Absurdities and Realities of Special Education
Collection Overview
Absurdities and Realities of Special Education: The University of Vermont Center for Digital Initiatives Collection is a complete set of all of the cartoons created by Michael Giangreco with the assistance of the artist Kevin Ruelle. This includes...
Show moreAbsurdities and Realities of Special Education: The University of Vermont Center for Digital Initiatives Collection is a complete set of all of the cartoons created by Michael Giangreco with the assistance of the artist Kevin Ruelle. This includes a total of 335 cartoons from four previously published books and searchable CD that went "out of print" in 2019 and a few newer cartoons. Michael Giangreco created the original ideas, text, and sketches for each cartoon and Kevin Ruelle redrew the sketches.
The cartoons in the first three books all were originally in black and white. That was a conscious decision, both for aesthetic and practical reasons. The cartoons were designed to be easily copied on to overhead transparencies for display in classes, workshops, and other learning environments. A group called Alliance for Inclusive Education (ALLFIE) requested permission to use one of the cartoons on the cover of their magazine and subsequently colorized it. Prompted by Giangreco’s colleagues associated with ALLFIE, Giangreco and Ruelle began to colorize the rest of the images. In this complete digital collection, we have included a total of 335 different digital images; including the 315 different cartoons from the four earlier books, 12 cartoons that were on the CD only, and eight that were not included in any of the previously published books or CD.
Cartoons from the early books have found their way on to the pages of many newsletters disseminated by schools, parent groups, disability advocacy organizations, and professional associations. They have appeared in books, manuals, and journals; a few were even published in a law journal. The cartoons have been used extensively as projected slides or within learning activities in college classes, at conferences, in workshops, and at other meetings. Parents have framed cartoons that closely reflected their own experiences and hung them in their homes or offices. Other parents have used them in meetings with professionals to help get their points across. They have been given as gifts to people who "get it" and handed out as door prizes. The Vermont Coalition for Disability Rights used them as part of "Disability Awareness Day" at the Vermont legislature. The cartoons can be used in innumerable creative ways.
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Pages
- Title
- Flexibility
- Date Created
- 1998
- Description
-
This cartoon has two panels offset stepwise. In the top left panel a teacher (shown alone) asks a colleague, "How do you teach kids with such a wide range of needs?" In the lower right panel the same teacher is shown looking at her colleague sitting on a chair with her leg stretched behind her...
Show moreThis cartoon has two panels offset stepwise. In the top left panel a teacher (shown alone) asks a colleague, "How do you teach kids with such a wide range of needs?" In the lower right panel the same teacher is shown looking at her colleague sitting on a chair with her leg stretched behind her head while she says, "Flexibility." The tag line under the cartoon reads, Mrs. Jones explains her secret to never getting bent out of shape."
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- Title
- Flush It!
- Date Created
- 2000
- Description
-
The cartoon shows a toilet with four buckets of money being poured into it; each with a different label: (a) Inadequate Instruction, (b) Questionable Curriculum, (c) Untrained Staff, and (d) Inadequate Staffing Ratios. The tag line reads, "Unless you spend enough money to meet a basic threshold...
Show moreThe cartoon shows a toilet with four buckets of money being poured into it; each with a different label: (a) Inadequate Instruction, (b) Questionable Curriculum, (c) Untrained Staff, and (d) Inadequate Staffing Ratios. The tag line reads, "Unless you spend enough money to meet a basic threshold of effectiveness, you might as well just flush it!"
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- Title
- Flying by the Seat of Your Pants
- Date Created
- 1999
- Description
-
The cartoon shows a man wearing wings strapped to his arms crashing into the side of a brick building. The tag line reads "After trying to fly by the seat of his pants, Fred learned that good teaching requires good planning."
- Title
- Foot in the Door
- Date Created
- 1999
- Description
-
The cartoon shows a child at the door of a class room trying to get in the door he is rapping on the door and has his foot in the door. There is a man trying to close the door from the right side of the panel. There is a word bubble that says "Rap!Rap!Rap!" in it. The tag line reads "Placement of...
Show moreThe cartoon shows a child at the door of a class room trying to get in the door he is rapping on the door and has his foot in the door. There is a man trying to close the door from the right side of the panel. There is a word bubble that says "Rap!Rap!Rap!" in it. The tag line reads "Placement of a child with a disability in a General Education classroom is not enough to be included, it's just a foot in the door."
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- Title
- Force Field
- Date Created
- 1998
- Description
-
This cartoon shows a student in a wheelchair with his one-to-one paraprofessional pushing him in his wheelchair. They surrounded by a nearly invisible force field. The student's classmates can't see the force field and bump into it as they try to approach him. The tag line under the cartoon reads...
