Disability and Literacy (MCLB #1)

What does it mean to be literate?

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According to dictionary.com, literacy is defined in three ways. The first definition reads, "the quality or state of being literate, especially the ability to read and write." I believe that literacy goes beyond the ability to read and write. Let's take Ron McCallum for example, a man who has been blind since moments after birth and although he can not read with his eyes, he is still considered literate. During his TED Talk, he discusses his life as a blind man in accordance to the advancement of technology. With the help of technology and volunteers, he has become a lawyer, an academic, and a ravenous reader. 

The second definition that dictionary.com provides for literacy is "the possession of education." Although this is a broad definition, this better broadens the population for which literacy encompasses.

Finally, the third definition of literacy, which is my all time favorite, is "a person's knowledge of a particular subject or field." Just as Collins (2011) explains, "printed forms of academic or standard literacy are just one for of making and communicating meaning." In this multiple literacies perspective, visual and graphic forms of meaning making as well as physical kinesthetic forms are all considered literacy practices. 

What is “disability”? 

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In sticking with the theme of dictionary.com, disability is defined as "1. lack of adequate power, strength, or physical or mental ability; incapacity. 2. a physical or mental handicap, especially one that prevents a person from living full, normal life or from holding a gainful job." These definitions pose numerous issues. For starters, it is extremely difficult to understand the meaning of normal. As a society we loosely throw around this term comparing aspects of life to the "norm" and if something defies this notion then it is different, abnormal, or disabled. Dudley-Marling (2004) similarly expresses his thoughts on the social construct of disability. He explains that one can not be learning disabled on their own, it is constructed through a system of professionals, schooling, and various perspectives. These differences should not conceptualize literacy as a disadvantage, rather it expresses to the world that disabilities portray a wide variety of literacies. 

One quote that resonates...

Piper Otterbein profoundly reflects on her disability in a TED Talk, "It wasn't important to figure out why I wasn't comprehending these books that I was reading. What was important is that I found what I love to do and strengthened what I enjoyed." This quote is a beautiful rendition of the saying. "one is not defined by their disability." Although disabilities are apparent and account for differences amongst our population, they are not all encompassing; Piper is a great example of this.  

References 

Collins, K. M. (2011). " My mom says I'm really creative!": Dis/Ability, Positioning, and Resistance in Multimodal Instructional Contexts. Language Arts, 88(6), 409-418.
Definitions of disability: http://www.dictionary.com/browse/disability
Definitions of literacy: http://www.dictionary.com/browse/literacy?s=t
Dudley-Marling, C. (2004). The social construction of learning disabilities. Journal of learning disabilities, 37(6), 482-489.
Piper Otterbein's TED Talk: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugFIHHom1NU (Links to an external site.)Ron McCallim's TED Talk: https://www.ted.com/talks/ron_mccallum_how_technology_allowed_me_to_read?nolanguage=