Course Description: This course is designed to provide reciprocal academic and social benefits to students with disabilities and their peers without disabilities. Students enrolled in the course will learn and apply knowledge and skilled practices in the areas of academic engagement, communication, social barriers, leadership, problem solving, and other disability-related topics such as historical perspectives, inclusion, Universal Design for Learning, person-first language, presumed competence, equitable services for students with disabilities, and media representation of diverse people.
The content and concepts should include, but not be limited to, the following:
- Know and understand the legal and human rights of people with disabilities and their families.
- Understand and apply the concepts of confidentiality and self-determination.
- Understand historical events and aspects of disability and their influence on current attitudes, beliefs, and practices.
- Build awareness and understanding, through research and communication, of disability rights issues in the local community and beyond.
- Apply methods for problem-solving and advocacy (including self-advocacy for students with disabilities).
- Apply knowledge and strategies to promote learning for people with disabilities, in inclusive settings, through academic, communication, physical and social supports.
- Facilitate meaningful peer relationships in and out of school.
- Understand and facilitate team and cooperative learning skills among all students.
- Contribute to the concept of civic responsibility by researching and communicating information about equitable services in a democratic society.
- Design and implement one or more projects to demonstrate knowledge, understanding, and application of course content and concepts.
- Assess and evaluate the impact of course efforts on self and others.
This course should be taught using the appropriate standards/benchmarks for the grade.
