SPRING 2014

SPED 117: The Culture of Disability Across the Life Span

(3 credit hours)
Room 114, David Kinley Hall
Tuesdays: 12:30-1:50 (80 minutes)
*Weekly Online Activities (Due 5:00 on Saturdays)

Instructor:
Cheryl Light Shriner, Ph.D.
288 Education, Room 260E
333-0260 or 333-6491
slight@illinois.edu
Office Hours: Tuesdays: 10:00-11:00 a.m. and by appointment
Teaching Team:
Hyejin Park, Ph.D. (park2@illinois.edu)
Office Hours: Mondays: 9-10 a.m.
Moon Young Chung (mchung17@illinois.edu)
Office Hours: TBA
Yusuf Akamoglu (akamogl2@illinois.edu)
Office Hours: TBA
Kay Grabow (kgrabow@illinois.edu) (kaygrabow@gmail.com)
Nat Vikitsreth (vikitsr2@illinois.edu) (nadha.vikitsreth@gmail.com)
Course Description:
This course serves as an introduction to the historical, legislative, environmental, and societal issues in
the field of special education. Students will learn about the characteristics of persons with diverse
abilities. The focus of this course will be on individual differences and the inclusion of persons with
disabilities in society (e.g., families, education, employment, recreation, politics).
Course Participants:
Undergraduates across all majors. There are no pre-requisites for this course. This is a required course,
however, for teacher education programs (i.e. special education, elementary education, etc.)
Required Textbook:
Shapiro, J. (1994). No pity: People with disabilities forging a new civil rights movement. New York,
NY: The New York Times Company.

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Supplemental Readings and Materials will be posted on Moodle. Please check your Course Agenda.
Moodle Website will be used. https://learn.illinois.edu/login/index.php ALL Students must access this
site regularly or risk receiving a lower grade.
Course Policies and Requirements:
1. Accommodations: To obtain disability-related academic adjustments and/or auxiliary aids,
students with disabilities must contact the course instructor and the Division of Disability
Resources and Educational Services (DRES. To contact DRES you may visit 1207 S. Oak St.,
Champaign, call 333-4603 (V/TDD), or e-mail a message to disability@uiuc.edu.
Accommodations due to a disability will require an accommodations letter from DRES. The
instructor and Teaching Team will do their best to make adjustments and provide any necessary
accommodations to facilitate a successful learning experience for students with documented
disabilities.
2. The highest academic integrity is expected from all students! Please review the University's
policy on Academic Integrity.

Independent Work. You are expected to do your own work. Submitting identical work as a
classmate will be considered an act of plagiarism and appropriate actions will be taken. Do
not do this. You are risking your status at the University of Illinois.

Citations and References. You are expected to properly cite and reference sources used for
assignments (APA format is required). Please properly use quotes and properly cite quotes
and paraphrased ideas. When in doubt, provide a source and page number. Quotation
marks must be used when word-for-word passages are quoted from a source. Changing
only one or two words or simply rearranging a couple of words in a sentence is not
sufficient. A reference is needed when paraphrasing a paragraph and proper citations are
necessary. A proper citation for quoted text requires (Authors Last Name, date of
publication, page number). A proper citation when paraphrasing requires (Authors Last
Name, date of publication).

Group Work. When working with a partner or group, you are expected to do your share of
an assignment and document your contributions (and the time spent on your contributions)
in order to have the opportunity to earn full credit.

Seating Chart. You must only sign the seating chart with your own name. Do not sign any
other persons name to the seating chart. If you do not sign the seating chart, you will be
considered absent.

Assignments. Do not turn in any assignment for any other student. Every student is
responsible for turning in his or her own assignment. Do not do any assignment for another
student. This is cheating and will be considered to be an infraction of the University of
Illinois policy on Academic Integrity.

3. Legible Writing. All assignments must be legible. Points will not be given to assignments that
are not legible. Typing or word processing is required for out of class or on-line
assignments. All major assignments must be submitted electronically on Moodle. A web
address to a You Tube Video will be submitted on Compass for the Group Video Project.
4. In Class Responses. In class responses will be submitted on 3 X 5 index cards during class.
Handwritten responses must be legible. Points will not be given to assignments that are not
legible. Last name and first name must be provided on the upper Left Corner of each index
card that is turned. A 117-class number will be assigned during WEEK 2. You will ALWAYS
write the assigned number in the RIGHT-HAND corner of your 3 X 5 index card.
5. Name of Submitted Documents or attachments: When submitting any assignments on Moodle,
make sure you are including your name within the document and in document name and the

