These teaching materials are intended to help extend the curriculum to incorporate information about disability and are intended for all children, with and without disabilities, in kindergarten through sixth grate. The materials consist of activity and resource kits, including hands-on materials such as books, photos, games, and wooden figures, as well as step-by-step curriculum guide that contains ideas for activities and projects. In addition there are sets of three posters depicting children and adults with and without disabilities at home, in school, and in the community. Also available are the following two resources for people using these materials: (1) a videotape which introduces the materials and activities, including actual classroom examples, and (2) an accompanying staff development guide which provides information about how to introduce ideas to staff and to explore attitudes about disabilities.

Although not specifically focusing on women and girls with disabilities, these materials are multicultural and free of gender stereotyping.

TITLE: Including all of us: An early childhood curriculum about disability

AUTHOR: Froschil, M., Colon, L., Rubin, E., & Sprung, B.

PUBLICATION INFORMATION: 1984

This is a guide to create an early childhood curriculum that is inclusive; one that is nonsexist, multicultural, and incorporates both images and actual role models of children and adults with disabilities. The guide outlines an inclusive approach to teaching that expands children's world views to include people with disabilities, celebrates individual differences, and teaches appreciation of and respect for human differences.

The curriculum guide starts out by providing information about disabilities, such as disability rights legislation, and rationales for incorporating disability awareness into the curriculum. It describes how an inclusive curriculum can be incorporated into the standard early childhood curriculum, and focuses on three traditional preschool units: Same/Different, Body Parts, and Transportation. Each unit incorporates one disability: hearing impairment in Same/Different, visual impairment in Body Parts, and mobility impairment in Transportation. The last part of the guide is an annotated bibliography listing resources for creating an inclusive classroom environment. Listed are, among other things, curriculum materials, children's books, background readings for teachers and parents, and information about disabilities.

TITLE: You CAN serve disabled young women

AUTHOR: The Networking Project for Young Adults with Disabilities

PUBLICATION INFORMATION: 1989

This is a set of sex training modules designed to help staff at community agencies include disabled young women into their settings. Topics covered include: Consciousness-Raising on Women and Disability; Personal and Professional Issues; Independent Living Issues for Disabled Young Women; Career Explorations; Sexuality Issues; and the Use of Role Models as a Programmatic Strategy. The modules are designed to be conducted in one-hour sessions and can be used in various combinations, depending upon the needs of the agency.

TITLE: Women and girls with disabilities: An introductory teaching packet

AUTHOR: Phillips, E.

PUBLICATION INFORMATION: 1986

This information packet is intended as a starting point for elementary and secondary teachers to introduce their students to the experiences and lives of women and girls with disabilities. The material is designed to be used by teachers with little or no experience in teaching about women with disabilities as well as those who are knowledgeable about the issues. The introductory section gives a brief description of the disability rights movement and the impact of attitudinal barriers on the lives of people with disabilities. The following sections address the specific issues and barriers women with disabilities face because of their double disadvantage of having a disability and being a female. These sections offer statistics about the education, employment, and earnings of women and men with disabilities.

The packet contains suggestions about how to introduce the subject of disability and women, as well as suggestions about specific classroom activities. These activities are intended for use with non-disabled students as well as with students who have disabilities. The author also points out that disability issues need not be studied as an isolated topic and gives examples about how issues of disability can be integrated into the general curriculum.

The author emphasizes the need for role models for all young people with disabilities and the long standing scarcity of such role models for girls with disabilities. The packet includes a section with short biographical paragraphs on women with disabilities who can serve as role models. The packet concludes with a resource list with selected listing of readings for children, adolescents, and adults.

This packet contains very practical material and should be helpful for teachers who want to introduce issues of disability and gender in their classrooms. The lessons and activities described in the packet do not require purchase of any additional materials. Although brief this packet conveys strong, positive attitudes toward people with disabilities in general, and toward women with disabilities in particular.

