Module 1 Typecasting: Understanding Disability MODULE GOALS: 1. To understand the concept of stereotyping and how it affects people with disabilities 2. To identify and dispel myths, stereotypes, and common misperceptions concerning people with disabilities EQUIPMENT: 1. PowerPoint Presentation (or alternate format) 2. LCD Projector 3. Computer / Laptop 4. Flip Chart 5. Flip Chart Markers 6. Masking Tape TIME: 45-60 minutes (time may vary) Notes: Review module before training and prepare necessary materials. On a flip chart, prepare three pages with the headings: Teenagers, Computer Programmers, and People from New York. Show PowerPoint: Module 1, Typecasting: Understanding Disability Suggested Script: This module provides accurate and up-to-date information about people with disabilities. Interacting comfortably with someone we perceive as different can be difficult. The more we understand and accept differences in people, the better we can move beyond disability/differences toward the acceptance of people for who they are. Show PowerPoint: Module Goals: 1. To understand the concept of stereotyping and how it affects people with disabilities. 2. To identify and dispel myths, stereotypes, and common misperceptions concerning people with disabilities Activity: Examining Attitudes Notes to Trainer: Greet the group. Suggested Script: I have met many of you this (morning, afternoon) and you have seen me getting ready for this workshop. Show PowerPoint: What is your initial impression of me? Suggested Script: I am going to ask you some questions. I’d like to find out about your initial impression of me. Notes to Trainer: On a flip chart list the responses to the following questions: Pick 5 or 6 to discuss. Where was I born? In what kind of house do I live? How is it decorated? Am I married? Do I have children? If so, how many? Do I have any pets? If so, what kind? What sports do I enjoy? What kind of car do I drive? What is my favorite kind of food? List all of the group’s responses on a flip chart. Suggested Script: Everyone forms opinions based on first impressions. These opinions are also called assumptions. They are based on how someone dresses, their appearance, the way they talk, and other personal characteristics. Sometimes these assumptions are accurate and sometimes they are not. Notes to Trainer: Review the list and tell the group what was accurate and what was not. Suggested Script: We all make assumptions about a person based on first impressions. This is human nature and normal. However, it is important to remember that these impressions are often false and we should not judge someone or make decisions about them until we get to know the person. Notes to Trainer: Give an example from the list of false assumptions. Suggested Script: Have any of you ever been in a situation in which a person made an inaccurate assumption about you based on their initial impression? Notes to Trainer: Ask for a few volunteers to describe their situations. If there are no volunteers, be prepared to tell a personal story. Suggested Script: Here are a couple of ideas to get you thinking: A man who loves to bake, a woman who is very handy around the house, an obese marathon runner, and a football star who loves to knit. Although we can laugh at these stories now, it is important to remember how these misunderstandings occur. It is important not to let our first impressions influence how we treat someone. Activity: Stereotypes Suggested Script: What is the definition of a stereotype? Notes to Trainer: Possible responses: 1. When certain characteristics are generalized to an entire group of people. 2. An idea that is standardized for a group. 3. A fixed or conventional image of a person or group of people. Show PowerPoint: Stereotypes are: Assumptions that are made about a person or group’s character or attributes, based on a general image of a particular group of people. Suggested Script: We are going to see how well you can identify the stereotypes of some very common groups of people. Show PowerPoint: Describe some common stereotypes for the following: Teenagers, Computer Programmers, People from New York Notes to Trainer: Tape three separate flip chart pages to the wall so they are easily visible in the room. List one of the three categories (Teenagers, Computer Programmers, People from New York) on each page. If space is limited, do these one by one on the flip chart. Suggested Script: What are some of the stereotypes our society has for these groups? Notes to Trainer: Trainer can spend about 1-2 minutes on each, starting with number 1. This should be a quick brainstorming activity. If the group is quiet, prompt them with some of the responses listed. Notes to Trainer: Possible responses: 1. Teenagers: Lazy, Irresponsible, Disrespectful, Loud, Act like they know everything. 