Panel Discussion
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Professional Development/Research Opportunity for Faculty
Project ShIFT (Shaping Inclusion through Foundational Transformation) is a U. S. Department of Education demonstration grant to improve higher education quality for students by promoting disability inclusion at a foundational level. Katheryne Staeger-Wilson (Director of Disability Services) was one of 25 people nationally selected to participate in this grant project. The program will also include one member of the Missouri State faculty who will work with Staeger-Wilson to create faculty development projects and to build new skill-sets among instructors. The program will help craft curriculum to be more inclusive and to enhance learning for all students. For more information regarding the grant, please see http://www.missouristate.edu/ud/67987.htm.
The faculty member selected will make a two year commitment to the grant project that consists of the following:
- Attend two, one week, summer institutes in Denver, Colorado (2010 and 2011, all expenses paid), that will guide the faculty member in creating curriculum and teaching strategies that infuse new conceptualizations of disability and universal design into their classes.
- Summarize, document and sustain successful changes in teaching.
- Opportunities for research and to collaborate with other faculty across the nation.
Faculty will be supported in their grant activities through curriculum materials and guides, monthly technical assistance, conference calls, and grant project website. Faculty may be provided a summer stipend (as needed) to attend the Project ShIFT summer institutes and for project-related activities through the grant period.
Interested faculty should have the majority of the following qualities:
- Interest/research in matters of diversity.
- Ability to effect change in their departments and across campus.
- Skills and personality to navigate campus politics and attitudes.
- Teach high enrollment undergraduate classes.
- Willing to consider new ways of thinking and teaching.
- Can make a two year commitment.
- Have a high faculty rank or tenure.
Interested faculty should submit a one to three page letter of interest that clearly articulates the criteria listed above along with a statement of course teaching load. Submissions should be sent to Katheryne Staeger-Wilson, Director of Disability Services, at katherynestaeger-wilson@missouristate.edu by Thursday, March 25, 2010.
Posted in Project ShIFT, UD, Uncategorized
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Book Series: Disability
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Upcoming CHPA Research Forum
“Reading Talmudic Bodies: Disability, Narrative, and the Gaze in Rabbinic Judaism”
In literary texts, disability often functions as both metaphor and mirror, allowing us to examine critically how cultures view bodies, the limits of normalcy, and the spectacle of difference. The Babylonian Talmud, the 6th century magnum opus of rabbinic Jewish thought, includes a number of stories and tales that highlight the contested nature of the body. My talk focuses on the talmudic tale of a righteous rabbi who curses himself with physical weakness for failing to save the life of a poor man. Through the eyes of the rabbi’s students, who must grapple with the meaning of their teacher’s disability, the text raises sharp questions about the significance of physicality, the power of the gaze, and the way bodies refuse to surrender to a simple, surface reading.
Presented by:
Julia Watts-Belser, Professor
Religious Studies
December 3, 2009
3:30PM – 4:30PM
Strong Hall 203
Hosted by the College for Humanities and Public Affairs
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Universal Design Presentation
Universal Design: A new paradigm for designing equitable and inclusive learning environments
Venue: Meyer Library 101
Date: November 5, 2009
Time: 2:00PM-3:00PM
Presented by:
Katheryne Staeger-Wilson
Director, Disability Services
Missouri State University
This presentation will examine the importance of changing how we perceive disability, shifting from the medical model to the socio-political model of disability. This new model is the foundation for incorporating Universal Design (UD). MSU’s Disability Services was recently selected to participate in a three-year grant funded by the U.S. Department of Education called Project ShIFT (Shaping Inclusion through Foundational Transformation). We will explore the opportunities of this grant; with the purpose of how UD can be applied to teaching to enhance the learning of all students.
Event is free!
Open to current students, faculty and staff.
Registration is not required.
The Faculty Center for Teaching and Learning in collaboration with the Office of Disability Services will sponsor a book series on this topic during the Spring Semester 2010.
