YS 605 - Reframing Dis/Ability (3 Credits)

Prerequisite/Co-Requisite: YS 600
This course will examine how the concept and construct of dis/ability can affect youth’s perceptions of themselves, school, adults, and society and how youth workers can support the success of students with dis/abilities in various settings. With a focus on how dis/ability intersects with race, socio-economic status, gender, sexuality, drop-out rates and juvenile justice, this course seeks to reframe the traditional deficit based narrative of dis/abilities. Using Critical Dis/ability (DisCrit) as a theoretical framework, this course aims to dismantle and reconstruct commonly held beliefs about those who have been labeled to foster a strength-based mindset in youth workers and youth programs. While students will be steeped in theory, they will also explore best practices for how to incorporate universal design into youth programs as well as learn from organizations that are doing exemplary work with students with dis/abilities.