Dear Rochelle:

I followed the extremely interesting and controversial
discussion regarding learning disabilities.  I
borrowed books from the library but found myself
unable to contribute in any enriching way. Some of the
participants have such an in-depth knowledge of tests
and research regarding disabilities, and are so
passionate about their positions, that I just stepped
out and read their postings. I think that eventually I
will make sense of the debate between Glen and Robin
because, intuitively, I think that they are both
right.

If I am not mistaken Glen looks at disabilities from
the point of view of their causes and she definitely
made her audience aware of the many issues involved in
developing a disability.   Poverty being the main
cause, for example, in the case of asthma.

Robin refuses to accept screenings and tests mainly
because they categorize individuals.   I think that
she particularly refuses to apply tests to ESL
populations because being illiterate or not being able
to speak English does not make a person necessarily
subject to the disability category.  And I think she
is totally right.

Glen says that denying ESL and ABE populations the
services and the needed category of disability (when
testing prescribes it) has the potential to deprive
them of their civil rights.

To me the most disturbing fact about the debate is
that whether you are called "lazy, stupid, crazy", or
"LD" or "mentally ill" may put you, to an extent, in a
similar situation.  Foucault's epistemological
approach 
analyzes the phenomena above heuristically, with the
end results being the same.  Societies have struggled
at all times to normalize and categorize individuals,
particularly in the West. 

Following this thread of thought, I would think that
kids don't want to be called "stupid" but neither are
they proud of being in special education.  People hide
their learning disabilities; and do not go around
stating that they have been diagnosed with specific
mental health categories. 

Yes, brain malfunction is a fact.  Yes, some
individuals are born with autism, schizophrenia, or
severe disturbances.   But, the LD category in a broad
sense is a magnifying glass of the undeniable fact
that societies create their own pathologies, which in
turn are diagnosed and categorized. Along with this
process comes an attempt to normalize, alleviate, or
simply do away with such pathologies.

The fact that African American and Latino men are
overrepresented in prisons is a metaphor of the
unaddressed issue of race and poverty becoming crime
and incarceration, or in the best scenario, a
"learning disability".

Maybe that is the reason why countries that don't have
the privilege of building and maintaining prisons, eg:
Brazil and Mexico, present cases of literally surreal
and brutal riots, cells being "rented" and, special
"suites" for white collar crime. 

I have been, sadly, thinking that the United States
ought to look at South America because the
Brazilianization of this country has been discussed
for years.  To go back to learning disabilities, there
is an attempt in public education in my country of
origin, Mexico, to screen the children and have them
work with a team where the parents, teachers,
psychologists and social workers partake in the
recovery of the child.  Sounds great.  But, we must be
so far behind in helping the under served that the
country is plagued with small guerrillas (some of
which I have done research about, met and sympathize
with, like the Zapatistas in the Southeast), big time
drug dealing and "express or lethal" kidnapping. 

This is why I respect both Robin's and Glen's
position.  They both sympathize passionately with the
under served but their philosophies and backgrounds
make them see different aspects of the debate.

To me it has been incredibly enlightening and thought
provoking.  I also would recommend reading the
following books: “Bodies in Revolt: Gender, Disability
and Workplace Ethic of Care” (Routledge, 2005) and
“Crippled Justice: The History of Modern Disability
Policy in the Workplace” (Chicago: University of
Chicago Press, 2001) by Ruth O’Brien and by Michel
Foucault I recommend “Discipline and Punish”, and “The
Order of Things” (Les Mots et les Choses).
 

Regards,

Nadia Quiroz-Colby