Show moreThis cartoon shows a student in a wheelchair with his one-to-one paraprofessional pushing him in his wheelchair. They surrounded by a nearly invisible force field. The student's classmates can't see the force field and bump into it as they try to approach him. The tag line under the cartoon reads, "Joey noticed a mysterious force field around his assistant that children could not break through."
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- Title
- Frequent Includer Program
- Date Created
- 1999
- Description
-
The Cartoon shows a male teacher sitting at a desk with two parents standing on the other side of the desk in front of him. The teacher is saying "So, I can earn 20,000 points for each student with a disability I include in a regular class?" The father says "That's right! Redeemable for items in...
Show moreThe Cartoon shows a male teacher sitting at a desk with two parents standing on the other side of the desk in front of him. The teacher is saying "So, I can earn 20,000 points for each student with a disability I include in a regular class?" The father says "That's right! Redeemable for items in our catalogue." The tag line reads "Desperate parents resort to establishing their own 'frequent Includer Program.'"
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- Title
- Fun Meeting
- Date Created
- 1999
- Description
-
The cartoon shows 5 men and women sitting in a hot tub. Mr. Moody says "this is the best meeting we've ever had!" The tag line reads "Team members find fun ways to facilitate their meetings!"
- Title
- General Ed
- Date Created
- 1999
- Description
-
The cartoon shows a General named Ed standing in front of an American flag saluting. The tag line reads, "Few people know that before he was 'General Ed' he was 'Special Ed.'"
- Title
- Getting What you Want
- Date Created
- 1998
- Description
-
This cartoon shows a school administrator and a parent sitting across from each other at table. The expression the administrator's face looks pleased and satisfied as he says, "After lengthy negotiations, we have a plan for Jason's inclusion in regular class. It meets all your requests for direct...
Show moreThis cartoon shows a school administrator and a parent sitting across from each other at table. The expression the administrator's face looks pleased and satisfied as he says, "After lengthy negotiations, we have a plan for Jason's inclusion in regular class. It meets all your requests for direct support services." The parent's face looks distressed as she makes the sound "Gulp!" as she looks at the schedule on the table between them. Every time block shows a direct service (e.g., OT, PT, Speech, Vision, O&M, Hydrotherapy, sensory integration, tutoring) before dismissal and no time in the regular classroom. The tag line under the cartoon reads, "Jason's mother has a close encounter with the old saying: The only thing worse than not getting what want is getting what you want."
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- Title
- Grain of Salt
- Date Created
- 2000
- Description
-
The cartoon shows a man sitting at a dinner table set with plate and utensils. On the plate are papers the top sheet is labeled, "Model Program Report: The greatest thing since sliced bread." The man is seasoning the report with a salt shaker. The tag line reads, "Whatever hype is served up, take...
Show moreThe cartoon shows a man sitting at a dinner table set with plate and utensils. On the plate are papers the top sheet is labeled, "Model Program Report: The greatest thing since sliced bread." The man is seasoning the report with a salt shaker. The tag line reads, "Whatever hype is served up, take it with at least a grain of salt."
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- Title
- Grapevine
- Date Created
- 1999
- Description
-
The cartoon shows three panels. The top panel shows a grapevine with grapes, the grapes are saying "The new student is artistic?" The next panel shows the continuation of the grapevine with another bunch of grapes and this bunch is saying "Yes, quite artistic!" The third panel shows the end of...
Show moreThe cartoon shows three panels. The top panel shows a grapevine with grapes, the grapes are saying "The new student is artistic?" The next panel shows the continuation of the grapevine with another bunch of grapes and this bunch is saying "Yes, quite artistic!" The third panel shows the end of the grapevine with another bunch of grapes saying "I heard that the new student is quiet and autistic!" The tag line reads "Communication Breakdown #15: Hearing anything through the grapevine continues to be a very unreliable way to get accurate information."
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- Title
- Great Moments in History
- Date Created
- 2000
- Description
-
The cartoon shows two people at a desk a woman sitting behind the desk and a man standing in front of her. The woman is erasing something from a bell-curve graph on a document called, "Mental Retardation Definition Change." The man is saying "Tomorrow, when this becomes official, how many people...
Show moreThe cartoon shows two people at a desk a woman sitting behind the desk and a man standing in front of her. The woman is erasing something from a bell-curve graph on a document called, "Mental Retardation Definition Change." The man is saying "Tomorrow, when this becomes official, how many people will no longer be mentally retarded?" The woman responds, "LOTS!" The tag line reads, "Great Moments in special education history: The 1970's provide proof-positive that disability is a social construction."
