ABSTRACT
This chapter discusses the experiences of effectively addressing disability perspectives in the public speaking classes. The goals in writing the chapter are: (1) to foster an awareness of the dominant structure of ableism and how one function in it and often unknowingly reproduce it; (2) to promote a community that slowly but surely breaks down this structure to pave the way to an inclusive classroom environment; and (3) to provide tools that instructors can share with all students to manage this structure effectively so as to have an equal share of all voices heard in the classroom. The chapter then explores how we all participate in the social construct of disability before providing inclusive and transformative pedagogical strategies for the classroom. The collaborative creation of an "Audience Bill of Rights" provides not only the opportunity to involve students in the classroom design but also to critically reflect on their expectations of what makes a good public speaker.