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number that has been assigned to you. Also, within the document name, include a shortened
name of assignment. For example, 35_Smith_PityDefin.doc. (Note: use your own last name,
not the instructors last name.) Please dont make us guess whose assignment we are grading.
6. Writing Skills. It is expected that correct grammar and spelling and a professional writing style
will be used in all written assignments. Difficulties in these areas that interfere with the
instructors and teaching teams ability to understand or evaluate student assignments may lead
to a lowered grade on an assignment or the return of the assignment to student ungraded.
7. Behavioral Expectations:
Be On Time and make room for classmates in your seating area. (contact the
instructor if you need to be late on a consistent basis because this may affect your
attendance points and professional behavior points.).
Electronics. Laptops or phones should only be used when instructed by the
instructors and teaching team. There may be some class sessions when you are asked
to use a laptop or phone for an in-class activity but for most class sessions will not
need to use a laptop. Using a laptop during class without being instructed to use it or
without permission will result in reduced professional behavior and communication
points and this may lower your final grade.
Respectful Behavior.
There will be many guest speakers and you are expected to demonstrate the most
respectful and attentive behavior possible. These individuals have taken time out
of their busy schedules to share important information about their lives. This is
any opportunity to earn professional behavior points for this class.
Students will be expected to communicate with the instructor, the teaching
assistant, guests, and classmates in a polite, respectful, and professional manner
and tone at all times. This includes communicating with the instructor and
teaching assistants in a timely manner about concerns or issues. This is any
opportunity to earn professional behavior points for this class.
8. Person-First/People-First Language. We will be using People-First/Person-First language
in this course. Always use People-First language when referring to people with
disabilities in class discussions, written assignments, compass discussions, and group
projects.
When referring to people with disabilities in writing or when speaking you
should always
mention the person first (a boy, a man, a woman, a sister, a child, a parent,
etc.) and the disability second. For example, the boy with autism, the woman
with intellectual disabilities, the child with Down syndrome, the person who
uses a wheelchair.
Avoid using demeaning or People with disabilities are typically NOT
suffering or bound to their wheelchairs. Points will be deducted from all
assignments and activities IF people-first language is not used. If you are
unsure about how to word something, please contact the instructor.
Remember that there are many hidden disabilities and you may be sitting
next to someone who has a hidden disability or who has a friend or family
member with a disability. How you speak about people with disabilities can
show respect or disrespect to the people around you.
9. Attendance is taken each class session. It is expected that students attend all sessions. When
specific situations arise that necessitate absence from class, it is important to contact the
instructor in advance of the absence. There are no excused absences but documented absences
will be taken under review. Students need to obtain and submit on Moodle the official
documentation for the absences within 2 weeks after the absence to be considered. More than 3

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absences will result ONE-Letter Grade Reduction. More than 6 absences will result in a TWOLetter Grade Reduction. Students are responsible for all missed information.
10. Due Dates: Assignments are due on the date indicated on the course agenda and Moodle
website. All major assignments and online activities must be submitted electronically on
Moodle by due date and time. Late points are applied for major assignments. In-class
assignments and online assignments cannot be made up or turned in late. In class assignments
missed due to absences will result in a loss of points.
11. Late Deductions: Points will be deducted each day that major assignments are late. (2 points
are deducted immediately and 1 point is deducted for every 24 hour period of time thereafter.)
Late assignments will NOT be accepted if more than 5 days late and the assignment will
receive a zero.
12. Changes may occur. The syllabus or class agenda may change during the semester. Changes
will be announced. Please inform the instructor of any inaccuracies or errors on the syllabus.
IF YOU ARE A JAMES SCHOLAR OR ARE INTERESTED IN COMPLETING AN
HONORS PROJECT, PLEASE CONTACT Cheryl Light Shriner (slight@illinois.edu) as
soon as possible.
Assignments
Professional Behavior and Communication (15 pts.). These points are earned by demonstrating
respectful behavior during class and when communicating with others, including guests, classmates, the
instructor, and the entire teaching team. Working collaboratively with group members and contributing to
class discussions. Contacting the teaching team in a timely manner and accessing Moodle on a regular
basis will also be considered.
In Class Activities and Assignments (35 pts.). There will be in class activities or assignments during
every class session. Students are responsible for bringing 3 X 5 index cards to class and submitting their
responses to various questions during class. Students must only submit their own card. These cards will
be used at various times throughout the class session and two responses may be collected during some
sessions. Late responses will not be accepted. These assignments cannot be made up if missed.
On-Line Activities and Assignments (35 pts.). There will be weekly online activities and assignments
that must be submitted on Moodle by 5:00 on Saturday of the week assigned. These assignments will
help the student connect the reading material and topics to an enrichment activity that will require a
response and submission. Late responses will not be accepted. These assignments cannot be made up if
missed.
Reflective Narrative or Interview (30 pts.). For this assignment students will reflect on an experience
(and address specific areas from the grading rubric) they have had with an individual with a disability or
with their own disability. Disability will also include temporary conditions (e.g., broken leg or other
injury that may have limited mobility) for this assignment even though it is recognized that the experience
is different than living with a disability that is not temporary. If a student cannot think of a disability
experience to write about, the student will select to interview a person with a disability or the family
member of a person with a disability.
Disability News and Media Assignment (30 pts.). For this assignment, students will identify how
individuals with disabilities are represented or discussed in News and Media. Students will identify
important disability issues being discussed and the attitudes being portrayed. Specific components will be
addressed from the grading rubric.
Group Project On Disability Topic (55 pts.). This project gives the student an opportunity to
investigate a topic of interest from the readings. Students will work in groups of 2 to 4 (Please do not ask

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to be a group of 5). Your group will need to select a topic relevant to the book, No Pity, and create a 5minute video clip on the topic. A list of topics that connected to each chapter of No Pity and specific
components that must be included within the video will be provided to you. The video will include
multiple sources and must be accessible for individuals with hearing impairments AND individuals with
visual impairments. This will require text and audio of the content.
Component or Assignment

Number
of points
Professional Behavior and Communication
15
In-class Activities/Assignments
35
On-Line Activities/Assignments
35
Reflective Narrative Paper or Interview
30
New News or Movie review
30
GROUP Project
55
Total Course Points
200
A maximum of 5 Extra Credits Points can be earned.
Grading:
90% of total points. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
80% of total points. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
70% of total points. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
60% of total points. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
Below 60% of total points. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

% of Grade

180-200 pts.
160-179 pts.
140-159 pts.
120-139 pts.
138 or below

No Plus or Minus grades will be given.

If you are absent
4 times (your grade will drop by one letter grade)
6 times (Your grade will drop by two letter grades)

7.5
17.5
17.5
15
15
27.5
100%

=A
=B
=C
=D
=F