Course 1: Creating a Culture of Inclusion

Module 4: Enhancing an Inclusive School Culture for Students with Complex Needs

Acknowledging the Harmful Impact

Labels, just like the words we use, can cause harm. The same attributes that make labels positive can also have a negative side. Take for example the attribute of identifying. On the positive side it helps us know what is ours, but on the negative side it can limit how an individual is seen because they are identified by only that one characteristic. See the table below for more positive and negative impacts of labels.

Positive and Negative Attributes of Labels

Attribute	Positive	Negative
Identify	Shows ownership (e.g., that sweater belongs to me)	Only one characteristic is seen—limits what we see (e.g., mother—is only one identifying characteristic of that person)
Categorize	Provides organization (e.g., categorizing plants into species and genus)	Categorizing means that you share traits with someone or something else (e.g., not all individuals with Down Syndrome have the same personalities)
Distinguish	Helps for identification (e.g., medications are distinguished from one another by labels)	Sets apart—the risk for individuals with disabilities is that “distinguish” is assumed to mean the same thing as difference
Information	Provides knowledge (e.g., washing labels tells us what temperature to wash clothes in and whether to lay flat or hang to dry)	The information provided by a label can be limiting to people with disabilities. The focus tends to be only on the information provided by the label

When it comes to disability, too often the negative side of labelling is what is emphasized. The term disability itself promotes a negative perception—inability, not able, not capable and can’t do. This information starts us off on the wrong foot when we are trying to include students with complex needs. Diagnoses and designations are labels that have positive and negative impact just like any other label.