Each year, the TASH Conference strengthens the disability field by connecting attendees to innovative information and resources, facilitating connections between stakeholders within the disability movement, and helping attendees reignite their passion for an inclusive world. This year’s conference theme, “Gateway to Equity,” explores inclusive communities, schools, and workplaces that support people with disabilities, including those with complex support needs, in living a fair, just, and balanced life. Return to TASH website.
To counter possible misconceptions and stereotypes, teacher education programs have experimented with the integration of narratives written by or about individuals with disabilities into required special education coursework. This presentation shares the results of a qualitative study examining the impact of this literature on nontraditional pre-service teachers. As future educators in inclusive environments, their understandings of disability have a direct impact on the educational experiences of children within the classroom setting. After this session, participants will be able to: 1) identify the characteristics of nontraditional college students. 2) describe the genre of inclusion literature. 3) detail the results of a qualitative study examining the impact of inclusion literature on nontraditional pre-service teachers. 4) consider the larger impacts of this study for teaching practices in teacher education programs.
