Article

The Influence of the Language of Courts on Educational Opportunities for Students with Disabilities

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Abstract

The article explores the discourse of federal court rulings related to disability and education. The aim is to understand how the language of federal courts influences the quality of educational opportunities afforded students with disabilities. Viewing the purpose of schooling as egalitarian and using Gee’s (2014) activities building tool, selected lines from opinions delivered in five federal court cases are analyzed to explore how they affect students and the structures of educational institutions. The language of the decisions impacts the perspectives of students, level of expectations, and quality of educational opportunities for students with disabilities.

Keywords: disability, free appropriate public education, discourse analysis

How to Cite:

Cormier, K., (2020) “The Influence of the Language of Courts on Educational Opportunities for Students with Disabilities”, Journal of Critical Thought and Praxis 10(1). doi: https://doi.org/10.31274/jctp.11608