Disability Studies and Eugenics

On March 24 2025, I spoke to another class of students online who are learning to be elementary school teachers. The students asked about IEPs, my (Margot’s) academic challenges and successes and “A Stroke Of Endurance”. One student told me she had a disabled son and we talked about services that help disabled people get their needs met. One student shared she had a nephew with Cerebral Palsy. To my surprise one student asked about how DEI policy affects disabled people and I explained that disability rights began long before DEI was ever a term. One student asked how I felt about the high abortion rate for babies with Down syndrome which I think is ableist, and this led to a discussion of the history of eugenics and racism, and how these things/policies are rooted in ableism. This discussion was the first presentation I have ever given where these harder topics were addressed and I am forever grateful for the honesty of these students. One student asked where the original idea for “A Stroke Of Endurance” came from and I spoke about how it was a true story and how it was my reply to some movies that I felt were ableist stereotypes of disabled people wanting to die rather than live disabled. Super special thanks to the professor and the class for inviting me!