Research and experience tell us a great deal about how to successfully educate students with intellectual disability, but unfortunately this knowledge remains underutilized and inconsistently applied, writes researcher Michael F. Giangreco. Students with intellectual disability who have virtually identical profiles but live in different locales may find themselves in entirely different educational placements, ranging from special education schools and classes to regular classes with support. In this article, Giangreco discusses six keys to open the door given persons with intellectual disability access to inclusive environments, meaningful curriculums, purposeful instruction, and necessary supports. First and foremost is seeing the person, not just the disability, he writes: "We've been socialized to equate intellectual disability with deficit--to consider it the defining characteristic of a person. Too often the response is segregation, protectionism, and pity. In contrast, opportunities and supports are extended when we think of intellectual disability as another dimension of individual difference--one of the constellation of characteristics that are part of the human condition."