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Speaker urges Mount Prospect educators to shift from a medical model to universal design
Summary
Stephanie contrasted the medical model of disability with social and human-rights models and urged educators to design classrooms and school spaces with universal design principles—examples included curb cuts and reconsidering default listening rules.
During the presentation, Stephanie described different models of disability and argued that many barriers arise from the way spaces and systems are designed, not from students themselves. She said the social model reframes disability as a product of inaccessible environments and praised universal-design examples—"An example of that is a curb cut"—to show how accommodations can benefit many people beyond the intended group.
Stephanie cautioned against assuming a single 'right' way to learn or behave and recommended tangible changes schools can adopt, such as reconsidering rigid listening rules, building low-demand opportunities for sensory breaks, and incorporating multiple ways to participate in class. She encouraged staff to consider how physical and procedural design choices create inclusion for diverse students.