TITLE: Building community: A manual exploring issues of women and disability

AUTHOR: Women and Disability Awareness Project

PUBLICATION INFORMATION: 1989

This manual examines the connection between discrimination based on gender and discrimination based on disability, and addresses disability as a political issue; civil rights issue; as a human relations issue; and as a personal experience. It is intended to build community between diverse groups. The authors point out that the lack of opportunities within schools and organizations to learn about what it means to be a person with a disability results in widespread ignorance about people with disabilities. The authors intend the manual partly for use in schools as a general introduction to the topic, for teachers as well as students, and partly for used within women's organizations to raise general awareness about issues faced by women with disabilities and strategies to meet the needs of women with disabilities within the organizations. In disability rights organizations the manual could serve to raise awareness about the particular needs of women with disabilities and how their lives and experiences differ from those of men with disabilities. In both women's and disability organizations the manual can be used to train staff as well as to inform the general membership about the connection between discrimination based on gender and disability.

The manual contains background information on disability rights issues and about women and girls with disabilities, an annotated bibliography and selected readings about women with disabilities. Lastly, the manual contains very practical guidelines and materials to conduct workshops on women with disabilities, including workshop formats that will allow activists, educators, and other trainers to explore disability issues in a wide variety of settings. This is a very practical and informing manual for anyone interested in the connection between gender and disability.

This manual was first published in 1984. The 1989 education has been expanded to include the specific needs of young women with disabilities.

Educational Equity Concepts
114 East 32nd Street
New York, NY 10016
(212) 725-1803

This nonprofit organization was founded to foster equal educational opportunity. The organization designs innovative programs and materials to help eliminate sex, race, and disability bias. Their teaching materials span early childhood, elementary, young adult, and community education. Some of these materials have been included in this information package, but those who are looking for teaching materials about women and disability should contact this organization for a complete listing of their materials.

The films listed in this section are listed in alphabetic order by title. Most of them have not been prescreened and should therefore be screened before they are shown. The films have been included here because they were recommended by knowledgeable people as portraying strong positive images of women with disabilities and a realistic picture of their lives.

The Disabled Women's Theatre Project
Women Make Movies/Box SE
225 Lafayette Street
New York, NY 10012
(212) 925-0606

This 60 minute videotape is written, performed and produced by women with physical disabilities. Using dance, comedy and dream, The Disabled Women's Theater Project conveys some joyful, absurd, and painful moments in the lives of women with disabilities.

Don't go to your room... and other affirmations of empowerment for women with disabilities
Access Oregon
The Center for Independent Living
2600 S.E. Belmont, Suite A
Portland, Oregon 97214
(503) 232-7411

This one-hour videotape addresses the double barrier of being a woman and having a disability. Over a dozed women talk openly about issues they face in employment, relationships, sexuality, abuse, health, mothering, and in empowering themselves.

From...disabled to abled: Developmentally disabled women
University Media Services
California State University, Sacramento
6000 J Street
Sacramento, CA 95819
(916) 278-5763
(916) 278-5760

This 28 minute video tells the story of three women with developmental disabilities who have taken charge over their lives. The women describe their struggles for independence and their efforts to overcome disability and discrimination. They also discuss marriage, motherhood, victimization, victories, dreams, and desires.

The impossible takes a little longer
Indiana University
Audio Visual Center
Bloomington, IN 47405-5901
(812) 855-4111

This 46 minute video is produced by the National Film Board of Canada and presents the stories of four highly accomplished women who have physical, visual, and hearing impairments. The film describes these women's professional and personal lives and how they have developed creative solutions to difficulties in the work place and in the home.

Positive images: Portraits of women with disabilities
Women Make Movies/Box SE
225 Lafayette Street
New York, NY 10012
(212) 925-0606

This 59-minute videotape about women with disabilities is designed to provide positive, realistic picture of the lives of women with disabilities and the social, economic, and political issues they face. The videotape focuses on three strong and articulate women who discuss sexuality, relationships, societal attitudes, family life, motherhood, education, and career. These women offer crucial role models for women and girls with disabilities. Positive Images identifies disability as an issue of concerns to all women.

