Ideas for writing or speech assignments:

• Campus compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act. Have someone from a local Center for Independent Living take the class on an “audit” of the campus’ compliance.
• Mass media images of disability. Through a speaker or student research, explore the stigmatizing media images of people with disabilities and how they can be changed for the better.
• New technology for people with disabilities. Through interviews or student research, have students discuss how improved technology better integrates people into society.
• Disability etiquette. Have students evaluate their own attitudes and interactions with people with disabilities and discuss how they can improve them.

Bramlett-Solomon, S. (1989). Bringing cultural sensitivity into reporting classrooms. Journalism Educator, 44(2), 26-28.

Edwards, C. (1992) Integration of disabled students in classroom with new technology. Journalism Educator, 47(1), 85-89.

Hooper, E. (1986, September/October). Higher education. The Disability Rag. pp. 1, 4-7.

Jaschik, S. (1993, April 21). 46 colleges found to have violated rights of disabled, U.S. documents show. The Chronicle of Higher Education. pp. A18-A19, A22.

John, J. A. (1993). Integrating the student with a disability into student media. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. Kansas City, Mo.

John, J. A. (1991). Students with disabilities win equal education opportunity.  Journalism Educator 46(4): 12-16.

John, J. A. (1991, December 28). Covering disabled America. Editor & Publisher, pp. 12-13.

Keefer, J. D. & Smith, M.R. (1993). Newspaper employment of journalists with disabilities. Newspaper Research Journal, 13/14(4&1), 40-49.

Krossel, M. (1988, June). Handicapped heroes and the knee-jerk press. Columbia Journalism Review, 46-47.

Lawrence, D. (1990). Broken ladders/Revolving doors: The need for pluralism in the newsroom. Newspaper Research Journal 11(3): 18-23.

The News Media and Disability. (1988, November). Washington, D.C.: The News Media Education Project/A National Workshop.

Mattlin, B. (1993, March). Disability etiquette. Self. pp. 90-91.

Mitchell, L. R. (1989). Beyond the supercrip syndrome. The Quill. pp. 18-23.

Nelson, J. (ed.) (1994). The Disabled, the Media, and the Information Age. Westport, Conn.: Greenwood.

Owen, M. J., (1989, May/June). News about people with disabilities interest a growing 'minority.' ASNE Bulletin,  p. 35.

Popovich, M., Willis, S.C., & Blevens, F. (1988, Fall). Editing accuracy and speed by handicapped students, nonjournalism and journalism majors. Newspaper Research Journal.

Popovich, M. (1986, April). Editors say handicapped can hold their own in the newsroom.  ASNE Bulletin, pp. 16-18.

Popovich, M. (1985). Final Report: Gannett Foundation Fellowship to advance the handicapped student in journalism at Ball State University. Muncie, Ind.: Ball State University.

Pratte, A. (1994, August). About the Best Thing that Ever Happened to Me. . .
Journalism and the Peculiar Opportunity' of the Disabled. Paper presented to the annual meeting of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. Atlanta, Ga.

The Research & Training Center on Independent Living. (1990). Guidelines for Reporting and Writing about People with Disabilities. Lawrence, KS.

Worthington, B. (1993). What journalism educators should be teaching their students about disabled people or how to avoid the Tiny Tim/supercrip stereotype. Paper presented at the annual meeting of the Association for Education in Journalism and Mass Communication. Kansas City, Mo.