In this lesson, students complete grade-appropriate math problems using facts and figures from Rick Hansen’s Man In Motion World Tour. Students will examine mathematical problems evolving out of the day-to-day challenges of Rick Hansen’s Man In Motion World Tour. Students will apply multiplication and division skills to real-life math problems. Students will apply conversion skills to real-life math problems.

Image Description: Logo of Rick Hansen Foundation.

In this opinion piece, students will learn about one teenager’s perspective on the value of social media, especially for people with disabilities. Students will analyze the author’s point of view about social media.

Image Description: Logo of CommonLit which looks like an open book with a colorful image of assorted figures with a black silhouette of a person in front

In this text, students will learn about how video games are being adapted to meet the needs of players with disabilities. Students will practice analyzing text structures. They will understand how paragraphs build on one another and how authors organize their writing using specific text structures such as subheadings.

Image Description: Logo of CommonLit, which looks like an open book at the top, with an image of a student and 3 computer screens against a blue curtain

In this text, students learn about the experiences of people with disabilities in college and the actions that can be taken to create more inclusive campuses. Students practice finding the main ideas of each paragraph or section and then the article’s overall central idea.

Image Description: Logo of CommonLit which looks like an open book on top with a photo of a student seated in a wheelchair in a large stadium seating classroom

In this collection of lesson plan, students will learn about media literacy and apply those skills to the media created for the film CRIP CAMP; will explore the concepts of power and justice, and how they relate to disability rights and disability justice; will explore the concepts of power, civil rights, and human rights, and how these concepts relate to disability rights, and then apply those skills to the media created for the film CRIP CAMP; will understand how language is connected to power and ableism; and discuss how the strategic use of power helped the disability rights movement in the US evolve.

Image Description: “Crip Camp Curriculum” in white text on green background

This unit focuses on the historical event that caused a ripple in the Deaf community, Deaf President Now. The unit includes three lessons, three projects, and a lot of fun! 

Image Description: Black and white photo of students holding a banner that says “Deaf Prez Now!”.

Students will be introduced to two important events in US history – the Kent State Massacre and Deaf President Now protest. They will be exposed to the events that occurred on the two college campuses and their outcomes. They will read the First Amendment and be presented with information to assist them in drawing conclusions about whether these were peaceful protests. They will obtain information to assist them in comparing and contrasting the two events. As the culminating activity, students will create a storyboard about May 4, 1970 at Kent State.

* NOTE: This lesson could be taught during Deaf Awareness week and the following week ‐‐ could encompass ASL, history and ELA classes.

Image Description: Colorful painting depicting a protest scene in front of a domed building. In the foreground, several figures are holding a large sign that reads "DEAF PRESIDENT NOW" in red letters. There are also several flags in vibrant colors, including red, blue, and yellow, being waved by the crowd.

As our friends from Engaging America state, “Primary sources … can provide entry points and deepen exploration into historical events. Primary sources add immediacy, such as the faces in a photograph, the emotional tone of a drawing or song, or the complex look of a handwritten document. Documents from multiple points of view can illuminate conflicting ideas and events. Varied media, including maps, oral histories, published reports, and graphs offer many options for connection and investigation”.

We share these collections or primary sources as tools to continue introducing disability into the conversation from natural perspectives, using disabled people to tell their own stories whenever possible.

Image Description: Article from Dallas Times Herald, Wednesday, January 14, 1986 in section “Community Close-Up” titled “Police on sidewalk wheelchair ramps changed”
Full image description can be found at: https://adaptmuseum.net/gallery/picture.php?/451/category/16

In this lesson plan, you’ll find six modules that you can mix and match, that all teach about different aspects of disability rights and disability justice.

Image Description: Education Amplifier’s illustration of Lydia X.Z. Brown

Summary:
An introduction helps establish safe and respectful study of disability history. In lesson 1, students the Question Formulation Technique helps develop questions. Then a presentation highlights disabled advocates across American history. In lesson 2, students research the causes, goals and methods, successes and setbacks of the Disability Rights Movement. Students present research with multiple media options: talk with slides, podcast, video, essay, or poster. Lesson 4 guides a genuinely inclusive civic engagement project. 

