Nicholas Busch

Dr. K. Veblen
Music 1800
15/11/2015
Series, D. (n.d.). Think Everythings Normal? Then Its Time To Reconsider
And Promote A New Narrative Of Disability.

The definition of normal is something that depends greatly on the time

period and the mindset of the people you are conforming with. The idea of
normalcy is fascinating to me and the idea that it can change very drastically
in not a long time is even more fascinating. I completely agree with Serres in
this article where he says our culture of normalcy demands people to
meet many unrealistic expectations. This is especially true for women with
regards to the societal view of beauty, but this article applies the argument
to the disabled community. The belief that anyone with a disability is not
normal or lives less of a life than a non-disabled person is frustrating and
ignorant, and should not be present in the classroom.
One sentence Serres wrote really hit me hard, and that was It seems
to me that this is clearly about making everyone else more comfortable, not
to make the student feel more included. Serres was recalling an instance in
a school where a student in a wheelchair was positioned by parents in a
picture so that his wheelchair could not be seen, making them look more
normal. This behavior is extremely frustrating to me, and must be even

more frustrating to the disabled community. It is not a surprise to me that

Most people with disabilities suffer most because of oppression,
discrimination, and lack of opportunities, because they are labelled by
societys ignorant idea of normalcy. If the philosophy of disregarding
normalcy and treating everyone the same no matter how they appear can be
taught in the classroom at a young age, perhaps we could create a more
inclusive society for future generations.
I found it disturbing how quick it is for school systems to label students
with disabilities, and I found it even more disturbing how they group all
disabled students together and lessened their expectations of them. The fact
that a child may be labelled as having ADHD because they are simply
disruptive is a very unethical way of dealing with the disruptive problem, and
a diagnosis of such disability should only be done by a psychiatrist or other
trained professional, not a teacher.
One thing I would like to ask Serres is his opinion on Mia Minguss
extreme opposition to wearing a leg brace. Serres does not elaborate on this
very much and I believe that although the medical system does oppress the
disabled in some ways, the leg brace could have been prescribed to prevent
some kind of health complication, not just to adjust the appearance of her
walk. If that is the case, then I do not think it is such a horrible thing to
suggest that she wear a leg brace. As a whole I agree with Serress views
and the severity of the issues he sheds light on.