colour are believed to be poor and unschooled. This is not necessarily true, but biases play a role in
these assumptions.
It is the uniqueness of each one that is the root of diversity. The English noun that captures the essence of difference is
the word ‘diversity’. Diversity is from the Latin word divertere, which means to turn away, separate, oppose. The Collins dictionary
defines diversity as “the state or quality of being different or varied; a variety or assortment; a point of difference; the inclusion of
people of different race, genders, religions, etc. in a group; the relation that holds between two entities when and only when they
are not identical; the property of being numerically distinct.”
In the United Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization’s (UNESCO) Guide on Ensuring Inclusion and Equity in
Education, diversity is defined as “people’s differences which may relate to their race, ethnicity, gender, sexual orientation,
language, culture, religion, mental and physical ability, class, and immigration status.”

II. LODEN’S DIVERSITY WHEEL


In 1990, Marilyn Loden, an American writer, and Judy Rosener, a professor at the graduate school in the University of
California, Irvine developed a framework to respond to the flourishing divergence in America’s labor force. Their goal was to
capacitate people to make their voices heard by pointing to their diversity and its impact on their person, their rights, and their
freedom. Loden and Rosener published a book “Workforce America! Managing Employee Diversity as a Vital Resource”. In this
book, the original version of the Diversity Wheel model was introduced. Loden recognized the demand for an instrument that would
help people better understand how group-based differences influence people’s social identities. Dissatisfaction, distrust, and
competition would ensue when the different dimensions of diversity are
not given recognition. Loden and Rosener’s extensive research led
them to maximizing the workforce of a diverse group of people,
managing diversities as assets to develop productive working
relationships. The model was revised in 1996 to cover additional
aspects of group differences that were implied in the first model. The
changes were to recognize the experiences of people who identified
these aspects as most important to their personhood. The different
components in the Diversity Wheel played significant roles in building
character and possibly forming stereotypes. She hoped that this could
be used to further discuss diversities not only in the work force but
globally.
The Diversity Wheel pointed to the significance of our social
characters and the ways in which people develop their identity when
they are able to establish a connection with a specific group of people.
The wheel consists of primary or core and secondary dimensions of
diversity. The categories put forward the effect of these differences on
a person’s beliefs, expectations, and the life experiences. The dimensions are the components that compromise the whole person.
The primary or core dimensions are in the inner circle. These are the stronger ones. These are the characteristics we were
born with or established by significant experiences we had or people we interacted with. These are considered to be distinctly
persuasive in establishing who we are –our principles, our sense of self, our image, our perceptions, and how we think about others.
These core dimensions or attributes are in place or established and are least likely to change. These core elements are age, ethnicity,
gender, physical abilities/qualities, race, income, sexual orientation, class, and spiritual beliefs.
The secondary dimensions are in the outer circle. These characteristics are also part of our social identity, but they can
change or be discarded as our life experiences impact us. They are influenced by people we encounter, places we go to or live in,
and experiences we go through. The second dimension is composed of geographical location, marital status, religious beliefs, parental
status, income, education, work experience, military experience, first language, family status, and work and communication styles.
Together, the core or primary dimensions and the secondary dimensions notably affect our prior experiences, viewpoints,
and principles, giving us an exclusive mind-set of the world around us, making each one of us distinct individuals.

III. ABILITY (AND DISABILITY) AS A DIMENSION OF DIVERSITY


Another dimension of diversity that is significant is the dimension of ability and disability. Diversity covers the limitless
domains of an individual’s unique characteristics, experiences, and capabilities. Diversity encompasses respect and tolerance of
differences that enables a celebration of uniqueness.
According to the Collins English Dictionary, ability refers to the possession of the qualities required to do something;
necessary skill or competence, or power. Disability, on the other hand, is defined by the World Health Organization as the umbrella
term for impairments activity limitations, and participation restrictions, referring to the negative aspects of the interaction between
an individual (with a health condition) and that individual’s contextual factors (environmental and personal factors). This definition
underscores that disability is not only a health issue, but also an issue that affects a person’s state in life and the environment
he/she is in. A person’s self-identity and his/her perspectives of the world around him/her affected by both ability and disability.
The American Disabilities Act of 1990 (ADA) “defines a person with a disability as a person who has a physical or mental impairment
that substantially limits one or more major life activity. This includes people who have a record of such an impairment, even if they
do not currently have a disability. It also includes individuals who do not have a disability but are regarded as having a disability.”
“Disabilities may affect one’s senses or one’s mobility; they may be static or progressive, congenital or acquired, formal
(affecting the shape of the body) or functional, visible or invisible.”
A person’s disability makes him/her a unique individual who is, at times, shunned from places and activities. They have to
be acknowledged as part of the spectrum of diversity. They have to be recognized as human beings who should not be discriminated
against, but rather understood, accepted and tolerated. They have to be accorded their rights. Disabilities have to be seen as a
natural part of life and a natural part of diversity. People with disabilities have to be perceived and accepted as people with distinct
abilities. They have to identify themselves as having disabilities so that the world can accept them and create avenues for them to
live in.

References: Special education in Contemporary Society by Gargiulo, Richard M.


EXCEPTIONAL CHILDREN: An Introduction to Special Education by William L. Heward
INTRODUCTION TO SPECIAL EDUCATION by Teresita G. Inciong, Yolanda S. Quijano, Yolanda T Capulong
FOUNDATIONS OF SPECIAL AND INCLUSIVE EDUCATION by Halal,C.N.A., Yuzon,M.R.A., Padilla,C.R. S., Ligon,C.C.M.

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