Abramo (2012) highlights the value of creating a classroom environment that supports the needs of students with disabilities. Most importantly, a controlled use of language — that is, what the author defines as people-first language" — is necessary to create such an environment that allows these students to succeed. The article also discusses how the music community excludes musicians with visual impairment through the requirement of skills such as sight-reading.
The discussion about using people-first language was fascinating to me. More often than not, tying an individual to their disability rather than treating them as two separate entities subtly delegitimizes the individual's worth as a person. Within the music classroom, this can harm the student's learning experience; as this model makes students that receive special education feel incompetent, they may feel reluctant to challenge themselves with a new instrument. Therefore, music educators must introduce people-first language to their students to create an environment that allows students with special needs to thrive. This concept will be tough to address as it is an unknown topic to many. However, an open conversation that allows pupils to ask questions is an excellent starting point; as students learn more about the challenges that these people face, they will be more sympathetic.
The dialogue about the requirement of sight-reading hindering students with visual impairment also resonated with me. I had a trumpet player in my class that was visually impaired. My teacher did an excellent job of treating him fairly; as my teacher also played the trumpet, he recorded test pieces for the student. He also ensured that the student always had a classmate to guide him visually. Because of my teacher's efforts, this student flourished into a well-rounded musician; as a result, he was able to attend Berklee College of Music. This anecdote is a prime example of how educators can react to the unfair constructs of traditional music education curriculums (e.g., sight-reading for individuals who are visually impaired) to allow students to thrive.
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