Do you have a disability or know someone who does? No matter who you are, the answer is almost certainly yes. What’s less clear-cut is what disability is, exactly, and what we should do when we encounter it, whether it’s our own disability or that of someone we know. This spring, Dr. Monica Reyes is teaching WRD 232: The Language of Disability, a course that explores the intersection of disability, culture, and society. It examines how the language we use defines, describes, and creates real-world effects for those with disabilities.
Has this course been offered before, and is this your first time teaching it?
WRD 232 has been offered in the program before, but this is my first time teaching this particular course. I’m excited to bring my own perspective to it, especially my background in cultural rhetorics and my interest in how language shapes whose experiences are centered or marginalized. The course builds on some existing foundations in WRD, but I’m also designing it with new readings, activities, and projects that reflect current conversations about access and justice.
What interests you about this topic, and what do you look forward to about teaching it?
I’m really interested in how everyday language influences the way we understand disability—whether we see it as an individual problem to “fix” or as something shaped by social, cultural, and institutional barriers. Rhetoric plays a huge role in that. The stories we tell, the policies we write, the media we consume, and even the words we casually use all shape what feels possible or impossible for people.
I’m looking forward to helping students notice those patterns and question them. I also love that this topic invites students to connect course ideas to their own lives, communities, and future professions. These conversations tend to be thoughtful, personal, and transformative in really meaningful ways.
This course is offered in WRD, but it is relevant to many fields and professions. Which students might find it useful, and why? What is most important about it?
This course is relevant to almost any field that involves working with people—which is most fields. Students going into education, healthcare, social work, nonprofit work, public policy, law, design, engineering, media, or business will all benefit from thinking critically about accessibility and inclusion.
But really, it’s useful for anyone who wants to communicate more ethically and effectively. Understanding the language of disability helps students recognize how systems include some people and exclude others.
What’s the course modality like?
The course will be asynchronous, but it’s designed to be interactive. Students will engage in regular discussions (through a variety of modality choice like audio, video, or discussion board post), collaborative activities, and peer feedback. Accessibility is central to the course design as well!
How is the course structured? What are some of the major assignments students can look forward to?
The course blends reading, discussion, and applied projects. We’ll analyze a range of texts like media, policies, advocacy campaigns, everyday language to understand how disability is framed rhetorically.
Major assignments include a rhetorical analysis of a disability-related text or issue, a research-based project where students investigate how disability is represented in a field or community they care about, and a final project that asks students to create or redesign something with accessibility in mind. I try to design assignments that feel practical and meaningful, so students can see how the work connects to the world beyond the classroom.
What’s the main thing you want students to know?
I’d want students to know that you don’t have to be an “expert” in disability studies to take this course. Curiosity, openness, and a willingness to reflect on your own assumptions are what matter most. We’ll learn together, and we’ll approach the topic with care and respect.
Ultimately, this course is about becoming more attentive communicators and more thoughtful community members. If you’re interested in how language shapes people’s lives (and how we might use it to create more just and accessible worlds) you’ll probably feel right at home here.
Conclusion
Wherever your future career may take you, this course will provide valuable insight to you as a communicator, a professional, and a person. Registration is open, and this course only has a few spots left, so sign up soon.