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The Social Justice Perspective 5 the Social Justice Perspective Loewen, & Pollard; The Social Justice Perspective 5 The Social Justice Perspective Gladys Loewen University of Arkansas Little Rock William Pollard University of Massachusetts Boston Abstract This article shines an important light on the continuing struggle of disabled people for dignity, citizenship rights, and access to the marketplace. Common threads bind the struggle for basic human rights among disenfranchised groups, offer experience and approaches to facilitate change, and move society towards social justice. The phi- losophy behind the Disability Rights movement offers disability service professionals the opportunity to reframe disability in order to effectively advocate for and facilitate social changes in higher education. Disability service professionals have an important role and crucial responsibility in moving their profession, students, and the campus towards a social justice model, supporting disability pride, offering equality, and promoting participatory democracy to disabled students. “Blind man breakin’ out of a trance Roman, 2002; Jones, 2008). Vietnam War Veterans ad- Puts both his hands in the pockets of chance vocated for medical, educational, and disability benefi ts Hopin’ to fi nd one circumstance (Madaus, Miller, & Vance, 2009); Veterans of the Gulf Of dignity” War and the Iraq invasion are fi ghting to get recognition (Dylan, 1994) and understanding for the debilitating, emotional trauma experienced in current approaches to war (Church, 2009; Striving for dignity is at the core of social justice Madaus, Miller, & Vance, 2009; Shackelford, 2009). movements. Activists involved in social justice move- The Gay and Lesbian movement’s priority is acceptance ments believe that oppressed people have a right to fair and dignity, full inclusion in society with marriage rights, treatment and a share of the benefi ts of society based on and access to benefi ts for partners (Gianoulis, 2004; their human rights and equality of all people (Longmore, Johnson & Summers, 2004; Nedeau, 2008). Through 2003; Miller, 2001; Waddington & Diller, 2000), and the the Civil Rights movement, African Americans fi ght for principles of participatory democracy (Weisman, 1999). racial dignity, respect, economic and social equality, and This article will review the history of the Disability freedom from white domination (Microsoft Encarta On- Rights movement within a social justice perspective line Encyclopedia, 2009; National Park Service [NPS], and refl ect on the implications this movement has on n.d; Ruehl, 2009; Teaching Tolerance, 2009). the disability service (DS) profession and the delivery of services to disabled students in higher education. “I know one thing we did right Social justice movements have struggled and con- Was the day we started to fi ght tinue to struggle with issues such as sexism, racism, Keep your eyes on the prize, hold on (hold on) heterosexism, ageism, ableism, and classism (Johnson, Keep your eyes on the prize, hold on” (as cited in 2006). The Women’s movement opposes oppression Marsh, 2009) from violence and harassment, and works for equal wages as well as reproductive and voting rights (Eisen- Alice Wine wrote this song after African Americans berg & Ruthsdotter, 1998; Epstein, 2002; Hugemark & had won the right to vote, only to discover one more 6 Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, Vol. 23, No. 1; 2010 barrier; they were required to pass a literacy test in order turn reinforces the stereotypes about the incompetence to qualify to vote. Songs of hope and empowerment of people who require special support (Hugemark & were infl uential during the Civil Rights movement as Roman, 2002; Linton, 1998; Longmore, 2003). they identifi ed the common goal worth fi ghting for and It is not an easy task to change a history of attitudes, offered optimism that the prize was achievable (Marsh, behaviors, laws, and social policy that allow for discrim- 2009; Ruehl, 2009). ination and marginalization of a segment in our society. All these social justice movements have made gains The struggle for equal rights now involves multiple to varying degrees in achieving their goals related to racial groups such as Latinos and Asians (Teaching Tol- social justice (Crow, 1996). African Americans and erance, 2009) as well as the issues of rights based upon women won the right to vote (Eisenberg & Ruthsdotter, gender, disability, and sexual orientation (Hugemark & 1998; Microsoft Encarta Online Encyclopedia, 2009) as Roman, 2002; Malhotra, 2001; NPS, n.d.; Shakespeare, well as equal pay for equal work (Eisenberg & Ruthsdot- 1996). Members involved in a social cause need to keep ter, 1998); women won reproductive rights with Roe vs. an eye on the prize and persist in pressing for change as Wade (Eisenberg & Ruthsdotter,1998; Nedeau, 2008). personal, social, and economic costs of exclusion and Several American states as well as countries such as marginalization are too high to be ignored (End Exclu- Canada have passed legislation granting same-sex sion, 2007; Hugemark & Roman, 2002; Linton, 1998; couples the right to marry (Gianoulis, 2004; Johnson Shakespeare, 1996). & Summers, 2004; Jones, 2009.). Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is now a recognized outcome of war Disability Rights Movement (Church, 2009). These movements have worked hard to remove the barriers caused by privilege, which “...exists “There is a Third Kingdom the land of the crippled. This when one group has something of value that is denied place is no democracy; it is a dictatorship. The usual to others simply because of the groups they belong to, rights of citizenship do not apply here. A great wall rather than because of anything that they’ve done or surrounds this place, and most of what goes on within failed to do” (Johnson, 2006, p. 21). the wall is unknown to those outside it” As a result of these gains, the Disability Rights and (Gallagher, 1990. p.1). Gay Rights movements (Jones, 2009) were able to utilize those experiences, strategies, and perspectives in order The focus of the Disability Rights movement has to enhance their own struggle towards achieving social been to change the way the world is constructed so justice and empowerment in several ways (Crow, 1996; that everyone can participate in life’s activities to the Madaus, 2000; Malhotra, 2001; Waddington & Diller, greatest extent possible with maximum independence 2000). Activists realized that issues of physical access (Longmore, 2003; Malhotra, 2001; Weisman, 1999; and attitudinal barriers could now be described as a Winter, 2003). This movement has similar goals as socio-political problem (DeJong, 1983; Waddington & the Civil Rights movement–to be treated with respect Diller, 2000). They also gained awareness that social and dignity, have economic and social equality, experi- programs, segregated education and housing programs, ence usable and inclusive environments, and have the and employment quotas, inspired by a social welfare opportunity for full participation (UPAIS, 1976) in model (Hugemark & Roman, 2002; Marks, 2009; Wad- educational, employment, and community activities dington & Diller, 2000), lead to “social exclusion” (End (Malhotra, 2001;Winter, 2003). Exclusion, 2007). Disability activists and scholars also Throughout modern times in North America and recognized that social welfare models rely on a func- parts of Western Europe, disability-specifi c groups have tional defi nition to qualify for services that can segregate formed to champion specifi c interests with a focus to those who are eligible, which further marginalizes the solve specifi c disability issues, not global issues. Ex- members of society who qualify for this service (Huge- amples include (Fleischer & Zames, 2001; Malhotra, mark & Roman, 2002; Waddington & Diller, 2000). 2001; Pullingart, 2002; Resource Center for Independent And lastly, they recognized that social welfare models Living, 2004): require people to disclose their inabilities or limitations in order to gain access to special services (Shakespeare, 1921 - American Foundation for the Blind 1996; Waddington & Diller, 2000). This disclosure in 1938 - March of Dimes as the National Foundation Loewen, & Pollard; The Social Justice Perspective 7 for Infantile Paralysis prohibited disability discrimination since 1985 (Barnartt, 1939 - League of the Physically Handicapped 2008; Rogow, 2002). A Disability Discrimination Act 1940 - National Federation of the Blind was passed in Australia in 1992, and in Great Britain 1948 - National Spinal Cord Injury Association in 1995 (Waddington & Diller, 2000); both pieces of 1950 - National Association for Retarded Citizens legislation focus on systemic discrimination, bringing 1974 - People First Canada group began in social justice to the forefront, and removing the emphasis British Columbia on social welfare approaches. 1975 - Union of Physically Impaired Against The fi ght for social justice for many disabled people Segregation (UPIAS) founded in Britain is not merely a political one, but also a lived philoso- phy that refl ects years of struggle and personal growth In the 1970s, disabled activists and scholars from (Crow, 1996; Linton, 1998; Shakespeare, 1996). With Great Britain, such as Ken Davis, Paul Hunt, and Vic this growth, struggle, and knowledge comes a clear Finkelstein (UPIAS, 1976) and the United States, such understanding that what is shared by disabled people as Judy Huemann, Ed Roberts, Fred Fay, and Justin is far greater than physical difference; they share op- Dart (Fleischer & Zames, 2001;
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