As instruction shifts to a learner-centric, individualized approach with a focus on small group activities, heavy furniture that small hands cannot move on their own have become less desirable. The most popular pieces are lightweight, portable, and colorful. The Smith System furniture company encourages schools to select chairs and desks in their…

This study explores how visual narratives stemming from the experience of healthy embodiment in social virtual worlds, especially for individuals living with chronic disease or disability, both fosters relationships and more broadly impacts physical and emotional life experience and overall quality of life. It does so through the lens of social…

In 2008 Elizabeth underwent a cochlear implant. The necessary but traumatic operation was approached in her usual creative way. To begin, Elizabeth researched the medical process and the ways other individuals had experienced the procedure and its aftermath. Then she set about documenting her personal response through "Facebook", providing often…

For decades, postsecondary institutions have focused more on the line between compliance and noncompliance, balancing the rights and responsibilities of institutions with those of students with disabilities. The danger for postsecondary institutions in focusing on a "line in the sand" approach was to further perceptions that students…

The relationship that disabled university students have with both their technologies and institutions is poorly understood. This paper seeks to illuminate this relationship using the conceptual lens of digital capital. The results from a study that explored the technology experiences of 31 disabled students studying in one university were analysed…

The potential of technology to connect people and provide access to education, commerce, employment and entertainment has never been greater or more rapidly changing. Communication technologies and new media promise to "revolutionize our lives" by breaking down barriers and expanding access for disabled people. Yet, it is also true that technology…

One to One technology initiatives are a national trend, but something districts must weigh heavily as they are costly. The purpose of this study is to explore the One to One initiative in a middle school as it relates to student achievement and reducing economic disparity. Bourdieu's Cultural Capital Theory applies to this study as one would…

Supported by critical theoretical frameworks, this book is a purposeful engagement with bodies of knowledge rooted in popular culture, yet routinely excluded from "common sense" visions of curriculum. Aimed at teachers as well as teacher-educators, the book examines areas such as Disney, African American stand-up comedy, intersections of…

Technological innovation is transforming the prevalence and functional impact of child disability, the scale of social disparities in child disability, and perhaps the essential meaning of disability in an increasingly technology-dominated world. In this article, Paul Wise investigates several specific facets of this transformation. He begins by…

Education is one of the pillars in which a Welfare State is effectively based on in order to achieve an equitable distribution of wealth. In contemporary society, knowledge and education are among the most appreciated goods, and everyone should have the right to acquire them, without distinction of gender, race, age, health or religion. From our…

This article addresses the following questions: What impact does using the theoretical framework of new literacies have on understanding language, literacy, and learning practices today as technologies are constantly being developed and used? What is the state of research in this area? What are some new directions the field might take in order to…

The Internet has revolutionized the social and economic environment in which people live by providing an alternative or supplemental channel for communication, gathering and disseminating information, entertainment, commerce, and education. Household use of high-speed, or broadband, Internet services has risen dramatically during this decade which…

Written in an engaging style, this comprehensive text prepares K-12 teachers to address a wide range of contemporary social issues--such as violence, gender, war, terrorism, child labor, censorship, and disabilities--through multicultural children's literature. Each chapter includes sample lessons plans designed to encourage critical and creative…

The gap (structural hole) between the manner in which rehabilitation agencies and business are structured, organized and managed has grown exponentially over the past 10-20 years. Three key changes have radically transformed American business: the globalization of financial capital and competition, the information technology revolution, and the…

This report presents a comprehensive picture of how young Australians are faring by bringing together data from a variety of sources and drawing on the comments of young people themselves. Overall the report presents a positive picture, showing how important young people are to this country and why it makes good economic and social sense for…