Fri, 12/04/2026
Join Emerging America and thousands of educators and activists at the National Council for the Social Studies Conference in Chicago - December 4-6, 2026.
Register for the Conference
Watch this page for updates as we learn about conference presentations on disability history and teaching students with disabilities!
The 2025 NCSS House of Delegates unanimously passed Resolution 2025-02-05 Creating Inclusive Social Studies Classrooms for Students with Disabilities, including a call to expand teaching of disability history. Attend these sessions to gain strategies and tools targeted to implement the resolution.
Emerging America Presentations
Friday, December 4 - 8:25-10:00am - Poster session: "Tools to Integrate Disability History Into What You're Already Teaching"
- Grand GH, East Tower, Hyatt Regency Hotel
- Poster session - part of the Teaching with Primary Sources Knowledge Exchange
- Graham Warder, Kate Benson & Rich Cairn
- Meet the rising call to teach disability history by integrating it into content that you already teach. Develop a plan to implement a disability history lesson, using free, empowering, accessible curriculum, research guides and hundreds of primary sources.
- Poster presenters will work with each teacher to help them figure out a package of free, digital resources that best support their current curriculum and instruction.
- All educators will be able access the complete set of free featured resources, including:
- Reform to Equal Rights: K-12 Disability History Curriculum - 23 lessons using 300 primary sources engage students in inquiry around vital stories across 250 years of American history.
- Hidden Voices: Americans with Disabilities in United States History - New York City Public Schools. In-depth profiles of 45 disabled Americans.
- Research guides on disability topics for students and teachers, developed in partnership with National History Day. Include's 2,500-word introductory essay.
Friday, December 4 - 12:20-1:10pm - Workshop: "From IEPs to Impact: Designing Inclusive Social Studies Classrooms"
- Acapulco room, Hyatt Regency Chicago
- Darren Minarik, Lauren Colley & Rich Cairn
- Engage in a structured exploration of inclusive social studies practices grounded in evidence-based and best practices in both social studies and special education. The session will address five areas necessary for creating more inclusive social studies classrooms for students with IEPs:
- Building an Inclusive Social Studies Classroom Culture
- Designing Inclusive Lessons Using a Practical Checklist
- Strengthening Collaboration with Special Education Colleagues
- Addressing the needs of students with more extensive support needs
- Building disability history into the social studies curriculum