Culturally Responsive Teaching (CRT) is a pedagogy/teaching practice that values including students’ cultural backgrounds and experiences in all types of learning. Students with disabilities have their own cultures and experiences that should be shared and valued in the classroom.
Though there are huge strides being made to better support students with disabilities, it is still important to understand the history of disabilities and the reform made. In the 1800s, students with disabilities were not allowed to receive public education. Caregivers of children with disabilities had to look for private or at-home care and education for these students. Moving to the 1900s, students with disabilities were institutionalized and educated in residential asylums. They were separated from others in this set up which perpetuated an “othering” mentality