1. Examining a “Disability & Dialogue Series” Reflections, Rewrites, and Renovations
AHEAD National Convention 2017
Orlando, FL
Liz Thomson, PhD candidate
Philip Vasquez, PhD
UIC Dialogue Initiative

2. Philip Vasquez, PhD Co-Director, Dialogue Initiative
he/him/his
Higher education scholar specializing in diversity and social justice education
New Student Orientation
Liz Thomson, PhD candidate Graduate Assistant, Dialogue Initiative they/them/theirs
Disability Studies
Worked in two different cultural and diversity centers

3. Learning Outcomes
Participants will be able to describe the difference between debate, discussion, and dialogue.
Participants will be able to list different student development and disability studies theories used in the “Disability & Dialogue Series” program.
Participants will be able to take parts of the program and use with their own disability campus community.

4. Inclusive Space Make this space your own Gender inclusive language
Reading all text
Describing any images
Moderate pace while speaking
One person speaking at a time
Alternate person-first and disability-first language
How is the volume?

5. Theories Minority Group Model (Hahn, 1985, 1987)
Discriminatory attitudes are the problem
Obtaining civil rights primary solution
Social Justice Model (Castenada & Peters, 2000; Evans, 2016)
Role of privilege and oppression
Intersectionality of identities and experiences
Aim of elimination of ableism
Educational mission
Validation Theory (Rendon, 1994)
Students feel self-worth, accepted
In/out of the classroom
Role of validating agents
Developmental process
Most effective early on in student experience

6. Tenants of Dialogue
Sit in a circle; trained facilitators; sustained interactions; values experiential knowledge (University of Michigan, 2008)
Create a safe space through agreed upon “Community Guidelines” (University of Michigan, 2008)
Differences between debate, discussion, and dialogue (University of Michigan, 2008)
Building blocks of dialogue (Nagada, 2004)
Suspending judgments
Deep listening
Reflection and inquiry
Identifying assumptions

7. Community Guidelines

8. Debate, Discussion & Dialogue

9. Building Blocks of Dialogue

10. Reflecting on the dialogue process, how can we make it more accessible and inclusive?

11. Disability & Dialogue Series
Context
Co-curricular
Open to any student, but concentrated efforts for students with disabilities
Created with Disability Resource Center staff
Outreach and marketing
4 session series
Intro to dialogue
Identity
Community
Asset Mapping & Action Taking

12. Rewrites/Renovations
Reflections
Participants were all graduate students
Had one remote participant by Skype
4-week session is a commitment
DRC co-facilitator backed out due to low participation
Facilitator
Even more conscious of accessibility
Still early in my own disability studies education
Rewrites/Renovations
Recruit more undergraduates
Consider greater accessibility for many different disabilities
Consider alternative participation methods

13. How can this program be adapted to your campus. Challenges
How can this program be adapted to your campus? Challenges? Resources Needed?

14. Contact Information
Philip Vasquez (312)
Liz Thomson (312)
dialogue.uic.edu
Suggested Citation:
Thomson, E. & Vasquez, P. (2017). “Examining a Disability and Dialogue Series, Reflections, Rewrites, and Renovations.” Orlando, FL, AHEAD National Convention.

15. References
Evans, N. J. (2016). A Social Justice Approach to Disability in Higher Education. Indianapolis, IN: AHEAD Conference.
Hahn, H. (1985). Changing perceptions of disability and the future of rehabilitation. In L. G. Perlman & G. F. Austin (Eds.), Societal influences in rehabilitation planning: A blueprint for the 21st century (pp ) Alexandria, VA: National Rehabilitation Association.
(1987). Civil Rights for disabled Americans: The foundations of a political agenda. In A. Gartner & T. Joe (Eds.), Images of disabilities/Disabling images (pp New York: Praeger.
Program on Intergroup Relations, The. (2008). University of Michigan. Ann Arbor, MI. Retrieved from
Rendon, L. I. (1994). Validating Culturally Diverse Students: Toward a New Model of Learning and Student Development. Innovative Higher Education, 19(1),