In this class we look at the notion of ability and the various ways educational institutions respond to their personnel with differing levels of ability. We look at constructs related to ability such as “gifted,” “disabled,” and “special education” and traditional strategies such as “accommodation,” “mainstreaming,” and “pull outs.”Learning Goals: 1. Describe what is typically meant by the labels “gifted,” “special education” and “learning disability,” and discuss strategies and challenges involved in categorizing students in this way. 2. Describe challenges facing staff members who are the subject of these differences and their organizational responses. Key Questions: 1. How do our discussions about the concept of “normal” so far in the course (for example, the role that power and language play in shaping our views of normal) help us understand the notions of “disability” and “giftedness”? 2. How do you define equitable performance conditions and outcomes for personnel with different abilities? 3. How well does your own organization address the needs of employees with different abilities?