2017 TASH Conference

The confluence of several factors at a small, liberal arts university created the opportunity to develop a community-based literary arts club. First, undergraduate students are required to create and implement a service-learning project. Two second-year students, one an education major focused on becoming a special educator, the other a sociology major/communication sciences and disorder minor who wants to become an audiologist approached a special education professor about the possibility of creating a club to bring together college-age students with disabilities and college students. The concept of a book club emerged and a communication sciences and disorders professor joined the planning team. Together, we developed plans to implement the club and recruited participants from campus and the local school district transition program for students ages 18 - 21. Initially, the club started as a book club with an emphasis on reading a short story followed by discussion and an activity. The emphasis morphed into a literary arts club with reading, writing, and other activities. The team selected the reading materials with input from everyone and planned all of the meetings and activities. The college students and professors took turns leading the club. We read, wrote poems, wrote short stories, kept journals, and engaged in many discussions on the day's topic. For example, one meeting involved creating a black-out poem from a short-story selection. Another meeting focused on using picture prompts to create short, 25-word stories. We met weekly for an hour during the academic semesters in the college student union. Participants could purchase coffee and snacks from the coffee shop. We gathered around a large table or on comfortable chairs. In this manner a community was established in which everyone looked forward to our time together. Everyone participated and shared. The presentation will include a summary of the steps taken to establish the club, highlights of the activities we have done for the past 2 years, individual perspectives on their participation in the club, and suggestions on how to create a similar club. This presentation connects with TASH's theme for the 2017 Conference "Still We Rise for Equity, Opportunity, and Inclusion"€ on several levels. When persons with disabilities leave school after graduation or enter a transition program, they often lose contact with same-age peers. The opportunity to connect with same-age peers on a college campus creates a social outlet that allows for relationships to develop. College students often have a strong desire to engage in social justice and give tremendous energy towards the rights of others. This was certainly the case for the two students who proposed creating this club. University professors act as mentors along with providing a service to the community and engaging in their chosen profession. There is nothing more gratifying than seeing the convergence of student, teacher, and community towards a positive outcome that benefits everyone. Thus is the case with Literary Arts Club. We all benefited -- professor, student, and community member. By sharing our story and experiences we plan to let others know that it is possible and enjoyable to come together under the guise of literary arts, a road not always taken.