Deconstructing ableism in the classroom

What

    

Deconstructing ableism in the classroom: a guide to equitable and dynamic instruction at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

This poster session focuses on a project being developed by students who were selected for a Student-Faculty Collaboration grant sponsored by the Center for Transformative Teaching.  Grants must either be proposed by students, or faculty must show how students will be involved in the co-creation of the proposal, and/or its execution.

The grant focuses on providing evidence-based teaching strategies for all instructors at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln in their instruction for students. The grant implements Universal Design for Learning while expounding on its benefits for both students with and without disabilities. Further, through the use of student-testimonial, the grant explains how instructors should approach conversations about disability to maximize student respect and achievement. Finally, the grant offers insight into common disabilities and their accommodations at UNL.  The project will include several videos, the first of which may be viewed on Yuja.

Why

The purpose of this project is to increase the visibility of the daily experiences of disabled students at UNL to push back against attitudes and assumptions that can be oppressive, as well as create a more inviting atmosphere for disabled students. The impact of the project would be quite large as we would like to house the video series on the SSD website as a resource for both students and professors to look at before each semester, on the ASUN website as an expression of our support for students at UNL, and eventually export the series to other Big Ten schools as an educational tool. 

All students at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln merit equitable access to their education and maintain the right to learn in an environment that is not hostile towards their level of ability. All students are capable of learning, and this project seeks to give instructors more tools to reach a wider demographic of students, while simultaneously reducing the workload of instructors in regard to further accommodations that will inevitably have to be made later on.

How

• Intentional Instructional Design following a UDL framework (Dynamic instruction targeting all three tenets: Engagement, Representation, Action and Expression)
• Ongoing responsible dialogue with all students, specifically those needing accommodations for their learning (We provide instruction on how to do this)
• Respect for University accommodations and for accessible education as a whole.

Contact Information

• Colin Dike- dikecolin@huskers.unl.edu
• Morgan McGee- morgan.mcgee@huskers.unl.edu
• Sue Kemp- sue.kemp@unl.edu

Return to Poster Presentations