Professional Learning

Teaching the History of Disability and Building Inclusive Learning Communities

An educator panel about teaching the history of disability and creating the processes and practices essential to building inclusive communities.

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Single Session

Our single professional learning sessions are designed to easily fit into your day. Typically one hour or less, these sessions explore timely and relevant topics including teaching strategies, current events, and more.

Instructor-Led

This professional learning event will be led by Facing History staff. When you register, you will receive instructions for how to attend the event.

This event qualifies for Certificate of Completion.

At the conclusion of the webinar, participants can download a certificate of completion for one PD credit hour. Certificates may be submitted for school's or district's approval. Requirements for professional development hours vary by state. It is the participant's responsibility to ensure that they are meeting the requirements of their school, organization, and/or state.

Civics & Citizenship History Social Studies

Democracy & Civic Engagement Human & Civil Rights

Social-Emotional Learning

This panel was part of a series of events connected with Facing History & Ourselves’ Partner Schools Network and our All Community Read of Judith Heumann’s memoir, Being Heumann and its companion young adult adaptation, Rolling Warrior.

In this educator panel, two Partner School educators from Gann Academy, Yoni Kadden and Alex Green, spoke about their high school course on the history of disability and ableism in America and the project-based curriculum that culminated in students creating a nationally recognized public museum exhibit on the history of disability. We also heard from Jennifer Saber, a classroom educator in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, the Education Inclusion Coordinator at Shutaf Inclusion Programs, and the key developer of Shutaf Inclusion Guide, a powerful and accessible compilation of training videos and resources for educators.

Webinar participants received links pertaining to both the Gann Academy project on the history of disability and ableism in America and the Shutaf Inclusion Guide.

We are grateful to The Hammer Family for supporting the development of our on-demand learning and teaching resources.

Alex Green

Alex Green teaches at the Harvard Kennedy School and is a widely recognized advocate, writer, and scholar on the history of disability institutions in America. In 2017, Green and Yoni Kadden co-led the creation of a nationally recognized project-based, community-focused disability history curriculum for high school students at Gann Academy. Green is also the author of landmark legislation to create a first-of-its-kind disability-led human rights commission to investigate the history of state institutions for disabled people in Massachusetts. He is currently writing the first biography of Walter E. Fernald, a seminal figure in the history of disability. Green is a Visiting Fellow at the Harvard Law School Project on Disability.

Yoni Kadden

Yoni Kadden, a 25+ year veteran teacher, joined the faculty of Gann Academy in 2000. He has since spear-headed numerous student-centered public history projects including the development of a nationally recognized museum of disability history, the production of a play based on original letters from the Holocaust, and a published memorial book of 296 disabled individuals buried anonymously at the MetFern cemetery, an institutional burial ground in Waltham, Massachusetts. He lives in Newton, MA, with his wife and daughter.

Jennifer Saber

Jennifer Saber has made Jewish education her motivation, passion, and vocation for the last twenty-five plus years. As a proud parent of a child with a disability, Jennifer brings a unique perspective to formal and informal educational settings, looking through both a parent and Jewish educator's lens. She received her Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology and Jewish Studies, with a concentration in Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Arizona, Tucson. She continued at Brandeis University in the Hornstein Program to receive a Master’s Degree in Jewish Communal Service, with a concentration in Jewish education. Currently her portfolio includes: Inclusion Education Coordinator, North America for Shutaf Inclusion Programs in Jerusalem as well as Kesher Inclusion Specialist and Teen Philanthropy Coordinator for The Milwaukee Jewish Federation.

Please note: The views expressed by guest speakers, both at our events and on external platforms, are their own and do not necessarily reflect the views of Facing History & Ourselves.

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Teaching the History of Disability and Building Inclusive Learning Communities

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