Image Description: Emerging America logo above text that reads “Grades 9-12: The Long Struggle for Disability Rights” above a black and white photo of ADAPT protesters seated on the ground and in wheelchairs holding signs c. 1980s

Summary:
An introduction to disability helps establish safe and respectful study of a difficult topic. Students examine eugenics policy, including forced sterilization and examine how values change. Primary sources include challenges to eugenics from the 1930s as well as 21st century efforts to come to terms with its impacts. The grades 4-5 lesson 2 on immigration policy can provides primary sources and guiding questions that can provide solid support to expand this unit. Unit resources support optional research projects.  

The material is emotionally difficult. It is essential to create a safe space for all, including students who might relate personally to the topic. Particular attention is required to ensure that discussion respects students of varied views. It is vital to clarify that universal norms of democracy today are clear that there is no valid justification for the program of eugenics and that its claims were in no way supported by valid science. 

Image Description: Emerging America logo above text that reads “Grades 9-12: Disability in the Progressive Era” above a black and white photo of William H. Taft, Oliver Wendell Holmes, Jr. and others in front of the White House. c.1922

Summary:
All the grades 8-10 units begin with a brief introduction to the topic. Lessons 1 & 2 could anchor study of the Second Great Awakening and other reforms of the period or integrate within a larger unit. Lesson 2 introduces some of the problems with larger-scale institutionalization and thus could provide a foundation for further study of the exposés and struggles for independent living throughout the 20th century.

Image Description: Emerging America logo above text that reads “Grades 8-10: How Civil War Veterans Transformed Disability” above a black and white photo of the Wounded from the Battle of the Wilderness c. 1864

Summary:
All the grades 8-10 units begin with a brief introduction to the topic. Lessons 1 & 2 could anchor study of the Second Great Awakening and other reforms of the period or integrate within a larger unit. Lesson 2 introduces some of the problems with larger-scale institutionalization and thus could provide a foundation for further study of the exposés and struggles for independent living throughout the 20th century.

Image Description: Emerging America logo above text that reads “Grades 8-10: Founding of Schools and Asylums” above a sepia-toned lithograph of the American School for the Deaf c. 1881

Summary:
This unit works particularly well in a course on civics and government. The intro lesson introduces key information and can be useful to check student knowledge and experiences. Lesson 1 is essential to introduce the unit's study of disability. Lessons 2 & 3 delves into work for disability rights, including transformative legislation. In lesson 4, students apply what they have learned about civic action to research, plan, and carry out their own civic engagement project. (This lesson is also used for Grades 9-12.) Lesson 5 can stand alone or fit within the unit; it adds disability rights as an option for study of historic Supreme Court cases.

Image Description: Emerging America logo above text that reads “Grades 6-8: Disability, Civic Engagement, and Government” above a black and white photo of an ADAPT Protest c. 1990

Lesson Summary:
Lesson 1 is essential to introduce study of disability. Lesson 2 integrates disability into study of immigration. This lesson could also stand alone, or it could support a larger immigration unit. Lessons 3 & 4 work together but could also work separately. All three lessons can be taught in one grade or introduced over multiple grades.

Image Description: Emerging America logo above text that reads “Grades 4-5: Disability, Citizenship, and Civil Rights” above a black and white photo of George Veditz presenting Preservation of the Sign Language in American Sign Language. c. 1913

Lesson Summary: In lesson 1, students explore primary sources and their own experiences to become familiar with ideas about disability and ways that students, their community, and their school can support access for everyone. In lesson 2, students identify and agree to ways to make decision-making inclusive. Students discuss characteristics of good leaders using illustrated stories of disability advocates. In lesson 3, students explore a case study of disability advocacy to dig deeper into how civic leaders strengthen their communities. 

All three lessons can be taught in one grade or introduced over multiple grades. All three lessons can be taught in one grade or introduced over multiple grades.

Image Description: Emerging America logo at top with text reading “Grades K-3: Disability and Community Leadership” above a black and white photo of Eleanor Roosevelt visiting children at Langford School. c.1930

In this lesson, students consider how people communicate when they do not speak a common language. The Chilmark Deaf Community serves as a case study to engage with the wide variety of languages spoken on the Island (presently and in the past). From 1694 to 1952, Martha’s Vineyard - and specifically the towns of Chilmark and West Tisbury - had an unusually large population of people with hereditary deafness. As a result, the residents of the Island developed a local dialect of sign language, used by hearing and deaf people alike, allowing the Deaf community full and unbiased integration into Island society at large. Scientists and researchers studying the causes of deafness took great interest in Martha’s Vineyard because of deafness’ prevalence there.

