What Do You See? Perceptions of Disability
Assessment
Take some time now to answer the following questions. Please note that the IRIS Center does not collect your Assessment responses. If this is a course assignment, you should turn them in to your professor using whatever method he or she requires. If you have trouble answering any of the questions, go back and review the Perspectives & Resources pages in this module.
In this module, you have had the opportunity to examine your attitudes and perceptions about people with disabilities. As you watch the movie below, take note of how you react to the images as they appear on your screen. When you are finished, complete the related questions (time: 1:37).
The assessment movie displays nine photos of students, both with and without disabilities. Each photo is displayed individually at first but then recedes into a collage as the movie progresses. A description of the photos follows.
- Picture one: A male student smiles as he sits in his wheelchair in the library.
- Picture two: A female student smiles while holding a coloring pencil.
- Picture three: A male student with Down syndrome smiles holding up a tablet.
- Picture four: A young female student sits on the floor reading a book in braille.
- Picture five: A male student looks intently at the tablet in his hands.
- Picture six: A young girl with a backpack on her back smiles holding a book.
- Picture seven: A young male student with a hearing aid reads a book.
- Picture eight: A female student smiles as her arms are folded across a stack of books.
- Picture nine: A male student sits outside in his wheelchair holding folders in his right hand and a pencil in his left hand.
The movie ends.
- Some of these children have disabilities. Do you think people’s perceptions of children with disabilities play a role in their success? Why or why not?
- Based on your own perceptions, how would you feel about having these children in your classroom?
- If you were put in charge of a movie production about a person who is blind, what type of perceptions would you want to make sure your film portrayed?
