Learning From People With Disability in University Courses

Abstract What this paper is about This Easy Read paper talks about two disability courses at Curtin University that were co-designed and co-developed with people with disability. The paper explains how lived experience of disability was prioritised in the design and teaching of the courses to reduce tokenism. Tokenism means including people in a small or non-meaningful way that does not give them real power or influence. What we did People with disability helped plan, write, and teach the learning content. Many lived experience educators were people with high communication and learning support needs. People with disability shared their lived experience and knowledge in authentic ways. The courses focus on what people with disability say matters to them in real life and on the practical skills they need from supporters. What we are doing now People with disability are leading a study on the impact of the courses. The study will explore the long-term effects of lived experience teaching on: Student knowledge and attitudes, and How students work in partnership with people with disability in meaningful and person-led ways. This study will help improve co-designed content creation and further identify examples of tokenism. Take-away messages Universities, and other forms of teaching, still have a long way to go to create learning and resources that are truly co-designed and led by people with disability. The authors, both with and without disability, suggest what needs to change.