BCIFV home > Media Releases > May 23, 2000

For Immediate Release
Contact: The Person Within Project, (604) 669-7055
May 23, 2000

D-Day Anniversary Gives Pause For Reflection

Some attitudes that thrived in Nazi Germany are alive and well in Canada today - and not just among white supremacists

As we approach the anniversary of D-Day, most of us look back on the Nazism that triggered the second world war in Europe as one of the darkest forces of the last century. Yet many who recoil in horror at stories about Nazi Germany would be surprised to learn that some attitudes that thrived under Nazism are alive and well in our society today - and not just among white supremacists.

Some of these beliefs involve the way many people in our society look at and interact with children with disabilities, says Sally Rogow, a retired UBC professor of special education and pioneer in the education of children with disabilities.

"In Nazi Germany, the prevailing belief was that if you were giving something to a child with a disability, you were taking it away from another child," says Rogow. This is similar to many parents' opposition to integration of children with disabilities into mainstream classrooms, where they believe teachers' attention will be diverted from their own children. But failing to staff classrooms to meet all the children's needs is not the fault of any of the children, she says.

"Children are children," she says. "With or without disabilities, they go through the same developmental stages and have the same needs for attention, affection, and inclusion. They're part of our society with the same rights as other children."

During her career as a professor, Rogow developed a ground-breaking program for teachers of children with disabilities. More recently, she completed research on treatment of children with disabilities in Nazi Germany. Currently, she is project director of The Person Within, a video and workshop on emotional abuse of children with disabilities.

Rogow conceived of The Person Within several years ago. Her daughter brought the idea to to the attention of the BC Institute Against Family Violence, which subsequently raised the funds to bring the project to fruition last year. The Person Within consists of a rich and moving video, informative two-day workshop, and a handbook for future reference. Although its target audience is parents, caregivers, and professionals who work with children with disabilities, the video and workshop provide information useful to anyone who ever encounters children with disabilities in any capacity - which is to say, everyone.

The Person Within video and workshop currently are being promoted among health, education, and community groups throughout BC, and will eventually be marketed Canada-wide and internationally. To speak with Rogow, for more information on The Person Within, or to schedule a workshop, contact the BCIFV at (604) 669-7055 or www.bcifv.org.