Course Syllabus

Rhetorics of Disability/Accessibility

Prefix and Number: 369.01

Semester and Year: Fall 2025

Number of Credit Hours: 3

Prerequisites: No prerequisites are required for this course.

Course Details

Day and Time: [tbd]

Meeting Location: [tbd]

Instructor Contact Information

Instructor Name: Patty Wilde

Instructor Contact Information: patty.wilde@wsu.edu

Instructor Office Hours: [click here for best practices] [tbd]

Course Description

English 369: Rhetorics of Disability/Composing for Accessibility offers an overview of key issues in disability studies, focusing specifically on the relationship between rhetoric and normative notions of ability and difference. Using a rhetorical lens, students in this class will critically examine models of disability, disability policies, and representations of intersectional “bodyminds.” While rhetoric has the power to shape constructions of normalcy and difference, as we will discuss, it can also be harnessed to challenge traditional views of disability. Exploring these how counter-narratives have been employed to advance disability justice, we will investigate the ways personal stories, in particular, have disrupted stigmas and overturned exclusive policies. As we explore the rhetorical dimensions of disability/accessibility, students will also work to cultivate a culture of access within their own communities, undertaking a series of projects that identify inaccessible spaces, places, and practices while concurrently honing their own inclusive composing and presentation skills.

Course Materials

Books:

Lorde, Audre. The Cancer Journals (any edition is fine).

Wong, Alice, editor. Disability Visibility: First-Person Stories From The Twentieth-Century, Vintage, 2020.

Other Materials: All readings outside of the book selections are located in Canvas.

**Student Learning Outcomes (SLOs)**
Course Learning Outcomes (students will be able to:)	Activities Supporting the Learning Outcomes	Assessment of the Learning Outcomes
Use Rhetorical Lens to Theorize and Understand Constructions of Dis/Ability: Identify, define, and describe models of disability, articulating how they rhetorically construction perspectives of disability	Lecture, readings, class discussion/activities, reading notes	Assessment of reading notes, student presentation, research project, reflection
Evaluate Representation: Assess how disability is rhetorically portrayed in various media forms and the effects of these representations on public perceptions and stereotypes	Lecture, readings, class discussion/activities, reading notes, student presentations	Assessment of reading notes, student presentation, research project, reflection
Apply Intersectional Analysis: Explore the intersections of disability with other social identities (such as race, gender, and class) and analyze how these intersections affect experiences of discrimination and privilege	Lecture, readings, class discussion/activities, reading notes	Assessment of reading notes, accessibility practice assignments, student presentation, access guide, research project, reflection
Demonstrate Understanding of Accessibility Principles: Articulate key principles of accessibility in writing, including the importance of clear language, inclusive content, and diverse representation	Lecture, readings, class discussion/activities, reading notes	Assessment of reading notes, accessibility practice assignments, student presentation, access guide, research project, reflection
Develop Accessible Composing Practices: produce written work that reflects diverse perspectives and is sensitive to issues of equity, representation, and inclusion	Lecture, readings, class discussion/activities, reading notes	Accessibility practice assignments, student presentation, access guide, research project
Identify and Reduce Barriers in Content: critically evaluate texts for accessibility barriers, offering suggestions for improvements regarding clarity and inclusivity	Lecture, readings, class discussion/activities, reading notes	Accessibility practice assignments, student presentation, access guide, research project, relfection

