This interactive tool challenges one-size-fits-all assessment models by visualizing how arbitrary cutoffs
impact real people.
1. Customize traits
Change the labels (e.g., "Reading Level," "Sensory Processing") to represent measurable human characteristics.
2. Adjust cutoffs
Use sliders to move the red cutoff line to see how educational policies and clinical assessments create binary "normal" vs. "needs support" categories.
3. Observe impact
Notice how these arbitrary divisions affect the percentage of people labeled as "needing intervention" across multiple traits.
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Understanding the Disability Justice Simulation
What This Simulation Shows
This interactive tool illustrates how the ways we measure and categorize human traits can include or exclude people from services, resources, and opportunities. It demonstrates that:
Human traits exist on continuums, not binary categories
Arbitrary cutoffs can create harmful "disabled" vs. "normal" distinctions
Most people would be considered "disabled" if evaluated across multiple traits
The disability justice framework recognizes all ways of being as valid and worthy of support
How to Use This Tool
Customize the traits: In the left sidebar, change the trait labels to represent real characteristics that are often measured and used to categorize people (e.g., Reading Level, Attention Span, Social Skills, Motor Control).
Adjust distribution: Use the Standard Deviation slider to make traits more uniform (lower values) or more varied (higher values).
Set thresholds: For each trait, use either the slider under the histogram or drag the red vertical line directly on the chart to set the cutoff point below which students would be identified as "needing support" or "disabled."
Explore the 3D scatter plot: The large visualization shows students plotted in 3D space by their trait values. Red dots represent students who fall below the cutoff on at least one trait.
Observe the histogram patterns: Each histogram shows the distribution of one trait across the student population. Bars to the left of the red line are considered "below threshold."
Analyze the Cutoffs Failed chart: The bottom chart shows how many students fail 0, 1, 2, 3, or all 4 cutoffs simultaneously.
Key Insights to Explore
Try extreme thresholds: Move cutoffs very low or very high to see how eligibility for services changes dramatically with arbitrary line-drawing.
Change trait distributions: Adjust the mean values to simulate different populations or the standard deviation to see how variation impacts categorization.
Notice intersectionality: Most students will fail at least one cutoff when multiple traits are considered—highlighting how "disability" depends on which traits are measured and valued.
Consider real-world implications: Think about how standardized testing, IEP qualification criteria, or disability benefits eligibility mirror these arbitrary cutoffs.
Educational Implications
This simulation challenges us to rethink special education and support services:
Instead of labeling specific students as "disabled," we might acknowledge that all students have diverse strengths and needs
Rather than providing accommodations only to those who meet cutoffs, universal design principles benefit everyone
The goal is not to "fix" those below a threshold, but to create educational environments that support human diversity
Disability justice invites us to question: Who decides what "normal" is? Who benefits from these categories?