The Ithaca College Department of Education wants to get people talking about disability.

Through its spring Community Read for Educational Freedom, the department is encouraging community conversations around disability, access, inclusion and preparing future teachers to cultivate inclusive classroom communities.

Events

Nia Nunn, associate professor and chair of the Department of Education, said the education department has a tradition of selecting a book to read and discuss with the community each spring. The department chose “Disability Visibility” this spring to celebrate its new special education credential, which will allow students enrolled in the graduate teaching programs to get certified to teach special education starting in Fall 2026.

Nunn said the department bought almost 100 copies each of “Disability Visibility” and the “Disability Visibility” young reader’s edition to share with students and community members.

Throughout April and May, the education department is gathering students and community members for “Disability Visibility” reading circles at Buffalo Street Books in Downtown Ithaca. The department is also hosting lunchtime reading circles at Ithaca high schools, featuring the young reader’s edition of “Disability Visibility,” and a book club featuring “Out of My Mind” for elementary schoolers enrolled in Southside Community Center’s afterschool program.

The department also hosted a free screening of “Crip Camp” April 9 on the IC campus and “Out of My Mind” April 19 at The State Theatre.

Nunn said the department wants to center disabled people’s voices in all of these events and conversations. The education department asked IC’s Student Accessibility Services and the Disabled Student Alliance for their input while planning the series to try and honor the work that they have already been doing to advocate for accessibility and support disabled people.

Community connections

Nunn said the department intentionally designed the series of events to encourage students to get off campus and connect with community members. She invited IC students to join the reading circles and book clubs to engage in discussions with community members off campus.

Ithaca College sophomore Grace Andren has helped plan the Community Read events through an education independent study. Andren said she loves that the events help students break out of their siloes and share the education department’s mission with non-education majors and the greater Ithaca community.

“As college students, it can be hard sometimes because our lives are surrounded here — classes are here, friends are here, we live here,” Andren said. “Getting off the hill and into the community is super important, then also inviting other community members in to see what we’re doing is super important. It’s definitely a good starting point to kind of just show what the education department does.”

Ruby Gracianette, a junior speech language pathology major, has attended two of the book club sessions at Southside Community Center. During the April 15 book club session, Gracianette helped Nunn lead a conversation about how students can respond when they encounter derogatory language like the “r word.”

Gracianette said it has been very fulfilling to get off campus and have meaningful discussions with young readers.

“Even if it’s uncomfortable, I think it’s a good thing,” Gracianette said. “I think you need to expose yourself to difficult topics, difficult conversations, people who look different from you, people who think different from you. It’s such a beautiful and important part of living. If you’re only surrounding yourself by people who look like you, who think like you, you’re really missing out on the point.”

Special Education credential

Nunn said the new special education credential affirms education faculty members’ longtime focus on preparing future teachers to design curriculum and classroom communities that support every learner’s needs.

Nunn said the Community Read events are strong conversation starters, but the department will continue the discussion long after the series ends.

“We’ve got this new credential, but this isn’t just like a one time series of events,” Nunn said. “As we continue to be culturally conscious and inclusive and all of these things embedded in our vision statements and on our syllabi, and our missions as professors and leaders of the department, we expect that this work will continue to be embedded in the fabric of the culture of how we just do what we do.”