Curated by disabled educational developers. Last edited: 10/15/2024.
This resource guide was created by a group of disabled educational developers who felt that recent conversations about disability and accommodations in higher education were harmful and uninformed. To dispel some myths and promote understanding of disability and accommodations in the academy, we curated resources that provide context, data, and stories to help learners at all levels of familiarity with disability and accommodations. While you're reading, be aware of confirmation bias. Look for information that challenges your current views, not just those that reinforce your views. We have also included a list of colleagues and allies who are doing work to support accessibility in the academy. We hope this set of resources helps inform how you approach your work.
“Neurodiversity: Some Basic Terms & Definitions,” by Nick Walker (short article)
“Access Friction Explained,” by Calling Up Justice (short article and 30 min video)
Kwan, R. (Host) (2020, July 26). Americans with Disabilities Act (No. 82) [Audio podcast episode 29 min]. Disability Visibility Project.
Mingus. (2011, February 12). Changing the framework: Disability justice. Leaving Evidence. (blog post)
“Neurodiversity in the College Setting: A Basic Overview for Fostering Success,” by Sabina Conditt (article with corresponding infographics)
Thinking Differently About Different Ways of Thinking: Best Practices for Communicating and Working with Neurodivergent Colleagues, from The Diversity Movement. (21 page report)
Throw away the master’s tools: Liberating ourselves from the pathology paradigm by Nick Walker (article)
The Future is Disabled: Prophecies, Love Notes and Mourning Songs by Leah Lakshmi Piepzna-Samarasinha (Book, 334 pages)
Black Disability Politics by Sami Schalk (Book, 224 pages)
Blackness and Disability edited by Christopher M. Bell (Book, 180 pages)
Neuroqueer Heresies: Notes on the Neurodiversity Paradigm, Autistic Empowerment, and Postnormal Possibilities by Nick Walker (Book, 196 pages)
Academic Ableism: Disability and Higher Education, by Jay T. Dolmage (Book, 244 pages)
Crip Camp: A disability revolution (YouTube video, 1 hour 46 mins)
‘Nothing about us without us’: 16 moments in the fight for disability rights (NYT article)
We weren’t always visible - history of institutionalization and discrimination of people with disabilities
The diagnostic criteria for some conditions have been revised (Psychology Today article)
We’re creating more accessible spaces (short article)
Reduced stigma leads to more people seeking diagnoses (NPR article about increase in diagnoses among children)
More disabled kids are making it through K-12 successfully (stats from the National Center for Education Statistics)
21% of undergraduates in the US are disabled yet only ⅓ of those students report their disabilities to their schools for various reasons.
ADA Amendments Act of 2008 broadened the definition of disabilities requiring accommodation
Summary of disability facts from the World Health Organization
Impact of the Covid-19 pandemic (article)
Effects of disability-related services, accommodations, and integration on academic success of students with disabilities in higher education. A scoping review. (academic article)
How Disability Accommodations Empower Student Success (University of Illinois blog)
Academic Accommodations: They Do Make a Difference (Journal of Teaching Disability Studies)
Are Universities Failing the Accommodations Test? (from The Walrus)
ADHD Symptoms and Benefit From Extended Time Testing Accommodations (academic article)
Academic Ableism: Fighting for Accommodations and Access in Higher Education (Disability Visibility Project article)
“Student Voices: Recommendations for Improving Postsecondary Experiences of Students with Disabilities,” Journal of Postsecondary Education and Disability, 30(4): 309-326.
“Ableist Ivory Towers: a narrative review informing about the lived experiences of neurodivergent staff in contemporary higher education.” by Damian Mellifont in Disability and Society (2023). (21 page article)
Don’t Mourn for Us by Jim Sinclair (5 page article)
Miserandino, C. (2003). The spoon theory. But You Don’t Look Sick? (blog post)
Disability Visibility Project, created by MacArthur Fellow Alice Wong (online community)
Autistic Community and the Neurodiversity Movement: Stories from the Frontline, edited by Steven K. Kapp (2020). (book, 330 pages)
Why Is Disability Missing From the Discourse on Diversity? (chronicle article)
Self-Examination: How Inclusive is Your Campus? From the Disabilities, Opportunities, Internetworking, and Technology, a program at the University of Washington.
Dyslexia Friendly Style Guide, from the British Dyslexia Association
The Neurodiverse Classroom: A Teacher’s Guide to Individual Learning Needs and How to Meet Them, by Victoria Honeybourne (2018). (book, 192 pages)
The Canary Code: A Guide to Neurodiversity, Dignity, and Intersectional Belonging at Work, by Ludmila N. Praslova (2024).(book, 352 pages)