Supporting Teachers to Teach Disability History with Confidence: Lessons from New Jersey 

By Nicole Hansen, Christa S. Bialka and Teresa G. Wojcik

In 2019, New Jersey became one of the first states in the nation to require that schools teach about the political, economic, and social contributions of people with disabilities. For too long, disability has either been invisible in curriculum or presented only through a narrow, medicalized lens. The NJ mandate aimed to change that by ensuring students see a fuller picture of United States history, one that includes the leadership, resilience, and activism of disabled people who shaped our democracy.

New Jersey isn’t alone. In recent years, several states have passed similar legislation, signaling what feels like a major step forward. After all, how can we prepare students for lives of active citizenship if we leave out a community that has shaped civil rights, culture, and laws in our country?

Our team recently studied how New Jersey secondary social studies teachers are putting this mandate into practice. The results reveal both challenges and opportunities – lessons that can guide how similar laws are implemented across the country. Below, we share a few key takeaways, with the full text published in The Social Studies.

Our study revealed that the promise of these mandates often collides with the reality of classroom practice. We found that one in four secondary social studies educators surveyed were unaware of the mandate. Promisingly, most teachers (88.5%) indicated that they were comfortable discussing disability. However, nearly half of teachers surveyed said that they rarely or never discuss disability in their classrooms. 

Teachers pointed to familiar barriers: not enough time, too few ready-to-use resources, and competing curricular demands. About one-third of participants indicated they worried about saying the wrong thing, which indicates the need for stronger professional development and support. 

Interestingly, when asked which disability-related topics they included in their teaching, many teachers noted they taught about the (likely negative) treatment of disabled individuals throughout history, the reform of mental health institutions/hospitals, and disability as related to the Holocaust. Only about one-third of teachers reported discussing the disability rights movement, and approximately less than half of the teachers we surveyed reported discussing the contributions of people with disabilities. While these negative aspects of history must be taught, exclusively focusing on these topics can lead to negative, stereotyped views of disability, presenting individuals with disabilities as only being able to experience exclusion. These stories should instead be presented alongside stories of the determination and advocacy of individuals with disabilities. 

This gap between requirement and reality is exactly where we need to focus. Our research indicated that teachers aren’t resistant to teaching disability history. In fact, many of the teachers in our study expressed a desire to teach about disability more fully. What teachers need is support: concrete strategies, access to professional development, and practical tools that make including this content possible and uncomplicated. The good news: meaningful inclusion of disability history doesn’t have to mean a complete curriculum overhaul. Here are a few manageable, high-impact strategies:

Start Small! Visibility Matters

Representation doesn’t have to begin with a full unit on disability history. Simple moves such as including photos of disabled individuals in slide decks and posters convey a powerful message. Including disability-related milestones on timelines is another way to signal to students that disability is part of the broader historical narrative. For example, a timeline of civil rights in the United States could include both the Brown vs. Board of Education ruling as well as the passage of the Americans with Disabilities Act.

Rebalance the Narrative

Too often, students encounter disability history only through stories of tragedy. Teachers can intentionally include stories of empowerment as well. For example, rather than solely teaching about the Nazi T4 program in US History II, teachers can also discuss the disability rights movement in the 1970s.

Center Inquiry, Not Just Content

Disability history isn’t just about adding more names, dates, and legislation for students to memorize. Instead, it’s about asking new questions and incorporating individuals with disabilities and their achievements and perspectives into existing units. For example, teachers could create a unit framed around the question, “What does equal rights mean in a democracy?” Inquiry invites students to think critically and to view disability as an intersectional aspect of identity.

Use What’s Already Out There

Fortunately, there’s no need to reinvent the wheel! Resources like Emerging America, the Disability History Museum, the Zinn Education Project, Disability Equality Education, and Portrait of the Whole Person offer a variety of resources, from primary sources to lesson plans. Even using a few elements from these sources can make a difference in terms of showing students a more complete picture of the past.

Mandates like New Jersey’s are important because they set the expectation that disability history should be taught to every student in every classroom. But as our research shows, mandates alone don’t guarantee change. Real impact comes when teachers have the tools, confidence, and support to highlight the contributions of disabled individuals. Together, we can close the gap between requirement and reality – and in doing so, offer every student a richer and more empowering vision of our shared history.
 

The Authors

Dr. Nicole Hansen is an associate professor in the Department of Educational Studies at Seton Hall University.

Dr. Christa Bialka is an associate professor in the Department of Education and Counseling at Villanova University.

Dr. Teresa Wojcik is an associate professor and department chairperson in the Department of Education and Counseling at Villanova University.

Citations

• Remembering Ethan Ellis (1933-2019) - Alliance Center for Independence. 
• Hansen, N., Bialka, C. S., Wojcik, T. G., Sendrowski, A., Todd, M., & Violante, F. (2025). Requirement Versus Reality: Secondary Social Studies Teachers’ Attitudes and Practices When Teaching About Disability History. The Social Studies, 1–18. https://doi.org/10.1080/00377996.2025.2540441. 
• Learning Standards & Requirements - Emerging America's compilation on state policies regarding the teaching of disability history.