Reflections on the Notions of Disability and Society from a Classroom Experience.

My interest in increasing reflection and comprehension of disability as a socially-related issue encouraged me to start a course on the subject at the Pontificia Universidad Javeriana starting on the second term of 2008. This paper is the result of the constant research and reflection teaching involves, with especial regard to this particular course, and it presents an analysis and reflection on the notions of disability and society expressed by the 120 students that have taken the course from 2008 to 2009, and their thoughts on how the notion of disability is socially constructed. In this journey I discovered the interest of the student who is co-authoring this paper, and who was very interested in the social construction of the body. He shared his interests and knowledge and accepted the challenge of working together on the reflections presented in this paper. These discuss our findings from the work done in the classroom and other study sessions, considering expert theories on society and disability, and reflect on how the way in which we name and understand society relates to the way disability is socially constructed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]