Image Description: A mural with 4 simplistic cartoon-style characters drawn in black on a light tan background using sign language, movements are shown with arrows. There is foliage at the bottom and a brick wall at the top of the photograph.

In this lesson, students will learn why it’s easier for one athlete to win a marathon in New York than to navigate the city in a wheelchair. Then, students will evaluate the accessibility of public spaces where they live.

Image Description: "The Learning Network Teaching & Learning with the New York Times" Below the text is a photograph of Daniel Romanchuk in his racing wheelchair crossing a busy street at a crosswalk.

In this lesson, students will learn about alt text, and image descriptions that help people who have low vision or are blind to use the internet. Then, they will practice using the feature.

Image Description: "The Learning Network Teaching & Learning with the New York Times" Below the text is the Mona Lisa with 3 examples of alt text descriptions from Microsoft Word, Facebook and Wikipedia.

This lesson explores how adaptive video game controllers are transforming gaming for players with disabilities. Students will first reflect on their own gaming experiences before analyzing a commercial and reading an article about accessibility in gaming. Through discussion questions, they will examine the challenges faced by disabled gamers, how technology has evolved to be more inclusive, and the broader impact of adaptive controllers. The lesson encourages critical thinking about accessibility in technology and invites students to consider how they would design more inclusive gaming experiences.

Image Description: "The Learning Network Teaching & Learning with the New York Times" Below the text is a photo of Erin Hawley playing video games with her family. She uses an adaptive controller.

The purpose of this lesson is to humanize the experience of disability by focusing on student-voice videos, recognize diversity within the disability community, and discuss ways to promote accessibility. This is the first in a series of 5 lessons by Washington State’s One Out of Five Disability History and Pride Project.

Image Description: Groups of students sit and stand, talking in clusters. The profiles of the students of different ages, races, and abilities is on a colorful background of yellow, orange, and green. The dominant image is the silhouette of a male student in dark blue reading a book. The title is: One Out of Five: Disability History and Pride Project. “One” and “five” are spelled out in American Sign Language. At the bottom, Braille reads: “pride” and “history.”]

Teaching the story of the 504 occupation, the focus of the Patient No More exhibit, will undoubtedly leave students with a new perspective toward living with a disability. “Patient No More” offers a story about the creativity and strength that comes out of the disability community, an incredible example of how change can happen from the bottom up. It's also a story about how disability rights have changed the lives of all Americans in ways they might not realize.

Image Description: “Patient No More - People with disabilities securing civil rights” black and white photo of protestors with capitol building in the background, many in wheelchairs, one with a sign on the back of their wheelchair that says “We Shall Overcome”

Summary:
Renegades is a documentary series from American Masters that showcases the lives and cultural contributions of little-known historical figures with disabilities. These lessons were designed to be used with the videos. They can be used individually or as a unit.

Image Description: “Renegades” in black text “PBS Learning Media” in blue text with the PBS logo. below the text are a series of 5 colorful images from each of the 5 short films. Left to right, Brad Lomax, Celestine Tate Harrington, Daniel K. Inouye, Judy-Lynn Del Ray, and Thomas Wiggins

Portrait of the Whole Person is a curriculum for elementary school students designed to teach students how disability rights fit into the broader civil rights movement, to perceive disability as a reflection of societal views of differences, and to treat people with disabilities with respect and dignity. It contains four distinct lesson plans comprised of three in-class instruction lesson plans and one lesson plan governing the research and writing of a biographical sketch and creation of a portrait of a notable person with a disability. It is also complete with a graphic organizer, rubrics, a power point, and a list of references students can use for research.

Image Description: Disability Rights Washington logo with “Portrait of a Whole Person Curriculum Overview” written below and drawings of 3 different people in colored pencil.

In this lesson students will read a 2-page graphic novel format story about the Gang of 19 and “We Will Ride” action, and how they fought for equal rights for the disabled.

Image Description: Graphic Novel cover showing protesters in purple black and off white on a green background with the title “Colorful History Comics #31 We Will Ride” underneath the comic.