Breaking Barriers: Revolutionizing Inclusive Language for a Truly Accessible Campus
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| Title: | Breaking Barriers: Revolutionizing Inclusive Language for a Truly Accessible Campus |
|---|---|
| Language: | English |
| Authors: | Justin A. Downs, Dawn A. Rowe |
| Source: | About Campus. 2026 31(4):20-23. |
| Availability: | SAGE Publications. 2455 Teller Road, Thousand Oaks, CA 91320. Tel: 800-818-7243; Tel: 805-499-9774; Fax: 800-583-2665; e-mail: journals@sagepub.com; Web site: https://sagepub.com |
| Peer Reviewed: | Y |
| Page Count: | 4 |
| Publication Date: | 2026 |
| Document Type: | Journal Articles Reports - Descriptive |
| Education Level: | Higher Education Postsecondary Education |
| Descriptors: | Students with Disabilities, Barriers, Accessibility (for Disabled), Language Usage, Student Needs, College Students, College Environment, School Culture |
| DOI: | 10.1177/10864822261466204 |
| ISSN: | 1086-4822 1536-0687 |
| Abstract: | On too many campuses, students with disabilities still face barriers that go far beyond ramps and elevators. These are students navigating support systems that were not built for them, systems that often exclude through language just as much as through policy. It is easy to think of accessibility in terms of infrastructure, but what about how one communicates? As Madaus and Moriña have shown, exclusion often begins with how institutions talk about, and to, students with disabilities. If the materials, conversations, and policies aren't inclusive, they send a quiet but clear message: "You don't belong here." True inclusion means reshaping systems to meet students where they are. Inclusive language does not just soften the edges of the systems, it transforms them. It challenges the quiet, everyday habits that keep students from feeling like they truly belong. And that shift in language can be the first step toward changing the culture of an entire campus. This article shares strategies to implement inclusive language on campus. |
| Abstractor: | ERIC |
| Entry Date: | 2026 |
| Accession Number: | EJ1515736 |
| Database: | ERIC |
| Abstract: | On too many campuses, students with disabilities still face barriers that go far beyond ramps and elevators. These are students navigating support systems that were not built for them, systems that often exclude through language just as much as through policy. It is easy to think of accessibility in terms of infrastructure, but what about how one communicates? As Madaus and Moriña have shown, exclusion often begins with how institutions talk about, and to, students with disabilities. If the materials, conversations, and policies aren't inclusive, they send a quiet but clear message: "You don't belong here." True inclusion means reshaping systems to meet students where they are. Inclusive language does not just soften the edges of the systems, it transforms them. It challenges the quiet, everyday habits that keep students from feeling like they truly belong. And that shift in language can be the first step toward changing the culture of an entire campus. This article shares strategies to implement inclusive language on campus. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 1086-4822 1536-0687 |
| DOI: | 10.1177/10864822261466204 |