2. Computer Programmers: Socially inept, Nerdy, Wear pocket protectors, Quiet. 3. People from New York: Pushy, Rude, Fast drivers, Funny accent, Loud Notes to Trainer: If the group names both positive and negative stereotypes, continue with the following discussion. If the group only names negative stereotypes, question why. Notes to Trainer: Ask if there are positive stereotypes that are associated with these groups. Possible responses: 1. Teenagers: Active, Technology-savvy. 2. Computer programmers: Good problem solvers, Very smart. 3. People from New York: Live exciting lives, Persistent. Suggested Script: Great job, you really know your stereotypes! How many of you actually know people from these groups who fit these stereotypes? Notes to Trainer: Most people will raise their hands. Suggested Script: How many of you know people from these groups who do not fit these stereotypes? Notes to Trainer: Most people will raise their hands. Suggested Script: Tell me about some of these people. Where do stereotypes originate? Notes to Trainer: Possible responses: Personal experience with one person from the group, Media portrayal, Family and peer influences Suggested Script: When we judge people based on stereotypes, whether positive or negative, we miss the true character of the individual. When the stereotypes we associate with people are negative, the consequences are even more dangerous. What can happen to people when negative stereotypes are held about them? Notes to Trainer: List responses on the flip chart. Notes to Trainer: Possible responses: Avoided socially, Persecuted, Discriminated against, Ostracized, Denied opportunities, Ignored, Harassed Notes to Trainer: Read the responses from the list out loud to the group. Add all of these responses to the list, even if the group did not mention all. Suggested Script: Each response we just discussed is a form of discrimination. When someone is avoided socially, not hired, harassed on or off a job, based on negative thoughts or stereotypes of a group, they are being discriminated against. Stereotypes are often the reason that this discrimination takes place. Although many people would argue that they do not base decisions on stereotypes or personal biases, it is clear that these actions do take place every day. Suggested Script: We have focused on teens, people from New York, and computer programmers. Let’s take a minute and think about discrimination and how it specifically affects people with disabilities. Are people with disabilities discriminated against? Show PowerPoint: EEOC Discrimination Complaints: 79,432 total1. Categories include: Age, Sex, Religion, National Origin, Race, Retaliation, Disability (19.4%)2 Suggested Script: In the 2004 fiscal year, 79,432 individuals filed discrimination complaints with the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission.1 The charges fell under the categories of age, sex, religion, national origin, race, retaliation, and disability. Suggested Script: Of the 79,432 people who filed discrimination charges with the EEOC in 2003, 15,376, or 19.4% of those were people with disabilities.2 Suggested Script: These numbers suggest that discrimination against individuals with disabilities does exist. Just like with teens, New Yorkers, and computer programmers, stereotypes often lead to unfair treatment, like employment discrimination. Suggested Script: Let’s examine some of the stereotypes we have about people with cerebral palsy. Cerebral Palsy: Below average intelligence, Unable to walk, Cannot communicate. Suggested Script: How about people with mental illness? Mental Illness: Dangerous, Hospitalized, Unstable. Suggested Script: Most (or all) of the stereotypes we just named are negative. Suggested Script: There are also positive qualities that can also be associated with these groups. Can you think of any? Notes to Trainer: Name and discuss these responses if they are not mentioned: Cerebral Palsy: The average person with cerebral palsy has at least average intelligence. 