Ability Privilege Lesson
11th grade, 12th grade, college and beyond Sharon Pennock 11th grade, 12th grade, college and beyond Sharon Pennock

Ability Privilege Lesson

This activity is designed for students to reflect on their own lives and their privilege status. Unfortunately in our society certain groups can navigate with ease, while others must fight for their basic rights. Students will reflect on how their ability (able-bodied or disabled) affects their lives and how they can use their privilege to help others.

Image Description: various heights of different colored bars lined up next to one another. The words “Ability Privilege” towards the top.

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Black Disabled Art History Lesson

Black Disabled Art History Lesson

Students will select a Black Disabled artist from Leroy Moore’s Black Disabled Art History 101. Students will research their selected artist and their works. Students will choose a piece of artwork created by this artist and analyze it using a critical artistic framework. This lesson can be adapted for a wide range of ages.

Image description: Cover photo of Black Disabled Art History 101

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Blind Willie Johnson Lesson
9th grade, 10th grade, 11th grade, 12th grade Sharon Pennock 9th grade, 10th grade, 11th grade, 12th grade Sharon Pennock

Blind Willie Johnson Lesson

Students will learn about one of the most influential blues guitarists of the early 1900s, Blind Willie Johnson. They will read an article detailing his life and how he is remembered. The class will then listen to an example of his music, and covers of his music. Students will also discuss how blind musicians can help advance the discussion concerning the stigma of disability.   

Image description: halftone photograph of Blind Willie Johnson

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Calendar of Events

Calendar of Events

A calendar of events that recognizes various days (and months) is an easy way to bring the conversation about disability into your classrooms and schools. Including discussion of disabled people throughout the year sends a message to all that disabled students are recognized and valued as a part of the education community.

Image description: calendar page tilted at an angle, reading glasses rest on the bottom corner of the calendar

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Coloring Books, Pages and Clip Art with Disability Representation

Coloring Books, Pages and Clip Art with Disability Representation

Including coloring pages and artwork in lessons (some of these allow you to use as clip art) that includes disability representation furthers the goal of regularizing disability by seeing it and offering opportunities to learn and ask questions.

Image Description: small images of the coloring books on a yellow background

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Concentric Circles Lesson
11th grade, 12th grade Sharon Pennock 11th grade, 12th grade Sharon Pennock

Concentric Circles Lesson

In this lesson students will contemplate how they perceive disability and explore stereotypes and misconceptions of disability through a circle discussion activity. This lesson is intended as an introductory activity on disability. Students are just beginning the discussion on disability. 

Image description: rainbow concentric circles

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Demystifying Pennhurst State School Lesson
10th grade, 11th grade, 12th grade Sharon Pennock 10th grade, 11th grade, 12th grade Sharon Pennock

Demystifying Pennhurst State School Lesson

In this lesson students will compare and contrast 3 videos on Pennhurst State School. Students will delve into two narratives, The “horror” and “historical”. In a class discussion, students will discuss the implications of each narrative on how society views mental illness and intellectual disability. Students will learn about Pennhurst and the historic self-advocacy of the residents and the eventual closing of the PA institution.

Image description: Black and white photograph of Pennhurst

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Disability and Disability Arts Invisible Disabilities/Autism/Poetry/Golden Shovels Poetic Form
9th grade, 10th grade, 11th grade, 12th grade Sharon Pennock 9th grade, 10th grade, 11th grade, 12th grade Sharon Pennock

Disability and Disability Arts Invisible Disabilities/Autism/Poetry/Golden Shovels Poetic Form

Lesson title: Disability and Disability Arts - Disability and Disability Arts Invisible Disabilities/ Autism/Poetry/ Golden Shovels Poetic Form

This is a three part lesson to introduce the student to disability and a disabled artist's work. Disability arts is an art form where the context of the art takes on disability as its theme. Disability art is about exploring the various realities of what it's like to be disabled. The theme of disability may be used in a variety of ways in how the artist chooses to represent the theme in their work. This lesson uses poetry created by Ian Fay.

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Disability and Disability Arts - Invisible Disabilities - “See Me; Invisibility” Paintings Lessons
9th grade, 10th grade, 11th grade, 12th grade Sharon Pennock 9th grade, 10th grade, 11th grade, 12th grade Sharon Pennock

Disability and Disability Arts - Invisible Disabilities - “See Me; Invisibility” Paintings Lessons

Disability and Disability Arts - Invisible Disabilities - “See Me; Invisibility” Paintings Lessons

This is a three part lesson to introduce the student to disability and a disabled artist's work. Disability arts is an art form where the context of the art takes on disability as its theme. Disability art is about exploring the various realities of what it's like to be disabled. The theme of disability may be used in a variety of ways in how the artist chooses to represent the theme in their work. This lesson uses 3 paintings created by Mali Fenning.

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Disability History through Primary Sources

Disability History through Primary Sources

As our friends from Engaging America state, “Primary sources … can provide entry points and deepen exploration into historical events. Primary sources add immediacy, such as the faces in a photograph, the emotional tone of a drawing or song, or the complex look of a handwritten document. Documents from multiple points of view can illuminate conflicting ideas and events. Varied media, including maps, oral histories, published reports, and graphs offer many options for connection and investigation”.

We share these collections or primary sources as tools to continue introducing disability into the conversation from natural perspectives, using disabled people to tell their own stories whenever possible.

Image Description: Article from Dallas Times Herald, Wednesday, January 14, 1986 in section “Community Close-Up” titled “Police on sidewalk wheelchair ramps changed”
Full image description can be found at: https://adaptmuseum.net/gallery/picture.php?/451/category/16

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Disability Justice Lesson Plan - Education Amplifier

Disability Justice Lesson Plan - Education Amplifier

In this lesson plan, you’ll find six modules that you can mix and match, that all teach about different aspects of disability rights and disability justice.

Image Description: Education Amplifier’s illustration of Lydia X.Z. Brown

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Easterseals Short Films Lesson Plan
9th grade, 10th grade, 11th grade, 12th grade Sharon Pennock 9th grade, 10th grade, 11th grade, 12th grade Sharon Pennock

Easterseals Short Films Lesson Plan

Students will review the social model of disability and then apply it to 4 short films created for the Easterseals Disability Film Challenge. “The Easterseals Disability Film Challenge gives filmmakers—with and without disabilities—the opportunity to collaborate to tell unique stories that showcase disability in its many forms (disabilityfilmchallenge.com).” Students will watch the 4 winning films, and then break into groups to focus on analyzing one film as a group.

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FDR Hiding his Disability Lesson

FDR Hiding his Disability Lesson

Students will engage in discussion about the Stigma associated with disability. They will then learn about FDR and how illness made him lose the ability to fully walk. They will then learn about how FDR, the people around him, and the press worked to keep his disability as secret as possible. This will lead to a discussion about the impact of his decision to hide his disability, and how taking a prideful approach to his disability could have changed how people perceived him and others with disabilities.

Image description: photograph of Franklin D. Roosevelt

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Patient No More: People with Disabilities Securing Civil Rights

Patient No More: People with Disabilities Securing Civil Rights

Teaching the story of the 504 occupation, the focus of the Patient No More exhibit, will undoubtedly leave students with a new perspective toward living with a disability. “Patient No More” offers a story about the creativity and strength that comes out of the disability community, an incredible example of how change can happen from the bottom up. It's also a story about how disability rights have changed the lives of all Americans in ways they might not realize.

Image Description: “Patient No More - People with disabilities securing civil rights” black and white photo of protestors with capitol building in the background, many in wheelchairs, one with a sign on the back of their wheelchair that says “We Shall Overcome”

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