Course-Related Scholarly Project

This project will be an analysis of the way in which people with disabilities are portrayed in our 21st century media culture (specifically film as a pop culture text), the societal implications, and the role of special educators in response to this dehumanizing portrayal. I chose this topic because I am particularly interested in advocating for individuals with disabilities, as I am a teacher who is dual certified in elementary and special education. This project is important because it will examine the way that film, as a powerful cultural tool, has played a major role in reinforcing prejudice, stereotypes, and discrimination concerning people with disabilities. What I hope to get out of this project is to learn what I can do as an educator (inside and outside of my classroom) to use media literacy education, knowledge, skills, and civic engagement in order to build a society that is more inclusive. My project will take the form of a research paper.