MAIS 658

When this course began, I mostly saw disability the way society usually presents it; as something defined by limitations, medical terms, and personal hardship (Defining Disability – CSPDM, n.d.). As the weeks passed, my perspective shifted.  I started to see disability not just as a medical condition but as a complex experience shaped by attitudes, accessibility, and systems that either support or exclude people. It’s like I took a step back from my original narrowed view and my lens became more peripheral. I wasn’t just focusing on the individual, but on the bigger picture.

​

          Surprisingly, very early in the course, engaging with the OER Group Project, discussion forums, and peer feedback made me realize that disability isn't just an individual experience; it's a societal and political issue. Rather than something inherent to a person, disability is often created by inaccessible environments, unfair rules and policies, and, most importantly, societal attitudes. Recognizing disability in this way made me see that exclusion is actually purposeful; it’s built into policies and cultural norms.

​

          Looking back at the glossary from Assignment 1, I now see those terms like ‘normalization’ and ‘abnormal’ reinforced this idea. It always comes back to power!  That is what is wild!  At the heart of so many issues we label as problems, whether it be around disability or racism, is the question of who holds power and who doesn’t. As Professor Dr. Emily Douglas pointed out in her feedback on my Assignment #1 glossary, it is about who decides what’s 'normal' and who can be made into 'normal' and expected to conform. As McWhorter (2009) aptly states, “nobody is normal, and nobody ought to be” (p. 328, par. 2), questioning whether we should strive for normalization in the first place.

​

                    This shift directly impacts my work in social services, where I manage community well-being initiatives. Ableism in policies and service delivery has become more clearer to me, particularly as I work on the Community Safety and Well-Being Plan (due July 2025). I’ve begun stepping back to examine systemic barriers and how they intersect rather than treating them in isolation. Some are obvious, while others are harder to spot (Invisible Barriers in Everyday Life and Where to Find Them - Eye-Able, n.d.), but this broader perspective allows for more comprehensive solutions.

​

          Public safety is a prime example. It remains a significant concern in Ontario and across Canada, yet enforcement is often the preferred response. A disability justice (or anti-racist approach), combined with an interdisciplinary perspective, challenges this reliance on enforcement and highlights alternative solutions (http://www.disabilityrights ohio.org, n.d.). Outreach teams trained in de-escalation and mental health crisis intervention can be just as, if not more, effective in addressing community safety (Watson & Fulambarker, 2012).

 

Key Discussions and Learning Moments

 

One of the most significant moments of growth for me was recognizing how deeply ingrained my perspective on disability has been. This is not just an abstract idea for me; disability has been part of my life since birth. My sister, who lives with both physical and intellectual disabilities, is eight years older than me. By the time I was born, her disability was already a fact of life for my family. I never knew anything different. However, as I grew older, I absorbed standard societal views that framed disability as an impairment and struggle. Media and society often portray disability as a tragedy, a burden, or something to fix rather than a natural part of life (Jimenez, 2021). I've always understood disability as something I wouldn't want for myself, as a worst-case scenario. Even though I recognize this perspective is flawed, those thoughts still surface. Maybe I don't need to unlearn it completely; perhaps I can hold that feeling while also accepting disability as a natural (and regular) part of life. It's not about forgetting what I know but about making space for understanding.

​

This course helped me see how language shapes meaning and perception. Some words carry hidden biases, and I have started paying more attention to the ones that I use.  For example, I found it challenging to use the word 'normal' in a way that felt both accurate and inclusive. This is something I had not even questioned until taking this class.  Now, I cannot even write the word without highlighting it, italicizing it, or putting it in quotation marks as I want to signal that it's a complicated and loaded word that shouldn't just 'fit in.' While it's commonly used in everyday language, it can be subjective and reinforce exclusionary ideas, implying that anything outside a particular standard is abnormal (Co, 2022). The YouTube interview I watched with McWhorter also emphasized how loaded and strange the word 'normal' actually is, even though we often treat it as a neutral term (Rodier, n.d.).

In Discussion Forum 3.2, Schalk (2022) emphasizes that language is complex; however, context matters. Terms like 'wellness' and 'healing' are often critiqued in disability discourse for suggesting that disability is something to be 'fixed.' However, Schalk (2022) notes that these words can carry entirely different meanings in different communities; what one group or culture sees as empowering, another might view it as limiting or even offensive. This challenged my assumption that language can be labelled as good or bad. It made me think about how the meaning of a word depends on how it's used, what the speaker means by it, and how people receiving it interpret it through their own experiences.

​

This realization directly ties into Unit 1 of the course, particularly Young's (2012) article, It's a straightforward article, but it resonated with me. The idea that disability is often framed in a way that centers on non-disabled people's perceptions rather than the lived experiences of disabled individuals made me reflect on my own ingrained biases. Young (2012) challenges how disability is commonly positioned as something to overcome or as a source of inspiration rather than recognizing it as another way of being. This article ties into a learning moment for me; an ‘a ha’ moment. Realizing that shifting my mindset isn’t about gaining new knowledge, rather about unlearning the ways I have been taught to think. Is unlearning easy? No, not at all.It’s actually messy especially because it ties so closely to identity. McWhorter (2009) explains that identity isn’t just something we create on our own. It comes from history and is passed down through powerful systems. By looking at genealogy, we can see how society has shaped who we think we should be over time, carried forward through social norms, rules and institutions. This made me realize that even my thoughts about disability and what I would or wouldn't want for myself are not just my opinion, they were given to me, formed within a certain context of power and knowledge. But I am aware. Awareness is the first step, even if it doesn't immediately lead to change.