**Course Schedule**

**[Please note that a WSU semester is 15 weeks + Thanksgiving/Spring Break. The schedule below does not include the break.]**
Dates	Lesson Topic	Assignment	Assessment
Week 1	Introduction to Rhetorics of Disability and Composing for Accessibility I am Not Your Inspiration”—Stella Young https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8K9Gg164Bsw Models of Disability Disability as Methodology	Read: “James C. Wilson and Cynthia Lewiecki-Wilson’s “Disability, Rhetoric, and the Body” Jule Avril Minich, “Enabling Whom? Critical Disability Studies Now” Sami Schalk, “Critical Disability Studies as Methodology” Write: Reading Notes One	Reading Notes One
Week 2	Representations of Disability across Bodyminds Centering Access Accessible Presentations Accessible Typography Sign up for DV Presentations	Read: Rosemarie Garland-Thomson, "Disability, Identity, and Representation” from Extraordinary Bodies Eli Clare, "Gawking, Gaping, Staring" Jay Dolmage, “An Archive and Anatomy of Disability Myths” from Disability Rhetoric Introduction to Disability Visibility (Wong) Access is Love Project and Access is Love Reading List Aimi Hamraie, “Beyond Accommodation: Disability, Feminist Philosophy, and the Design of Everyday Academic Life” Composing Access: https://u.osu.edu/composingaccess/before-the-presentation/ Fonts for Accessibility Write: Reading Notes Two	Reading Notes Two
Week 3	In/Visible Disabilities Americans with Disabilities Act Access Guides Introduce Access Guide Assignment	Read: Review CCCC Accessibility Guide and RAMP Ruth Osorio, “Documenting Barriers, Transforming Academic Cultures” Michelle Maroto and David Pettinicchio, “Twenty-Five Years After the ADA” Margaret Price, “Listening to the Subject of Mental Disability” from Mad at School Remi Yergeau, “Clinically Significant Disturbance” Katie Rose Guest Pryal, “Anxiety in Academia” and “Population Shock Events” from A Light in the Tower Brenda Jo Brueggemann, et al. “Becoming Visible: Lessons in Disability” Write: Reading Notes Three	Reading Notes Three
Week 4	Disability and Language Disability in Our Communities and Coalition Building Captions and Image Description Speech-to-Text Software	Read: Jay Dolmage, “Disability Studies of Rhetoric,” from Disability Rhetoric Sami Schalk, “Coming to Claim Crip” Katie Rose Guest Pryal, “How to Talk about Mental Disability” from A Light in the Tower Simi Linton, "Reassigning Meaning" “Writing Respectfully: Person-First and Identity-First Language,” National Institutes of Health Margaret Price and Erin Kathleen Bahl, “The Rhetoric of Description” “Guidelines for Creating Image Descriptions” and “Accessible Text” Write: Reading Notes Four Accessible Writing Practice: Captioning Images	Reading Notes Four Accessible Writing Practice: Captioning Images
Week 5	Intersectional Identities Video Transcriptions Writing for Screen Readers	Read: Alison Kafer, “Imagined Futures” from Feminist, Queer, Crip Nirmala Erevelles and Andrea Minear, “Unspeakable Offenses” Jasbir Puar, “Bodies with New Organs” from The Right to Maim Considering Screen Readers Write: Reading Notes Five	Reading Notes Five
Week 6	In-Class Workshop: Access Guide Usability and Accessibility Testing Student/Teacher Conferences	Write: First Draft of Access Guide Meet: Conference with Me to Discuss Your Guide	First Draft of Access Guide Conference with Me (Part of First Draft Grade)
Week 7	Trauma and Wellness Writing Introduce Final Research Project	Read: Angela Carter, “When Silence Said Everything” James Pennebaker, "Telling Stories: The Health Benefits of Narrative" Audre Lorde’s The Cancer Journals Write: Reading Notes Six Final Draft of Access Guide	Reading Notes Six Final Draft of Access Guide
Week 8	Representations of Disability in the Archive Artifacts from Oregon's Dammasch Mental Hospital Transcribing Videos	Read: Jay Dolmage, “Rhetorical Histories of Disability” from Disability Rhetoric Rosemarie Garland-Thomson, "Staring: How We Look" Sara White, "Crippling the Archive" Oregon State University Disability Archives Resource Chad Iwertz and Ruth Osorio, “Composing Captions” Write: Reading Notes Seven Accessible Writing Practice: Transcribing Videos	Reading Notes Seven Accessible Writing Practice: Transcribing Videos
Week 9	Universal Design for Learning in Higher Education Accessibility and Social Media	Read: Thomas Tobin and Kirsten Behling, “How Universal Design for Learning Got to Higher Education” and “It’s the Law…Except When It Isn’t” from Reach Everyone, Teach Everyone Jay Dolmage, “Universal Design: Places to Start” Tanya Titchkosky, “Access as an Act of Perception” from The Question of Access Ada Hubrig, “Beyond (Favor) Access: Constellating Communities through Collective Access” Margaret Price, “The Cost of Access” from CripSpaceTime Accessibility and Social Media Write: Reading Notes Eight Accessible Writing Practice: Writing Social Media Posts	Reading Notes Eight Accessible Writing Practice: Writing Social Media Posts
Week 10	In-Class Workshop: Project Development Student/Teacher Conferences	Write: Project Proposal Meet: Conference with Me to Discuss Your Proposal	Research Proposal Conference with Me (Part of Proposal Grade)
Week 11	Disability and the (Writing) Classroom	Read: Jay Dolmage, “Mapping Composition: Inviting Disability in the Front Door” Tara Wood et al., “Moving Beyond Disability 2.0 in the Composition Classroom” Deb Martin, “Add Disability and Stir” Tara Wood, “Cripping Time” Remi Yergeau et al., “Disability & Kairotic Spaces” Write: Reading Notes Nine Accessible Writing Practice: Assessing Website Accessibility	Reading Notes Nine Accessible Writing Practice: Assessing Website Accessibility
Week 12	Where We’ve Been, Where We’re Going	Read: Alison Kafer, “Accessible Futures, Future Coalitions” from Feminist, Queer, Crip Eli Clare, excerpts from Brilliant Imperfection Leah Lakshmi-Piepzna-Samarasinha, excerpts from Care Work Write: Reading Notes Ten	Reading Notes Ten
Week 13	In-Class Workshop: Research Development Student/Teacher Conferences	Write: Research Essay First Draft Meet: Conference with Me to Discuss Your Research	Research Essay First Draft Conference with Me (Part of Grade for First Draft)
Week 14	In-Class Workshop: Re-Mediated Project	Compose: Digital Re-mediation of Your Research Draft	Digital Re-mediation of Your Research Draft
Week 15	Multimedia Project Presentations	Write: Final Essay and Multimedia Project Course Reflection	Final Essay and Multimedia Project Course Reflection