Posted in Project ShIFT, UD, Upcoming Events
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Universal Design and Public Affairs
Missouri State University’s Public Affairs Mission theme for this year is Evolving Economic Realities. There are many economic realities to confront when one has a disability. The points listed below are just a few economic realities encountered by the disability community:
- Lack of affordable, accessible health care
- Barriers found in public policy and the service industry when attempting to obtain government assistance
- Barriers faced when a person with a disability does receive assistance and attempts to live on what SSI benefits one may receive
- The incredibly high unemployment rate for people with disabilities
All of these are tremendous economic realities which are also a matter of social justice. However, Disability Services decided to focus in on one specific economic reality regarding disability…accessible, affordable housing through the utilization of universal design in housing.
There is a tremendous lack of accessible, affordable housing not only locally but nationally. A home is a basic need for anyone and it is very difficult for people with disabilities to find a home that is accessible and affordable. There is some housing available that is mandated to be accessible under the Fair Housing Act. However, many times the minimum legal requirements leave the home legally accessible but not usable. It leaves the person with a disability wanting more.
The majority of people with disabilities live in poverty for many different reasons. Coming from a social model perspective, we believe these social justice issues are social constructed. Disability is the largest minority group that anyone can become a member of at any time. So why isn’t there more affordable, accessible housing? Why isn’t affordable housing universally designed to meet the needs of everyone?
To further examine this issue, Disability Services this year is partnering with MSU’s Habitat for Humanity student organization as well as the local Habitat for Humanity-Springfield affiliate. We will be involved in this year’s Bear Build. This home will be universally designed for a family who has a member with a disability. We will be providing information about universal design so that UD features can be incorporated into the build. Through this process we hope to make this family’s home usable for everyone with no adaptation or “specialized” design. In this process, we also hope to educate future designers (our students) about the economic realities for those with disabilities as well as the importance of universal design housing.
On Monday, September 14th, Disability Services participated in the Habitat for Humanity Kick Off events for Public Affairs Week. We hosted an informational table, educated students about the importance of the UD build, and participated in Habitat for Humanity’s events. Disability Services also shared information regarding disability culture, etiquette, and appropriate language.
Below are some great reasons for universally designing housing:
- Environments designed universally serve all individuals; the need for separate systems and accommodations is minimized. These environments are more welcoming and enjoyable for all.
- Accessibility standards are integrated during design rather than approached as an afterthought.
- Accessibility is built in and does not need to be re-addressed as each new individual encounters the environment.
- Reduces potential costs associated with retrofitting traditional designs.
- Universal Design in new housing construction increases the long-term value of those units by appealing to a larger number of people without adaptation or specialized design.
- Increases the amount of affordable, accessible, usable housing to support more people currently searching for affordable housing.
- Allows our aging population to age in place.
Submitted by Katheryne Staeger-Wilson, Director – Disability Services
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Public Affairs and Basic UD Strategies for Our Colleagues
The staff of Disability Services believes that when educating people about Universal Design that we are fulfilling the three major themes of our institution’s Public Affairs Mission: Ethical Leadership, Cultural Competence, and Community Engagement. Our staff fulfills these mission themes in numerous ways throughout the year. One example occurred this past summer, on August 7, 2009, when Disability Services hosted PEPNet‘s (Postsecondary Education Programs Network) Regional Roundtable. The purpose of PEPNet is to increase and improve secondary and postsecondary educational opportunities for individuals who are Deaf or hard of hearing. Over 40 people attended the event here at Missouri State University with participants from Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri. Topics covered at the event included use of assistive listening devices to advocacy and making classroom accessible.
One of the sessions focused on Universal Design (UD) in instruction. PEPNet defined Universal Design (UD) as an approach to designing course instruction, materials, and content to benefit people of all learning styles without adapting or retrofitting. PEPNet believes that not only do the Deaf and hard of hearing benefit from UD, but all students; specifically those with other disabilities, students who use English as a second language, international students, non-traditional students, and students whose learning style is inconsistent with the teacher’s preferred teaching style.
