Infusing Disability Culture into Multicultural Courses in Counselor Education Programs

Abstract

The article addresses the absence of discussion of disability culture and related issues in a counselor education training program at the University of Wyoming. It is likely that counselors will work with people who have disabilities because people with disabilities constitute the largest minority group in the United States. To assess the current level of awareness and perceived level of benefit of infusing disability culture into the counseling program, 19 masters’ students participated in training on disability culture, and then discussed what they learned in focus groups. The students reported subscribing to several common stereotypes about disability and expressed the belief that learning about this population is an important aspect of a counselor education program.