Program Overview

Disability Dialogues is a program I created for Resources for Disabled Students (RDS) that launched in January 2016. This program focuses on creating open dialogues where participants can engage and learn about disability, its presence in the world, and how it interacts with a variety of identities.

The idea for this program came from a desire to increase awareness about disability on campus. I wanted others on campus to see disability as an aspect of diversity as well as a social justice and to think critically about the way we perceive disability. My hope was that if I could increase awareness of disability and topics related to it, it would lead to a more inclusive campus for those with disabilities.

The idea for this program is supported by Zamudio, Rios, and Jamie’s critical education theory, “The potential for liberation always exists when students are encouraged to step outside of their individual world, to develop empathy, to think historically, and to think critically”  (2008, p. 216).

I have facilitated almost all of the dialogues that have been held over the length of the program. For this, I have employed a variety of facilitation strategies to help participants think critically about the topic at hand. I often begin each dialogue by asking the participants a number of open-ended questions to help get a conversation started. From there I let the participants steer the dialogue where they want it to go.

When facilitating I tried to remain as impartial as possible. I am there to facilitate the conversation, not to influence others. I worked the keep the conversation on track by redirecting the conversation when it begins to stray from the topic. I often summarized points participants make and offer probing questions to further the dialogue.

Program Topics and Partnerships

Topics that have been covered in these dialogues include:

• Disability in the media
• Disability as a social identity
• Disability and race
• Disability in other cultures
• Disability and the LGBTQ+ community
• Disability and gender
• Disability and mental health
• Disability in the military
• Disability and interpersonal violence
• Disclosing a disability
• Reframing Disability
• Disability pride
• Disability in relationships
• Disability stigma
• Sympathy, empathy, and pity
• Campus accessibility
• Disability in the workforce

For many of these dialogues, I partnered with other offices around campus to bring in perspectives I was not as familiar with. Some of the offices I partnered with include:

• offices within the Student Diversity Programs and Services cluster
  • Asian/Pacific American Cultural Center
  • Black/African American Cultural Center
  • El Centro
  • Native American Cultural Center
  • Pride Resource Center
  • Women and Gender Advocacy Center
• Adult Learner and Veteran Services
• Office of Equal Opportunity,
• Office of International Programs

By partnering with these offices I was not only able to advertise the dialogues to a wider audience, but I was able to create richer conversations by including people who were experts in a variety of fields.

Marketing and Evaluation

In addition to designing and facilitating this program, I also created all of the marketing and promotional materials. I used social media to promote each of the dialogues.

At the end of each semester, I conducted a summative evaluation of the program. For this evaluation, I sent out a short survey to all those who participated in the program. This survey helped to evaluate things like engagement, interest in certain topics, level of participation, etc. This survey also gave participants a chance t offer feedback on what they would like to see changed in the future.

Reflection

This program was a major aspect of my work during my time with RDS. Because I helped develop it and have facilitated it I take great pride in this program. This program has allowed me to begin creating some change on campus, by changing attitudes towards people with disabilities.

Through this program, I grew as a facilitator. When it first started each dialogue was very structured, and sometimes felt like a lecture. As the program progressed I loosened things up and allowed it to feel more like a dialogue. I also learned to act more as a facilitator and less like a participant. I realized that my job as a facilitator is to start conversations and keep them on track. It is up to the participants to pull meaning from the dialogue. It is not my job to interject my opinion or try to persuade participants of anything.

References

University of Missouri. (2018) Guide to facilitating dialogues. Retrieved from https://diversity.missouri.edu/education/handouts/facilitating-dialogue.pdf

Zamudio, M., Rios, F., & Jaime, A. M. (2008, 04). Thinking Critically about Difference: Analytical Tools for the 21st Century. Equity & Excellence in Education, 41(2), 215-229. doi:10.1080/10665680801957378