The Inclusive Teaching of Writing (ITOW) Project and STEPS Forward: A Cross-Disciplinary Approach to Teaching at the Margins of Student Diversity

This event is part of the 2026 Celebrate Learning Week, taking place from May 4 – 8, 2026.

This interactive workshop is a collaboration between the Inclusive Teaching of Writing (ITOW) project team and STEPS Forward Inclusion Facilitators. The workshop brings together our combined knowledge about faculty and student experiences of accessible teaching and learning across disciplinary contexts. A shared motivation is that inclusion and accessibility are terms often applied to teaching and learning at UBC but what they mean in practice, particularly when teaching to the most marginalized students, can be unclear. Faculty workshop participants will work collaboratively with one another to discern what authentic inclusion is, what it involves, and how to further embed it within their teaching practices.

The foundational premise of the Inclusive Teaching of Writing (ITOW) project is that writing is central to university teaching, but its application can be fraught with negative impacts on student learning and well-being. The STEPS Forward Inclusion Facilitators have similarly found that some students with the labels of intellectual disability studying at UBC may experience barriers to learning and classroom engagement through traditional forms of university writing and communication. For example, students who do not read or write, or students who do not communicate verbally or through written language. Together, we will share resources produced through the ITOW project and what the Inclusion Facilitators have learned in collaboration with students and instructors.

Workshop participants can expect to:

• Engage with authentic student scenarios in a process that demystifies what inclusion means beyond “reasonable accommodation” in their classrooms
• Apply 10 core characteristics of inclusive writing instruction to their own course materials and course design
• Participate in a process of intentional reflection and discussion to further grow and learn together
• Leave with shared experiences, strategies, tools and resources to support diverse student learning and to teach to a broader scope of student diversity

Please register to secure your spot.
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