Organization for Equal Education of the Sexes
808 Union Street
Brooklyn, NY 11215
(718) 783-0332

This is a non-profit organization established to develop, publish, and disseminate materials and information in support of equal education for the sexes. Among the things this organization has available are posters offering positive images of women of different race and ethnic groups, as well as women with disabilities. For example, one group of posters, "Women of Achievement," honors women who deserve recognition for their contributions. Brief biographies come with each poster. Another group of posters is "Women at Work," demonstrating women's active and productive participation in a wide variety of jobs. Short biographies or other teaching aides accompany most of these posters. Some of the posters include women with disabilities. It is quite unusual to find women with disabilities portrayed in as positive ways as in these posters. For a catalog of these and other posters write to the address above.

Those who want to teach others about women and girls with disabilities will find that it is not easy to locate materials or resource people to assist them. Listed below are two organizations that offers training, consultation, and technical assistance in this area.

Educational Equity Concepts
114 East 32nd Street
New York, NY 10016
(212) 725-1803

Educational Equity Concepts offers training and consultation about disability issues at all age levels: early childhood, elementary, teens, and women with disabilities. All training and consultation includes a discussion about the connections between bias due to gender, race/ethnicity, and disability. Among the training/consultation services offered by Educational Equity Concepts are: staff development and in-service training courses; workshops for parents, schools, and community groups; material development (manuals, reports, audio-visuals); keynote addresses, speeches, and presentations; and conference planning.

The Project on Women and Disability
One Ashburton Place
Room 1305
Boston, MA 02108
Contact person:
Marsha Saxton, Director
(617) 727-7440 or 1-800-322-2020

The Project on Women and Disability offers consultation and training on the issues of women and disability. The training focuses on: 1) exploration of cultural attitudes and behaviors about disability and how they impact on women; 2) discussion of current trends in reproductive technologies, especially pre-natal screening and neonatal care, and their implications for the Disability Rights Movement; 3) an overview of the growing literature by and about women with disabilities; and 4) strategies for change.

The Project also seeks to give women with disabilities a stronger voice by creating a forum for women with disabilities to speak out on issues of importance to them, network with others, and develop their own groups and organizations both within other existing groups and independently. The Project provides education about the life experiences and needs of women with disabilities and training in accessibility and attitudinal sensitivity. It also provides education, training, and resources to those individuals and groups of women who, by virtue of their work and relationships to people with disabilities, are in strong positions to affect positive change. This group includes family members of people with disabilities, health care workers, educators, and human service workers.

Accessibility to meetings and conferences is one of the major problems facing people with disabilities. For example, many women with disabilities complain bitterly that women's meetings are not accessible for them. When the issue of accessibility is raised most people think of wheelchair accessibility. Those who organize meetings and workshops are usually very willing to make sure that the events they are planning are wheelchair accessible, but they do not know what to look for to make sure that a place is accessible. Listed below are two practical manuals to help people set up wheelchair accessible meetings and what to look for to make sure a place is accessible for people in wheelchairs. People can also turn to their local Independent Living Center or other disability groups for assistance.

Although the physical barriers are the ones most commonly mentioned, there are also other accessibility issues such as making workshop material accessible for people with disabilities. For example, deaf people need sign language interpreters to be able to participate in workshops and meetings. As a matter of policy, all invitations that are sent out to participants in advance should ask people to indicate if they need sign language interpreters, child care, or have other special needs.

TITLE: The planner's guide to barrier free meetings

AUTHOR: Barrier Free Environments, Inc., and Harold Russell Associates, Inc.

PUBLICATION INFORMATION: 1980

This is a very practical guide for those who are planning accessible meetings. It addresses issues such as advance planning, access to the site, arrangements in meeting rooms, as well as in bedrooms, and is illustrated with numerous drawings. The guide also provides an overview of legal issues on accessibility and a list of resources.

TITLE: Manual for accessibility

AUTHOR: National Rehabilitation Association

PUBLICATION INFORMATION: 1986

This is a practical manual to help people find out when a place is accessible.

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