Dan Habib hadn’t thought much about disabilities until he found himself
raising a son with cerebral palsy. The New Hampshire photojournalist has
produced a documentary called "Including Samuel" about his family’s
experiences. The film explores Habib’s desire to keep Samuel fully
integrated into the life of their community and particularly in school.
We talk with Habib and University of Vermont education professor Michael
Giangreco about the concept of inclusion, and how it plays out in the
classroom.
(Listen)
Also in the program, the Chinese New Year begins on Thursday, ushering in the Year of the
Rat. We visit with celebrants as they prepare dragon and phoenix
banners for New Year’s Day.(Listen)
Comment from Michael in Burlington:
Congratulations to Dan Habib and his family for sharing such an
important and moving story. Including children with disabilities in
classrooms in a fully supported way is, in most cases, the right
thing to do for all involved… and often comes with a daunting set
of challenges. As a parent of a beautiful son who, like Samuel, is
eight and in the neighborhood elementary school, I’m confident that
inclusion is the right approach for our Ben. Dan’s film does a great
job of presenting some of the challenges honestly with a good dose of
humility… each situation is different.