Below is a list of some UD teaching strategies PEPNet recommended:
- Do your best to create a welcoming environment in your classroom for all students. Keep in mind that your actions and the attitude you display toward students with disabilities are observed by all students in the class.
- Utilize technology in the classroom when teaching.
- Provide information in multiple modes.
- Signal new topics in as clear a way as possible.
- Include long pauses.
- Deliberately state that you are beginning a new topic.
- Outline class material in the corner of the board and point to new topics as you proceed through the material.
- Detail changes in email or an accessible course website.
- Post class notes, PowerPoint slides, and other visual aids to an accessible website.
- When presenting information with overheads or PowerPoint slides, allow time for all students to read the material shown.
- Make certain there are no line-of-sight issues. Can students see you, the board, visual aids, sign language interpreters, etc.
- Assess the sound environment of the classroom. Are students able to hear you over sounds in the room? Do you need to use a microphone?
- Speak slowly and clearly.
- Repeat comments made and questions asked by other students in the class before responding.
- Make eye contact with students.
- Present material in a logical progression.
- Try to prevent unintended false starts, backtracking, or drifting off topic when you present material.
- Ensure a learning space that accommodates both students and instructional methods.
PEPNet staff noted that these UD strategies not only enhance equal access for Deaf and hard of hearing students but to all students. These strategies have the potential of enhancing the learning of everyone and takes little effort or financial resources.
Submitted by Katheryne Staeger-Wilson, Director – Disability Services
Posted in Disability Services, Public Affairs, UD
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Disability Services Develops Core Values
As we strive to make changes in how we perceive disability, we felt it was important to have core values to guide us to reframe disability and support our office mission statement. In 2005, Disability Services changed the mission of the office to reflect the new philosophy we were trying to incorporate. Ever since, our staff has tried to reframe disability and the services we provide, attempting to focus more on how we proactively design our learning environments. You can see some of the changes we have made in the past that reflects the beginnings of this paradigm shift.
We welcome others to use the core values when they think about disability and diversity in their own work. Below are the adopted core values.
- Human variation is natural and vital in the development of dynamic communities.
- Disability is a social/political concept that includes people with a variety of conditions who share common experiences.
- Inclusion and full participation are matters of social justice.
- Design is powerful and profoundly influences our daily lives.
- Universal design is essential for achieving inclusion and full participation.
- Creating usable, equitable, sustainable, and inclusive environments is a shared responsibility.
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Project ShIFT Begins
I recently returned from Denver, Colorado to begin the first of a three year grant project. I spent the week with 25 of my colleagues discussing the profession of Disability Services and the changes we need to create in ourselves, in how we do business, and within our own field.
Project ShIFT stands for Shaping Inclusion through Foundational Transformation. My colleagues and I discussed how we might “shift” our thinking about disability and how we create equal access to our programs and services. We examined disability history, culture, and disability studies. We looked at the medical and social models of disability and discussed how our profession could make a shift to the social model.
As a result of the grant project, our Disability Services office at MSU will be exploring the following concepts:
- Appreciate disability as a positive difference and an integral part of our diverse community.
- Review our office procedures and infuse the social model of disability into our daily work.
- Be mindful of the language we use and how powerful it is. So much of the language our profession uses is very clinical and from the medical model we are trying to move away from.
- Reframe disability. The “problem” does not lie within the individual and does not need to be fixed/cured. The problem is how our society perceives disability negatively and how we design our programs, policies, and procedures.
- Encourage others to learn about disability studies and how this academic work is the philosophy behind universal design.
During the last two years of the grant we will be including faculty members in the discussion. We should include faculty in learning about these concepts and consider how we can transform our learning environments. In the meantime, we will document our journey on this blog and encourage others to learn with us.
Submitted by Katheryne Staeger-Wilson – Disability Services
Posted in Disability Services, Project ShIFT
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Photo Gallery
As a way to help promote a diverse, welcoming environment, we have created a photo gallery that Missouri State University departments can use when creating publications and web pages. Click here to go to the gallery located on the Universal Design website.
Posted in Photo Gallery, UD
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