Carmel Capewell

The continuing violence towards disabled people

Western society places high value on physical beauty and grace of movement, and tends to shun those who do not have these qualities. Disability hate crime highlights the modern form of this violence. This paper uses the high-profile case of Fiona Pilkington to examine how disability hate crime can be dismissed until it results in tragic consequences. Newspapers play a key part in shaping the publics interpretation of disability. An examination of the reports of the coroners enquiry into the deaths of Fiona and Francesca Pilkington through a qualitative content analysis questions how much progress has been made in reducing the marginalisation of disabled people.

Glue ear – a common but complicated childhood condition

The changes in the Special Educational Needs and Disability Code of Practice extends the provision for those people aged 0–25 years and focuses more on disabilities, such as hearing difficulties. There is a particular focus on anticipating needs rather than waiting for ‘special educational’ needs to develop. This paper considers the implications of these changes for educators in providing appropriate support for young people with glue ear. This common condition affects about 80% of children under 7 years of age when they are developing their social and language skills and can result in permanent hearing impairment. This paper draws upon research which adapted and combined the methodologies of Photovoice and Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis to encourage a small sample of young people, and their mothers, to reflect upon their experience of chronic glue ear. The participants in this research explained that there were few adaptations made in the classroom to help minimise the impact of their hearing loss. Educational professionals appear to have a low awareness about the social, behavioural and cognitive effects of the condition on pupils. This may indicate that they would benefit from training in the potential impacts of it for their pupils.

The Hearing Environment.

Glue ear, a condition resulting in intermittent hearing loss in young children, affects about 80% of young children under seven years old. About 60% of children will spend a third of their time unable to hear within normal thresholds. Teachers are unlikely to consider the sound quality in classrooms. In my research young people provided suggestions to help them hear, identifying the benefits of using their insight in improving the hearing environment. This article identifies five aspects from the literature which impact the hearing environment in classrooms. The focus is on practical low-cost actions that teachers can implement in their classrooms, thus reducing stress levels in students and teachers.

Disability Hate Crime: Persecuted for Difference.

This article briefly discusses the long history of violence towards disabled people which sets the context for an analysis of the modern-day form of violence known as disability hate crime (DHC). People who look or behave differently to others often find themselves victims of violent crimes. The language used to describe disabled people contributes to their diminished position in society. A brief review of definitions of DHC and exploration of news media coverage of the Pilkington and Askew DHC cases are undertaken. Cultural scapegoating of disabled people is discussed. Disabled people are perceived as contributing to their own victimisation, the lack of support afforded to them by society and the failure of systems meant to protect them. As long as disabled people remain outside mainstream society, they are unlikely to achieve the same levels of respect and protection from crime that other groups in society are afforded.

Living with Glue Ear

There has been limited research on understanding the educational implications for young people with intermittent hearing impairment resulting from Glue Ear (Otitis Media). Increasingly, there is recognition that it can have longer term academic and social implications (Wilson 2009). It tends to be constructed as a temporary situation curable through grommet surgery so much of the research has been conducted from a medical perspective. Parental proxies have previously been the main way of identifying its impact on young people. However, we provided the opportunity for young people to use their own voices. In this paper we use an example of the different interpretations by a mother and her son of the same educational and social situations. This demonstrates that when they are asked directly, young people can evaluate the best way for educators to support them. Each research participant was asked to independently create a photomontage of images illustrating how Glue Ear affected them. The Photovoice methodology was adapted for use with individuals, rather than through the more usual group approach. It was combined with Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis (IPA) to give depth to the data analysis. We conclude that there is an urgent need for more research into the ways in which educators can encourage young people with this condition to express their needs to ensure they achieve their full potential.