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- Title
- Hall Patrol
- Date Created
- 1999
- Description
-
The cartoon shows a young man in a wheelchair looking a little worried and a Safety Patrol woman writing on a clipboard. The young man says, "What seems to be the problem?" The Safety Patrol woman says, "I'm issuing you a citation for failure to wear a seat belt while operating a wheelchair." The...
Show moreThe cartoon shows a young man in a wheelchair looking a little worried and a Safety Patrol woman writing on a clipboard. The young man says, "What seems to be the problem?" The Safety Patrol woman says, "I'm issuing you a citation for failure to wear a seat belt while operating a wheelchair." The tag line reads, "Hall Patrol, Hellen is her name, safety is her game."
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- Title
- Hanging On
- Date Created
- 1999
- Description
-
The cartoon shows a panel with a yellow background and the word inclusion in orange block letters. A man is holding onto the letter N with his teeth and someone from outside the panel is exclaiming, "Hang On!!" the tag line reads "People with disabilities don't have any skin on their teeth, and...
Show moreThe cartoon shows a panel with a yellow background and the word inclusion in orange block letters. A man is holding onto the letter N with his teeth and someone from outside the panel is exclaiming, "Hang On!!" the tag line reads "People with disabilities don't have any skin on their teeth, and they shouldn't need any."
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- Title
- Hard Questions
- Date Created
- 2000
- Description
-
The cartoon shows a woman and a man talking. The man is on the left side of the panel and is saying to the woman, "In our school there are some teachers who lecture to middle-achieving students. Do you really think that will work for students with special needs?" The woman responds, "Probably not...
Show moreThe cartoon shows a woman and a man talking. The man is on the left side of the panel and is saying to the woman, "In our school there are some teachers who lecture to middle-achieving students. Do you really think that will work for students with special needs?" The woman responds, "Probably not. But ask yourself, 'Does that kind of teaching work for many other students?' Let's figure out how we can teach all the kids." The tag line under the image reads, "Answering questions with questions."
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- Title
- Hardening of the Attitudes
- Date Created
- 2000
- Description
-
The cartoon shows an overweight, middle-aged man in his underwear sitting on an examining table in his doctor's office. The doctor is standing in front of him listening to the man's heart with a stethoscope. The man says to the doctor, "What is Doc? I can take it!" The doctor replies, "I'm afraid...
Show moreThe cartoon shows an overweight, middle-aged man in his underwear sitting on an examining table in his doctor's office. The doctor is standing in front of him listening to the man's heart with a stethoscope. The man says to the doctor, "What is Doc? I can take it!" The doctor replies, "I'm afraid you have a common affliction among veteran educators...Attituderial Asclerosis." The tag line reads, "Harry is diagnosed with hardening of the attitudes."
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- Title
- Hazards
- Date Created
- 2000
- Description
-
The cartoon shows a golf course with people playing in all different areas. A player is in a water hazard labeled "Staffing." Another player is a sand trap labeled, "Funding." A third player is stuck in a patch of tall grass labeled, "Service Coordinator." Another is stuck among the trees,...
Show moreThe cartoon shows a golf course with people playing in all different areas. A player is in a water hazard labeled "Staffing." Another player is a sand trap labeled, "Funding." A third player is stuck in a patch of tall grass labeled, "Service Coordinator." Another is stuck among the trees, labeled "Bureaucracy," and is trying to hit toward the 18th hole. The tag line reads, "The hazards of transition planning are par for the course."
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- Title
- Head in the Clouds
- Date Created
- 1999
- Description
-
The cartoon shows two people standing at the top of a mountain overlooking a town with their heads in the clouds. The tag line reads, "Inclusive Education: Proving you can dream with your head in the clouds and still have your feet on the ground."
- Title
- Head in the Sand
- Date Created
- 1998
- Description
-
In a desert a man has his head stuck in the sand while a nearby, upright ostrich looks at him with a question mark over his head. The tag line under the cartoon reads, "Ignoring the need for inclusive education doesn't make it go way".
- Title
- Headlock
- Date Created
- 1998
- Description
-
This cartoon shows a scene in a school cafeteria where an occupational therapist using full jaw control while feeding a child with a disability who is seated in a wheelchair. A classmate without disabilities who is seeing this technique for the first time is alarmed by what she is seeing and...
Show moreThis cartoon shows a scene in a school cafeteria where an occupational therapist using full jaw control while feeding a child with a disability who is seated in a wheelchair. A classmate without disabilities who is seeing this technique for the first time is alarmed by what she is seeing and saying to here teacher, "Why does that lady have Lisa in a headlock?" The teacher, who looks perplexed says, "I don't know. I'll ask her." The tag line under the cartoon reads, "Being unfamiliar with therapeutic techniques, Kelsey fears might be on the receiving end of a knee-drop or body slam."
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