Thread by @SaltySicky

This semester my @UUtah Disability & Comm students did Community Activism Projects instead of exams. They identified an issue related to disability and access in their communities, then spent the semester planning and doing something about it.

The projects were AMAZING. 🧵

The only rule was that the projects had to be outward-facing and engage audiences beyond our class, which is why I’m sharing a few here.

There were several more, including some personal/medical ones that I’m not sharing for the sake of privacy, but they were just as awesome.

One duo conducted surveys about disability and access in the U’s Greek Life recruitment practices. They created a detailed report of the results and included research-based recommendations for future practices, which they presented to the U’s Panhellenic Council.

One student addressed a recent closure of special ed programs in a local K-12 school district. He worked on a (successful!) petition to reverse the closure, & is now working with a school board member to promote integrated programming between special ed & mainstreamed students.

One team created a document with tips for university instructors to increase course accessibility—all of which have zero financial cost. They shared these with multiple academic departments at the U, as well as our campus resource center for teaching and learning.

Two students sent letters to the U’s marketing team, asking them to make policies regarding the use of accessibility features (captions, image descriptions) on all university-run social media accounts. One later focused on getting all Panhellenic chapters to adopt this.

One student worked with the National Ability Center to advocate for a local ski resort to create snow ramps w/magic carpets—both resources the resort already has—for adaptive skiers and boarders to have fuller access to resort lodges (bathrooms, food, etc.).

Another student did a social media takeover on the U’s Humanities IG page where she talked about the who/what/why/how of accessibility features on the platform.

A team of students frustrated by the documentation requirement for disability accommodations made an IG story about why this req is problematic. They included a full list of insurance plans accepted by U of U Health so students know if they’re covered before seeking this “proof.”

Another student partnered with the Utah Domestic Violence Coalition to create social media posts to raise awareness for their trauma-informed mental health services. Disabled folks are often trapped in DV situations based on financial and care needs, so this work is key.

These projects certainly weren’t easy, but WHEW am I proud of everything these students did. After a year of online everything, this Zoom class made me stoked about teaching again.

Bragging thread? Absolutely. Their work is worth it.