Disability and Curriculum: A Reply to High School Students Who Wonder Where Their Classmates Went

In this article, Ashley Pollitt and Susan Baglieri analyze an excerpt from a twelfth-grade advanced placement literature classroom discussion, during which students critically examine the absence and treatment of their disabled peers. Drawing on disability studies in education, they situate students' observations within the historical context of disability segregation and illustrate how institutional practices, prevailing curricular omissions, and the organization of school spaces communicate to students powerful messages about belonging and difference. Pollitt and Baglieri demonstrate how a teacher-facilitated critical discussion can create conditions in which students may raise difficult questions about disability, and they offer information for educators interested in teaching about disability, recognizing disability identities and positionalities, and supporting students to take action against ableism. By foregrounding student perspectives and the complexity of school environments, the authors underscore the importance of deliberate, action-oriented approaches to teaching about disability in education as essential for creating more just and inclusive schools.