Write an essay that uses reflections and observations to identify and critically reflect upon bias and stereotypes through a social justice lens. Describe and evaluate any relevant policies, practices...

Name: Alice Marange
EDU80014: Teaching for Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
Assignment One: Essay
Words count: 1200words
In the year, 2008 Australia approved United Nations Convention on Rights of Persons with Disability (UNCRPD), joining other countries in a global effort. This approval guaranteed disabled people with equal scope for quality education without any discrimination. After ten years of approval of Australia`s UNCRPD, assignment will throw light on social justice aspect based on life story of Hellen Keller`s. In this respect, assignment will identifies and critically reflect on issue of historical bias and stereotypes faced by disabled people. Furthermore, discussion and evaluation of relevant policies, practices and legislation included as measures in Australia for equity, inclusion and diversity.
Defining diversity, inclusion and equity is essential to understand their roles in anti-discrimination policy. Diversity is collective mixture of differences, similarities, and related tensions and complexities characters (Lavin and Hyllegard, 1996). As per Guild and Espiner (2005), diversity is a condition where composition of different elements like race, gender, culture, religion, ethnicity, sexual orientation, socioeconomic background causes differences in people in a community. According to Levin (1995), equity is existence of equal opportunity. Differences in outcomes are not attributable to differences in areas such as ability, disability, wealth, income, power or possessions. Bloom (2017) believes, all students should be given equal opportunities. Exposure to similar curriculum, taught by same teachers and supported similar level of resources are equity. UNESCO (2008) suggests that inclusion is a philosophical approach encouraging educators to bring necessary supplemental supports, aids, and services into classroom for all.
Bell (2007), explains goal of social justice as “equal participation of all groups in any society that is mutually shaped to meet their need. Distribution of resources is equitable and all members are physically and psychologically safe and secure”. Hellen Keller’s life is a good example.
Helen Keller is known as major philanthropist, author and educator. She is blind and deaf. During 1880s, deaf and blind people were classified as idiots, and their education was not prioritized (Paterson, 1994). Helen received no formal education, until she met her teacher, Anne Sullivan from the Perkins Institutes, for Blind in the year 1887 (Keller, 1902). The historical bias and stereotyping of blind and deaf people as being uneducable made Hellen endure denial to her right to education for the first time. Later on, Helen, enduring stigmatising mark of macro-exclusion from mainstream primary education which made her attend home-schooling and Perkins Institute for the Blind. Finke, McNaughton and Drager, (2009) point out that inclusive education genuinely allows children to build and develop friendships that they might not have considered otherwise.
Before meeting her teacher, Anne Sullivan, young Helen`s socialisation was derailed by ableist views and practices. Ableism created the historically bias perception which related, being able-bodied is superior to being disabled. Being blind, deaf and mute, Helen was perceived as a poor little thing incapable of understanding differences between rights and wrong. Every time she misbehaved or played tantrums, she would be given candy (Koestler-Grack, 2009). According to the principles of operant conditioning and re-enforcement explanation, by giving Helen some...