A wide range of cultural studies research have explored the impact of deeply held cultural stereotypes on stakeholders' attitudes and dispositions towards race, gender and class, which has resulted in the development of culturally responsive teaching frameworks designed to address educational inequity for diverse groups of students. Research exploring cultural stereotypes of disability however, is generally missing from the special education literature. A phenomenographic case study design was used to explore stakeholders' cultural perceptions of disability, special education and inclusion in a rural elementary school. This study involved 30 participants from various stakeholder groups. Semi-structured interviews and a researcher developed image sort were utilized to explore participants' conceptions of disability, inclusion and special education. The data revealed that the majority of participants' perceive disability to be primarily physical or visible. This is important because the majority of students found eligible for special education services have invisible disabilities such as LD, ASD, EI, ADHD, POHI, etc. These findings have significant implications for teacher practice and teacher preparation programs. -- Abstract.
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