What I Wish My Teacher Knew About My Disability
Summary of Poster Project | Showcase: “What I Wish My Teacher Knew About My Disability” Campaign is a research-based project that centers disability within the larger context of diversity and inclusion through visual representation and targeted conversation.
Drawing on the Business Writing (English 394) course goals and objectives, students will conduct research, analyze a variety of professional rhetorical situations, produce appropriate texts, and practice the stages required to produce competent, professional writing through planning, drafting, revising, and editing. Students will consider common myths, misunderstandings, and barriers associated with disabilities in the academic environment through the “What I Wish My Teacher Knew About My Disability” framework, working to underscore the validity and importance of Disability Awareness in the classroom.
Students will ultimately design posters to share research findings and raise awareness of critical disability-related issues that are unique to the learning environment. Project participants will showcase their work in October, which coincides with Disability Awareness Month. Faculty, staff, and students will be invited to visit the showcase to view posters, meet project developers, and join the conversation “What I Wish My Teacher Knew About My Disability.”
The project enhances a sense of scholarly community within the English department by amplifying the voices of UMD students with disabilities who would like to work with teachers to ensure that learning environments are inclusive for all bodies. By prioritizing disability and inclusion within the department’s commitment to diversity, the English department becomes an important ally to students with disabilities. Given the English Department’s current Diversity initiative, we are in a unique position to model a commitment to students with disabilities. Students who work on this project hope other departments will follow our lead and join this important conversation.
Related Writing Concepts, Skills, Assignments drawing on Business Writing Goals & Objectives
-
Audience Analysis: students were required to analyze a variety of relevant stakeholders
-
Grant Proposal Development: students composed a funding request to receive BtC Grant
-
Budget Analysis: students identified critical material/presentation requirements
-
Project Timeline: students drafted, evaluated, and revised project timelines
-
Draft, Review, Revise, Reflect: students drafted, reviewed, revised, and reflected on content
-
Primary and Secondary Research: students conducted primary and secondary research
-
Annotated Bibliography: students summarized and analyzed relevant sources
-
Genre, Conventions and Analysis: students studied and analyzed poster conventions
-
Audience Accommodation: students considered reader accommodation (color, font, content)
-
Usability: students considered accessibility features of the genre to ensure usability
-
Content Synthesis, Reduction, Presentation: students made decisions about content priority
-
Peer-Review: students conducted multiple rounds of peer-review during development stages
-
Rhetorical Situation: students considered audience, genre, purpose when designing content
-
Content Adaptation: students considered how to adapt content for in-person showcase
​
​
“What I Wish My Teacher Knew About My Learning Disability”
Campaign to Raise Awareness
English 394 | Fall 2019
Summary, Description, Links to posters and Supplemental Materials
Arielle Carreau, Eric Wu, and Remington Ro present “What I Wish My Teacher Knew About My Learning Disability.” This poster—a visual representation highlighting key aspects of their research on learning disabilities— centers on student’s fear to disclose their disability to teachers. Carreau’s, Wu’s, and Ro’s work emphasizes challenges associated with legitimizing need and maintaining autonomy in the classroom.
Donna Shi and Rebecca Kardon present “I Wish My Teacher Knew That Getting to Class Is Not Accessible.” This poster asks the reader to consider challenges faced by students with physical and mobility disabilities. Highlighting common barriers on campus such as non-working elevators, construction, and classroom layout, Shi and Kardon’s poster outline accessibility issues that impede students’ ability to access classrooms on campus.
Dongyan Tan and Xiaochuan Xu present “What I Wish My Teacher Knew About My Mental Disability.” This poster presentation centers on barriers that often prevent students from achieving academic success. Drawing on their research associated with depression, anxiety, and eating disorders, Xu and Tan outline the many invisible disabilities that impact student achievement.
Group/Daune O’Brien presents “The Classroom Environment Hurts Me” as a visual representation of common complaints from students who suffer from Sensory Processing Disorder. Drawing on parent, teacher, and student interviews, O’Brien and team identifies the most common barriers to classroom participation and offers recommendations for designing a sensory-friendly classroom.
Special thanks to the Center for Literary and Comparative Studies, English Department for sponsoring this event!
Follow our event on Twitter:
#WhatiWishMyTeacherKnew #DisabilityAwarenessUMD #BeyondTheClassroom
Daune O’Brien
English 394
Fall 2019
Beyond The Classroom