3, Cerebral palsy is not progressive, and therefore does not worsen over time.4. Mental Illness: Statistics show that the incidence of violence in people who have a brain disorder is not much higher than it is in the general population.5, Mental illness can be a treatable disability.6 Suggested Script: In addition, there are also various studies that combat the stereotypes put forth by popular culture. For example: Most people with disabilities, even severe disabilities, do not receive public assistance.7 A DuPont Corporation survey found that 90% of employees with disabilities received average or better job performance ratings.8 Suggested Script: Unfortunately, negative stereotypes are often more pervasive than the facts from these studies. Suggested Script: Where do stereotypes about individuals with disabilities originate? Just like other stereotypes, disability-based stereotypes come from personal experiences with one individual, family / peer influences and media portrayal. Suggested Script: Let’s focus on media portrayal for a few minutes. Think about different movies that you have seen that include characters with disabilities. Notes to Trainer: Lead a brief, informal conversation about the way disability is portrayed in film. The conversation will vary with each training group, based on which movies the participants have seen. You can choose from the questions below to steer the conversation. 1. How is the character with a disability represented (pitiful, child-like, bitter, heroic, etc.)? 2. Does the character with a disability play a particular role in the story (victim, villain, hero, etc.)? 3. Why was disability used in this film? Did the disability itself serve a purpose in the story? 4. How is normality defined or portrayed? 5. What was the overall message about disability? 6. Has the role of disability in film changed over time? Questions adapted from ‘Resisting Hollywood’s Take on Disability.’ 9 Notes to Trainer: The following is a list of characters with disabilities to prompt the trainer. Notes to Trainer: Many of these characters are portrayed as villains: 1. Peter Pan , Captain Hook - Missing his hand. 2. Silence of the Lambs, Hannibal - Mental illness. 3. Psycho, Norman Bates - Mental illness. 4. Unbreakable, Elijah Price - Fragile bones Notes to Trainer: Many of these characters are portrayed as victims: 1. Rear Window, L.B. “Jeff” Jeffries - Wheelchair-user. 2. The Hunchback of Notre Dame, Quasimodo - Physical deformation. 3. Beauty and the Beast, The Beast - Physical deformation. 4. Million Dollar Baby, Maggie Fitzgerald - Spinal Cord Injury Notes to Trainer: Many of these characters are portrayed as bitter war veterans: 1. The Deer Hunter, Steven - Missing a leg. 2. Born on the Fourth of July, Ron Kovic - Paralysis. 3. Forrest Gump, Lt. Dan Taylor - Missing a leg Notes to Trainer: Many of these characters are portrayed as innocent and child-like: 1. Of Mice and Men - Lenny, Mental retardation, 2. Forrest Gump - Forrest Gump. Mental retardation. 3. I Am Sam, Sam Dawson - Mental retardation. 4. Radio, Radio - Mental retardation Suggested Script: Stereotypes about individuals with disabilities may also result from our personal experience (or lack thereof). Many of us grew up in a time when people with disabilities were not around us on a daily basis. People with disabilities were often segregated from the community. After all, it wasn’t until 1975 that a “free and appropriate public education” (FAPE) was mandated for students with disabilities. So, many people who started school before 1975 probably had few, if any, classmates with disabilities. Suggested Script: Without this exposure, how was one expected to be able and/or comfortable learning, working, and interacting with people with different disabilities? Suggested Script: We started to learn about how to treat people with disabilities when we are very young. Remember the special education classrooms? What lesson did those classrooms teach us? Notes to Trainer: Elicit responses from the group. 1. People with disabilities couldn’t learn with us. 2. People with disabilities shouldn’t be in the same classroom, gym or lunchroom with us. 3. By separating students with disabilities, it taught that people with disabilities didn’t even exist Suggested Script: It is for this reason, as well as many others, that today we conduct and attend trainings like this. Hopefully we have seen the last generation of disability segregation. Suggested Script: Today’s children learn, laugh, and play with kids with disabilities. Therefore, this generation is more likely to have the experiences necessary to be comfortable hiring, managing, and working with and for people who have disabilities. Suggested Script: Stereotypes are assumptions that are made about a person or group's character or attributes, based on a general image of a particular group of people. Stereotypes are not inherently negative; we can also attribute positive characteristics as stereotypes. It is very important to remember that when we define people based on stereotypes, we often make false assumptions and we always fail to recognize the person as an individual. Show PowerPoint: “When you see a person with a disability, presume competence.” From: Snow, Kathy, Disability is Natural, 2001 10 Typecasting: Understanding Disability Copyright © 2004 by TransCen, Inc. [Ver. 10/05]