An Ecological Examination of “Literacies”: A Mother’s Journey

Abstract

The concept of disability has evolved from being (mis)understood as the outcome of mythical understandings and the result of pathology to being understood in the present in the context of human rights. While these changes have been fortified by international treaties and recorded by researchers across disciplines, the education system in some nations of the Global South have not kept pace. There are many explanations as to why so little progress has been made towards more inclusive and equitable education including a lack of political will, vestiges of colonialism and elitism in education, the inadequacy of professionals and resources, and a reluctance by stakeholders to use litigation. In this chapter, using an autoethnographic approach, I offer my perspective as an educator and parent-caregiver of a child with a severe Intellectual Disability. I have a pervasive sense of helplessness and hopelessness. My frustration is complicated by the sense that too many stakeholders are speaking, as it were, different languages. These disharmonies of understanding are reflected in a paucity of common vision, mission, commitment, and action. I employ my perspective as a parent, social work practitioner, and disability rights parent-advocate to discuss the value of taking an Ecological-Systems approach to support all diverse learners. I argue for a commitment to collective understanding of professional language and action by all stakeholders.