Access & Self-Advocacy: An Intro to UC Berkeley for Students with Disabilities

Hosted by the University of California's Undergraduate English Department, this course was offered to first-semester students with disabilities with the goal of helping them transition to the University environment and connect them with campus resources and community.

  • Asynchronous

  • Remote Instruction

  • Peer Mentorship

  • One Unit, Pass/No Pass Grading

Syllabus

DSP ENG 198 - Access and Self-Advocacy Syllabus.docx.pdf

Weekly Modules

The course was organized on Canvas into weekly modules that students could largely navigate at their own pace. Each week included a video, a written text, and a campus resource.

For each weekly modules, students were assessed by the completion of a skill based assignment, or a making community connection.

Skill Share

Students were asked to complete a skill-based assignment on alternating weeks that reflected a skill taught in the weekly video and text. The example to the right is from the Time Management Module.

Community Connection

Students were assigned to meet synchronously with a classmate as well as a "New Student Ambassador" (peer mentor). These New Student Ambassadors were upperclassmen students with disabilities who volunteered to support new students in getting acclimated to campus. Ambassadors were provided with a 2 hour training and students were given conversation prompts to help guide the session.

Here are some suggested topics of conversation:

  • What was your experience as a first semester student?

  • How did you decide on a major?

  • What student orgs are you a member of?

  • What have been some of your successes or challenges at Cal?

  • What advice do you have for newer students?

  • Have you ever experienced issues with your accommodation being met?