By Cassandra Hendry
Teaching about perspectives that students have never had to experience can be a challenge. For social work professor Roy Hanes, this happens almost every single class—and he loves it.
Hanes is an associate professor at Carleton specializing in disability studies. He’s been involved in the Ottawa disabled community for 35 years, which has allowed him to build up a list of almost 40 guest speakers for his classes.
“Since the first class I’ve taught, I’ve always had people from the community involved,” Hanes says.
The majority of his students are able-bodied and teaching about disabilities, something his students might not have ever experienced, is difficult with only textbooks. So Hanes decided to let people from the disability groups he works with tell their own stories.
“Having presenters come adds to the theory because they’re experts in their own lives. The research and the literature are one thing, but it’s quite different when you have someone in your class,” he says.
The guest speakers vary widely, from mothers raising children with disabilities to romantic partners with disabilities, parents with disabilities, and men and women who are deaf.
“My tent is always very broad,” Hanes says.
Field experts are also brought in, with professional social workers and people who work with disability legislation lending structural perspectives to the class.
One of the most memorable guests Hanes brought in was a former student of his who performed comedy skits about disabilities. Hanes says at first students were hesitant about laughing, but once they became more comfortable, they allowed themselves to enjoy it.
When his students aren’t listening to guest speakers, they’re completing assignments that challenge society’s portrayal of disabilities. Hanes has students critique films like Finding Nemo and Beauty and the Beast and perform accessibility audits of their communities.
Hanes says helping students take a critical look at disabilities has been transformative and his students’ attitudes toward persons with disabilities changes dramatically throughout the course.
These enthusiastic changing attitudes seem to stretch across all of Hanes’ classes with the “incredibly positive” feedback he receives from students, who say they love to learn about new perspectives.
“Here’s an opportunity every week for students to spend an hour and a half with people who have multiple impairments and learn about people’s experiences,” he says. “They leave with a different understanding of impairment and disability.”