 

Challenges and Growth from the OER Project

 

The real challenge, and the area where I experienced the most growth, was navigating group work, not the OER project itself. I tend to work ahead and prefer to have things done early, so waiting for others to contribute at their own pace was difficult for me. This experience taught me that while I might feel more comfortable working ahead, others have different approaches and timelines that are just as valid.

​

I learned to be more patient and trust the process, even when it didn’t come naturally. I also realized that effective group work isn’t just about splitting tasks, it’s about understanding different work styles, managing expectations, and keeping communication open (Cook, 2024). While I initially felt frustrated with the timing, I now see that this experience helped me become more flexible. It came together beautifully in the end, however, when you’re a type A personality, panic sets in when things don’t go as planned!

​

Another challenge worth mentioning was the structure of the project itself. With five lessons to cover, it was already quite a lot, but on top of that, four of us had to find a way to tie them all together cohesively. This meant each person was responsible for approximately 1.5 lessons, making it tricky to maintain a smooth flow rather than just presenting separate concepts. Finding connections between them and ensuring the lessons felt like a unified whole, rather than disconnected sections, was probably the hardest part before even reaching the stage of peer feedback. It took a lot of planning and changes to make everything fit together seamlessly.

​

Balancing (and navigating) group dynamics was challenging, but it became even more complex as my role and contributions changed over time. My primary and collaborative contributions, as well as my initial plans for the OER, shifted significantly from what I originally intended in Assignment 2 Part A. This isn’t the first time I’ve experienced this. I've noticed a similar pattern recently in past courses, where my outline doesn’t always match my final work. Initially, this felt (and feels) frustrating because I value structure, but I’ve come to see that flexibility is just as important as planning. The ability to adapt, refine, and rework ideas in response to group collaboration and feedback is a skill in itself; one that I am clearly still working through.

Additionally, I took on a leadership role in designing the website, not because I was asked or expected to, but because I wanted to. My group was great, and everyone contributed, but I naturally took the lead on most of the parts.  I’ve sometimes questioned whether taking charge is a flaw, but this experience reaffirmed that leadership is not about control; it’s about initiative. As noted by Aurora Training Advantage (n.d.), "Initiative is a crucial trait that sets effective leaders apart in any organization. It involves the proactive pursuit of opportunities, the willingness to take charge without being prompted, and the drive to implement innovative solutions" (par. 1). Realizing that taking the lead was a strength, not something to downplay, was, and will continue to be essential.

“A bit of chaos often comes before a seamless finish”.

• Deepak Chopra

 

Lessons from Peer Feedback

 

Giving and receiving peer feedback was one of the most valuable parts of this course, but it also brought unexpected challenges. In providing feedback on other Open Educational Resources (OER), I’m comfortable offering critique however, I am very direct and to the point. My critiques weren’t malicious, just blunt and that’s just how I communicate. Being direct is part of my job, and I carry that into my schoolwork and the feedback I give. I don’t mind this approach, but I recognize that not everyone responds the same way, so I try to keep that in mind.

​

Getting feedback was eye-opening but also tough. I’m not always great at receiving it. It can feel personal instead of helpful, even though I know it’s meant to support growth. It’s kind of ironic because I don’t mind giving feedback or critique to others. At the end of the day, critique and feedback are really the same thing, but it feels different when you’re on the receiving end. I’m learning to see it differently, not as something to push against, but as something that helps me grow. I’ve also realized that I have a hard time letting go of control over my work. I tend to feel protective of my ideas. This process challenged me to step back and recognize the value of multiple perspectives, reinforcing that feedback is not about losing control but strengthening the final product.

​

We put an incredible amount of work into this OER. When you’ve read something so many times it’s easy to miss small grammatical errors, no matter how carefully you look. That’s why I genuinely appreciated having fresh eyes on it. Even with four of us reviewing it repeatedly, some things just slipped past us. Honestly, this was my favourite part because it’s where those tiny details, such as refined wording that really come into focus.  Making something as polished as possible is important not only in academia but also in my profession life as well.

 

Applying This Learning Beyond the Course

 

One of the biggest lessons I’ve learned in this course is that disability justice is about more than just individuals’ experiences, it is rooted in systemic inequalities.  It’s not just about how people move through the world, but how differing rules, differing systems and differing societal attitudes create obstacles. True disability justice means fixing bigger issues by making accessibility, inclusion, and equity a priority, instead of expecting individuals to adapt (What is Disability Justice?, n.d.).

​

Putting this into practice is tough. It's easy to see that disability justice connects to systemic inequities, but changing those systems is much harder. Many barriers are built into policies, social norms, and daily routines, making change slow and difficult. Even with good intentions, it's easy to miss how systems still leave people out.

​

            I must actively apply this learning in my daily life and work to take it beyond the course. This means making community engagement accessible by encouraging organizations to include people with disabilities and those with lived experience. True inclusion ensures services and initiatives meet real needs instead of being designed by outsiders (Pavlíček, 2025).

​

With 51 community agencies in my municipality involved in the Community Safety and Well-Being (CSWB) plan, I have an opportunity to push for more intentional and inclusive collaboration. Small actions, like using more inclusive language, supporting community-led initiatives, and amplifying disabled voices and other marginalized groups, can contribute to more significant change (Why Disabled Voices Must Lead Conversations About Disability - Ainslee Hooper Consulting, 2024). While the process is slow, complex, and most definitely nuanced, ongoing learning and effort can make society better for everyone.