Kyle Romano has only been an instructor with the 最新天美传媒 Judy Genshaft Honors College for one semester, but his new course, Disability and Pop Culture, has already hit the ground 鈥渞olling.鈥� Over the fall 2024 semester, Romano and his students explored pop culture representations of disabled people in classical fairy tales, Netflix TV series, children鈥檚 movies, Japanese anime, and Romano鈥檚 favorite: competitive video games. Critically analyzing these representations and comparing them with readings from disability studies scholars proved impactful for Honors students, regardless of their previous experience with disability.
EMBODIED LEARNING
In addition to his scholarly expertise in communication and disability studies, Romano
brings a unique perspective to the classroom through his personal experience as a
disabled individual, a marketing specialist for a mobility equipment company, and
a disability rights activist.
Thanks to his community connections, Romano offers students a broader perspective
on disability studies beyond the classroom. During the semester, he organized a mini-field
trip to showcase an adapted van and hosted a guest lecture from the USF Center for
Assistive Rehabilitation and Robotics Technology (CARRT) at the new USF Research and
Innovation building.
One class activity allowed students to critically study disability through an unexpected
and very personal medium: their own bodies.
On Nov. 7, instead of participating in a typical class discussion, students toured
the new Honors College building using mobility equipment, including walkers, manual
wheelchairs, and power wheelchairs. The equipment was provided by Romano鈥檚 other employer,
Custom Mobility Inc., with Scott McGowan delivering a guest lecture beforehand about
how the company designs personalized mobility equipment for disabled clients.
鈥淢r. McGowan drew attention to the importance of customization for function as well as comfort," said Peter Fugleberg, an Honors student and mechanical engineering major. "His lecture heightened my awareness of the necessity to ensure people鈥檚 equipment is suited to the environment where they live and work.鈥�
I wanted to give my students, many of whom are future clinicians, the missing piece of that puzzle: walking 鈥� or rolling 鈥� a mile in our shoes. 鈥� Kyle Romano
Personalized mobility equipment allows disabled people and their families to participate in Activities of Daily Living (ADLs). For Honors students, these ADLs could include getting to and from their classes, chatting with friends in the Honors building, and hanging out at the nearby on-campus restaurants. The activity helped students realize how differently ADLs are experienced by people who use mobility equipment.
鈥淚 think it can be hard for people to sympathize with things they don't see or experience
themselves,鈥� said Honors student Gloria Coolman. 鈥淭hrough this experience we got to
relate to and understand the frustrations of a table not built for a wheelchair user
or a door that isn't wide enough. It cultivated a compassion and curiosity around
disability that we might not have had otherwise.鈥�
鈥淭he ADL activity was such an eye-opening experience,鈥� said Honors student Evin Roji.
鈥淚 gained new appreciation for how mobility equipment works and how much thought goes
into the designs. It also made me realize just how important accessibility is, and
how we can approach people who use mobility equipment with respect and understanding.鈥�
FUTURE DIRECTIONS
Romano explained why he was motivated to create an 鈥渆mpathetic鈥� space for his students. 鈥淎s somebody who sees both sides of the industry, I know that a lot about mobility equipment can get lost in translation. I've also witnessed a number of medical professionals who remain painfully unaware of disabled people鈥檚 day-to-day lives. I wanted to give my students, many of whom are future clinicians, the missing piece of that puzzle: walking鈥� or rolling鈥� a mile in our shoes.鈥�
Of his students, Romano said, 鈥淪ince most of them had no prior experience using mobility equipment, it made them pause and think about their world in ways that they hadn't before. It was amazing for me to watch their perspectives on life with a disability change in real time.鈥�
Romano鈥檚 course, Disability and Pop Culture, will be offered again in spring 2025. He is currently planning more experiential learning activities for his future students, including projects in the Honors art studio and a guest lecture from the community organization, Gamers on the Edge.