Expectations for Student Effort

For this upper-division English course, students should expect to spend a minimum of 9-10 hours per week outside of class engaged in activities including, but not limited to: reading, listening to/viewing media, completing writing assignments and reviewing instructor feedback, contributing to discussions, and conducting research.

Grading

Assignment Breakdown
Type of Assignment (tests, papers, etc)	Points	Percent of Overall Grade
Reading Notes (20 points @ 10)	200	20%
Accessible Writing Practice Assignments (20 points @5)	100	10%
Disability Visability Presentation	100	10%
Accessibility Guide	200	20%
Research Proposal	50	5%
Research Essay	200	20%
Re-Mediation Project	100	10%
Course Reflection	50	5%

Grading Schema
Grade	Percent	Grade	Percent
A	94-100%	C	74-76.9%
A-	90-93.9%	C-	70-73.9%
B+	87-89.9%	D+	65-69.9%
B	84-86.9%	D	61-64.9%
B-	80-83.9%	F	Below 61%
C+	77-79.9%

WSU Grading Standards

The grading for ENGL 101 follows WSU standards:

A: Outstanding achievement-awarded only for the highest accomplishment
B: Praiseworthy performance-above average in most respects
C: Satisfactory performance-work meets the standards for competency
D: Minimally passing-effort and achievement less than satisfactory.

Attendance and Make-Up Policy

Since we only meet twice a week, you should not miss more than four class meetings in total. I do understand, though, that there might be circumstances beyond your control. Please be in touch if you need special accommodations that warrant an exception to the attendance policy.

Being absent does not excuse you from the responsibility of meeting due dates and deadlines; it also does not excuse you from knowing the material presented in class that day. If you must miss class, it is your responsibility to get the assignments, class notes, and course changes from a classmate. It is also your responsibility to keep track of and complete the missing work.

Please reach out to me to discuss any assignments that you will not be able to submit on time. Because some activities require the participation of all students, I generally do not accept late first drafts, peer workshop responses, or late presentations except in the most urgent of circumstances. Failure to complete these particular assignments by the deadline will often result in a zero. I will accept all other assignments within one week of the original deadline; the penalty is contingent upon the circumstances.

Academic Integrity Statement

You are responsible for reading WSU's Academic Integrity Policy, which is based on Washington State law. If you cheat in your work in this class you will:

-Fail the assignment in question

-Be reported to the Center for Community Standards

-Have the right to appeal my decision

-Not be able to drop the course of withdraw from the course until the appeals process is finished

If you have any questions about what you can and cannot do in this course, ask me.

If you want to ask for a change in my decision about academic integrity, use the form at the Center for Community Standards website. You must submit this request within 21 calendar days of the decision.